Suzy Loftus does it all.
She has a decade of experience in law enforcement, starting with her work in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, to the California Department of Justice, to her current role where she serves as legal counsel for the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department.
But it was Suzy’s five years on the Police Commission where she began partnering closely with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. During her tenure, she brought traffic violence and street safety to the forefront and became a champion of Vision Zero, our city’s commitment to ending all serious injuries and fatalities caused by traffic crashes by 2024.
In her own words, Suzy shared with us that “collisions are not just accidents and fatalities that can be prevented must always be a priority — anything that is predictable is preventable.” But it takes a village to get there. Long-term success is “about partnership, prevention, measuring progress and accountability. Most importantly, the community must be included in assessments of progress on where we need to focus more attention and work.”
Suzy Loftus attends Assemblymember Phil Ting’s Family Bike Fair at AP Giannini Middle School in April with her daughter Maureen.
As President of the Police Commission, Suzy successfully pushed for a resolution committing the SF Police Department to do their part in achieving Vision Zero. This resolution called for data-driven enforcement that required regular reporting on progress and phasing out antiquated language like describing traffic crashes as “accidents.”
But we know that wasn’t enough. When our fight to authorize automated speed enforcement in San Francisco heated up in 2015, once again, it was Suzy who championed legislation for the SF Police Department to formally support the use of this technology. “We have to invest in tools and best practices that keep people safe,” said Suzy. “Automated speed enforcement is a proven safety technique. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that fixed camera reduce injury crashes by almost 25% and mobile cameras reduce injury collisions by up to 50%.” And if elected as District Attorney, she’s ready to take that fight once again to change state law to authorize its use.
At the end of the day, this is a personal issue for Suzy and her family. She tells us, “I walk my youngest daughter to school every morning and my eldest daughter walks to the bus stop to get to high school. They walk and play outside and I want them to be safe, just like I want all children to be safe on our streets.”
There is no question to Suzy’s commitment to street safety, and her years of leadership and follow-through distinguished her from the rest of the candidates for District Attorney. Your San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is proud to endorse Suzy Loftus for District Attorney this November.
