In response to series of violent incidents that recently occurred on and off school campuses, the San Francisco Unified School District and city officials have introduced a slew of proposals to mitigate youth violence in San Francisco.

Last week, the school district was hit with reports of a gun at a middle school campus and a stabbing at another.

Meanwhile off campus, a 12-year-old was arrested last week for allegedly stabbing a 15-year-old highschooler on a MUNI bus, and on Monday police said they are adding more patrols at Stonestown Galleria after several large teen fights broke out at the mall.

“There are no excuses for violence, but there are steps we can take to prevent this kind of behavior from taking hold in our schools and our City,” said Mayor London Breed. “As City leaders, we are committed to working together with the School District to make sure our kids are safe and have the support they need, especially after the incredible strain on our young people caused by the last few years.”

“Our youth are still recovering from the devastating effect of the pandemic, and we know that it will take the entire City family … to help them build up their social-emotional resilience.”

Dr. Maria Su, Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families

The nine proposals announced Tuesday would beef up pre-existing city and school programs, like adding more MUNI transit ambassadors, expanding a school violence interrupter program to identify at-risk youth and coordinate rehabilitation programs for youth involved in crime in the city’s district attorney and public defender offices.

“As SFUSD’s superintendent and a parent, I recognize how challenging the last few weeks have been,” said Superintendent Matt Wayne. “I am grateful that SFUSD and City leaders have come together with a sense of urgency to find solutions, and deepen our partnerships so that we can better support SFUSD students and families.”

The school district also said it intends to improve mental health support, resource-sharing and coordination techniques in school violence incidents.

“Our youth are still recovering from the devastating effect of the pandemic, and we know that it will take the entire City family, which includes leveraging the expertise of our community-based organizations, to help them build up their social-emotional resilience,” said Dr. Maria Su, Executive Director of the Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families.