Annie Gaus

San Francisco Mayor London Breed defended the city&#8217;s recent <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/25-arrested-for-public-intoxication-amid-fentanyl-crackdown-san-francisco-mayor-says/">arrests of drug users</a> in a tense exchange Tuesday with a progressive lawmaker.

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San Francisco Mayor London Breed defended the city's recent <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/25-arrested-for-public-intoxication-amid-fentanyl-crackdown-san-francisco-mayor-says/">arrests of drug users</a> in a tense exchange Tuesday with a progressive lawmaker.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed defended the city&#8217;s recent <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/25-arrested-for-public-intoxication-amid-fentanyl-crackdown-san-francisco-mayor-says/">arrests of drug users</a> in a tense exchange Tuesday with a progressive lawmaker.

Alongside a stepped-up <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/new-downtown-san-francisco-drug-dealing-command-center-to-open/">state and federal response</a>, Breed has increasingly taken a harder line on open-air drug activity, saying in an interview last week that 25 people had been arrested for public intoxication. San Francisco police data shows 176 arrests or citations for drug offenses in the past month, largely in and around Downtown; the Sheriff&#8217;s Department is <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/san-francisco-sheriff-fentanyl-crisis-drug-dealing/">also deploying deputies</a> to make arrests.

Alongside a stepped-up <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/new-downtown-san-francisco-drug-dealing-command-center-to-open/">state and federal response</a>, Breed has increasingly taken a harder line on open-air drug activity, saying in an interview last week that 25 people had been arrested for public intoxication. San Francisco police data shows 176 arrests or citations for drug offenses in the past month, largely in and around Downtown; the Sheriff's Department is <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/san-francisco-sheriff-fentanyl-crisis-drug-dealing/">also deploying deputies</a> to make arrests.

Alongside a stepped-up <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/new-downtown-san-francisco-drug-dealing-command-center-to-open/">state and federal response</a>, Breed has increasingly taken a harder line on open-air drug activity, saying in an interview last week that 25 people had been arrested for public intoxication. San Francisco police data shows 176 arrests or citations for drug offenses in the past month, largely in and around Downtown; the Sheriff&#8217;s Department is <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/san-francisco-sheriff-fentanyl-crisis-drug-dealing/">also deploying deputies</a> to make arrests.

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<figure class="wp-block-video"><video autoplay controls loop muted poster="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/MOMENI.00_00_16_06.Still005.jpg" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SFS_BOS_BREED_PRESTON_1-1.mp4" playsinline></video><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston and Mayor London Breed got into a heated exchange after Preston posed questions about Breed's approach to the drug addiction epidemic in the city at a Board of Supervisors' meeting on Tuesday. | Courtesy SFGovTV</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-video"><video autoplay controls loop muted poster="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/MOMENI.00_00_16_06.Still005.jpg" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SFS_BOS_BREED_PRESTON_1-1.mp4" playsinline></video><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston and Mayor London Breed got into a heated exchange after Preston posed questions about Breed&#8217;s approach to the drug addiction epidemic in the city at a Board of Supervisors&#8217; meeting on Tuesday. | Courtesy SFGovTV</figcaption></figure>

&#8220;Here we go, another white man talking about Black and Brown people as if you’re the savior of these people,&#8221; Breed told Supervisor Dean Preston, a frequent critic of both the mayor and police, whose district includes the troubled Tenderloin neighborhood.

"Here we go, another white man talking about Black and Brown people as if you’re the savior of these people," Breed told Supervisor Dean Preston, a frequent critic of both the mayor and police, whose district includes the troubled Tenderloin neighborhood.

&#8220;Here we go, another white man talking about Black and Brown people as if you’re the savior of these people,&#8221; Breed told Supervisor Dean Preston, a frequent critic of both the mayor and police, whose district includes the troubled Tenderloin neighborhood.

At Breed&#8217;s regular appearance before the Board of Supervisors, Preston interrogated the mayor on her plans to open <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/breed-to-fund-wellness-hubs-for-overdose-prevention-in-upcoming-budget/">so-called &#8220;wellness hubs&#8221;</a> for overdose prevention, as well as the recent drug-related arrests. Preston quoted from a Department of Public Health report that discouraged &#8220;punitive policies&#8221; and noted that Black, Brown and Indigenous communities have long been targeted by drug crackdowns.

At Breed's regular appearance before the Board of Supervisors, Preston interrogated the mayor on her plans to open <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/breed-to-fund-wellness-hubs-for-overdose-prevention-in-upcoming-budget/">so-called "wellness hubs"</a> for overdose prevention, as well as the recent drug-related arrests. Preston quoted from a Department of Public Health report that discouraged "punitive policies" and noted that Black, Brown and Indigenous communities have long been targeted by drug crackdowns.

At Breed&#8217;s regular appearance before the Board of Supervisors, Preston interrogated the mayor on her plans to open <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/breed-to-fund-wellness-hubs-for-overdose-prevention-in-upcoming-budget/">so-called &#8220;wellness hubs&#8221;</a> for overdose prevention, as well as the recent drug-related arrests. Preston quoted from a Department of Public Health report that discouraged &#8220;punitive policies&#8221; and noted that Black, Brown and Indigenous communities have long been targeted by drug crackdowns.

&#8220;The fact is, it&#8217;s not just services; it&#8217;s also force,&#8221; Breed responded, using the example of a friend who had entered treatment after an arrest. &#8220;You can quote all these statistics all you want, but at the end of the day, you&#8217;ve never lived in it.&#8221;

"The fact is, it's not just services; it's also force," Breed responded, using the example of a friend who had entered treatment after an arrest. "You can quote all these statistics all you want, but at the end of the day, you've never lived in it."

&#8220;The fact is, it&#8217;s not just services; it&#8217;s also force,&#8221; Breed responded, using the example of a friend who had entered treatment after an arrest. &#8220;You can quote all these statistics all you want, but at the end of the day, you&#8217;ve never lived in it.&#8221;

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At one point in the exchange, Board President Aaron Peskin offered to facilitate a meeting between Breed and Preston to hash out their differences.

At one point in the exchange, Board President Aaron Peskin offered to facilitate a meeting between Breed and Preston to hash out their differences.

&#8220;We don&#8217;t need a babysitter. We&#8217;re grownups,&#8221; said Breed.

"We don't need a babysitter. We're grownups," said Breed.

&#8220;We don&#8217;t need a babysitter. We&#8217;re grownups,&#8221; said Breed.

Preston asked Breed to commit to issuing a request for proposals for the wellness hubs, which were initially planned as successors to the Tenderloin Linkage Center but were put on pause over legal issues. The hubs are conceived as health access centers where people may use drugs under supervision and find connections to housing, medical care or other services.

Preston asked Breed to commit to issuing a request for proposals for the wellness hubs, which were initially planned as successors to the Tenderloin Linkage Center but were put on pause over legal issues. The hubs are conceived as health access centers where people may use drugs under supervision and find connections to housing, medical care or other services.

<figure class="wp-block-video"><video autoplay controls loop muted poster="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/MOMENI.00_06_27_04.Still004.jpg" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SFS_BOS_BREED_PRESTON_2-1.mp4" playsinline></video><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">After Preston described the mayor's enforcement policy as harmful to communities of color, Breed responded by accusing Preston of acting as a savior for those communities without understanding their needs. | Courtesy SFGovTV</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-video"><video autoplay controls loop muted poster="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/MOMENI.00_06_27_04.Still004.jpg" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SFS_BOS_BREED_PRESTON_2-1.mp4" playsinline></video><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">After Preston described the mayor&#8217;s enforcement policy as harmful to communities of color, Breed responded by accusing Preston of acting as a savior for those communities without understanding their needs. | Courtesy SFGovTV</figcaption></figure>

Breed&#8217;s citywide budget proposal includes funding for three wellness hubs but specifies that any &#8220;possible inclusion of safe consumption would be funded by private entities,&#8221;&nbsp;in line with legal guidance from City Attorney David Chiu. The funding of safe-consumption sites has been a source of contention among members of the Board of Supervisors, with some pushing the city to <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/san-francisco-cant-use-opioid-settlement-funds-for-drug-sites-attorney-says/">pay for the sites with public funds.</a>

Breed's citywide budget proposal includes funding for three wellness hubs but specifies that any "possible inclusion of safe consumption would be funded by private entities,"&nbsp;in line with legal guidance from City Attorney David Chiu. The funding of safe-consumption sites has been a source of contention among members of the Board of Supervisors, with some pushing the city to <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/san-francisco-cant-use-opioid-settlement-funds-for-drug-sites-attorney-says/">pay for the sites with public funds.</a>

Breed&#8217;s citywide budget proposal includes funding for three wellness hubs but specifies that any &#8220;possible inclusion of safe consumption would be funded by private entities,&#8221;&nbsp;in line with legal guidance from City Attorney David Chiu. The funding of safe-consumption sites has been a source of contention among members of the Board of Supervisors, with some pushing the city to <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/san-francisco-cant-use-opioid-settlement-funds-for-drug-sites-attorney-says/">pay for the sites with public funds.</a>

Preston criticized the shutdown of the Tenderloin Linkage Center last December, saying that the closure had contributed to an increase in overdoses. More than 300 overdoses were reversed at the center during its 11-month tenure, but the site also drew criticism for connecting few guests with treatment.

Preston criticized the shutdown of the Tenderloin Linkage Center last December, saying that the closure had contributed to an increase in overdoses. More than 300 overdoses were reversed at the center during its 11-month tenure, but the site also drew criticism for connecting few guests with treatment.

Breed suggested that Preston wasn&#8217;t listening to residents of the Tenderloin, a neighborhood long plagued by open-air drug activity, poverty and blight.

Breed suggested that Preston wasn't listening to residents of the Tenderloin, a neighborhood long plagued by open-air drug activity, poverty and blight.

Breed suggested that Preston wasn&#8217;t listening to residents of the Tenderloin, a neighborhood long plagued by open-air drug activity, poverty and blight.

&#8220;The fact is the [Tenderloin Linkage Center] wasn’t doing what it was supposed to be doing,&#8221; said Breed. &#8220;Every constituent I’ve talked to—not service providers, constituents [&#8230;] they want to see safety.&#8221;

"The fact is the [Tenderloin Linkage Center] wasn’t doing what it was supposed to be doing," said Breed. "Every constituent I’ve talked to—not service providers, constituents [...] they want to see safety."

&#8220;The fact is the [Tenderloin Linkage Center] wasn’t doing what it was supposed to be doing,&#8221; said Breed. &#8220;Every constituent I’ve talked to—not service providers, constituents [&#8230;] they want to see safety.&#8221;

Breed defends drug arrests, slams progressive lawmaker: ‘As if you’re the savior’

Joe Burn

San Francisco Mayor London Breed met with U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey and other officials on May 22 to discuss secret plans to battle the city&#8217;s drug crisis.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed met with U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey and other officials on May 22 to discuss secret plans to battle the city's drug crisis.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed met with U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey and other officials on May 22 to discuss secret plans to battle the city&#8217;s drug crisis.

Breed told the Board of Supervisors about the clandestine huddle after an <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/un-plaza-heres-what-san-francisco-politicians-wont-see-at-rare-public-hearing/">open-air meeting</a> on May 23 in United Nations Plaza was forced to move back into City Hall when hecklers made it difficult for city officials to speak and a woman <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/woman-throws-brick-at-sf-officials-after-un-plaza-meeting-cut-short-by-heckling/">threw a brick</a> in their direction.&nbsp;

Breed told the Board of Supervisors about the clandestine huddle after an <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/un-plaza-heres-what-san-francisco-politicians-wont-see-at-rare-public-hearing/">open-air meeting</a> on May 23 in United Nations Plaza was forced to move back into City Hall when hecklers made it difficult for city officials to speak and a woman <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/woman-throws-brick-at-sf-officials-after-un-plaza-meeting-cut-short-by-heckling/">threw a brick</a> in their direction.&nbsp;

The meeting in U.N. Plaza was an attempt by Board President Aaron Peskin to force Breed to address the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/san-francisco-supervisor-asks-for-state-federal-help-in-fentanyl-crisis/">drug crisis</a> at its de facto ground zero in Downtown San Francisco’s Civic Center.&nbsp;

The meeting in U.N. Plaza was an attempt by Board President Aaron Peskin to force Breed to address the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/san-francisco-supervisor-asks-for-state-federal-help-in-fentanyl-crisis/">drug crisis</a> at its de facto ground zero in Downtown San Francisco’s Civic Center.&nbsp;

&#8220;I&#8217;m not at liberty to speak about the details, but know that everyone is focused on this very important issue,&#8221; Breed told the board last week of her meeting with Pelosi and others. “There is confidential information that we will not be able to allow you or even myself to be exposed to, as it relates to what we are doing to address this problem.”

"I'm not at liberty to speak about the details, but know that everyone is focused on this very important issue," Breed told the board last week of her meeting with Pelosi and others. “There is confidential information that we will not be able to allow you or even myself to be exposed to, as it relates to what we are doing to address this problem.”

&#8220;I&#8217;m not at liberty to speak about the details, but know that everyone is focused on this very important issue,&#8221; Breed told the board last week of her meeting with Pelosi and others. “There is confidential information that we will not be able to allow you or even myself to be exposed to, as it relates to what we are doing to address this problem.”

<figure class="wp-block-video"><video autoplay controls loop muted src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SFS_BOS_SECRET_PLAN-2.mp4" playsinline></video><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mayor London Breed describes her plan to enlist federal and state help to address San Francisco's worsening drug crisis. | SFGovTV</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-video"><video autoplay controls loop muted src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SFS_BOS_SECRET_PLAN-2.mp4" playsinline></video><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mayor London Breed describes her plan to enlist federal and state help to address San Francisco&#8217;s worsening drug crisis. | SFGovTV</figcaption></figure>

The mayor’s comments came hot on the heels of a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/gavin-newsom-tells-sfpd-to-work-with-national-guard-chp-against-drug-crisis/">plan</a> announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom to deploy resources from the California Highway Patrol and the state National Guard to San Francisco to help city police deal with the drug crisis.&nbsp;

The mayor’s comments came hot on the heels of a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/gavin-newsom-tells-sfpd-to-work-with-national-guard-chp-against-drug-crisis/">plan</a> announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom to deploy resources from the California Highway Patrol and the state National Guard to San Francisco to help city police deal with the drug crisis.&nbsp;

Speaking at a homeless shelter in the Mission on Tuesday, Breed teased more details of the meeting, telling The Standard that the goal of the coordinated effort was to disrupt drug-dealing activity that has been moving away from the Tenderloin and SoMa neighborhoods. Breed said she wouldn’t give more details away so as not to tip off drug dealers.

Speaking at a homeless shelter in the Mission on Tuesday, Breed teased more details of the meeting, telling The Standard that the goal of the coordinated effort was to disrupt drug-dealing activity that has been moving away from the Tenderloin and SoMa neighborhoods. Breed said she wouldn’t give more details away so as not to tip off drug dealers.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom attends a press conference with San Francisco Mayor London Breed at City Hall on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in San Francisco. | Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/INLINED8_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-164597"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gov. Gavin Newsom attends a press conference with Mayor London Breed at San Francisco City Hall on April 26, 2022. | Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via AP</figcaption></figure>

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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/INLINED8_NEW_FentanylOverdoseDeaths04242023.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-164597"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gov. Gavin Newsom attends a press conference with Mayor London Breed at San Francisco City Hall on April 26, 2022. | Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via AP</figcaption></figure>

“Our goal is to have the results speak for themselves and to talk about the information of the arrests that we&#8217;ve made or the data that shows the change,” said the mayor. “Rather than providing a road map to people who are actually out there […] dealing the drugs and doing what they&#8217;re doing.”

“Our goal is to have the results speak for themselves and to talk about the information of the arrests that we've made or the data that shows the change,” said the mayor. “Rather than providing a road map to people who are actually out there […] dealing the drugs and doing what they're doing.”

“Our goal is to have the results speak for themselves and to talk about the information of the arrests that we&#8217;ve made or the data that shows the change,” said the mayor. “Rather than providing a road map to people who are actually out there […] dealing the drugs and doing what they&#8217;re doing.”

A Pelosi spokesperson confirmed the congresswoman was at the meeting and said her office did not have further details to share.

A Pelosi spokesperson confirmed the congresswoman was at the meeting and said her office did not have further details to share.

A spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Department and also declined to provide further details. A U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesperson confirmed the meeting took place but also declined to comment.

A spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Department and also declined to provide further details. A U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesperson confirmed the meeting took place but also declined to comment.

“I think we haven’t sufficiently managed or allocated our resources,” said Peskin when asked about the meeting. “I have no idea what she was speaking to the Speaker Emerita about or what the Speaker Emerita could do.”&nbsp;

“I think we haven’t sufficiently managed or allocated our resources,” said Peskin when asked about the meeting. “I have no idea what she was speaking to the Speaker Emerita about or what the Speaker Emerita could do.”&nbsp;

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ office did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ office did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.

San Francisco mayor had secret meeting with Nancy Pelosi on city’s drug crisis

Jesse Rogala

Garrett Leahy

With the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/tenderloin-center-clients-warn-of-disaster-as-controversial-drug-site-heads-for-closure/">closure of the Tenderloin Center</a>, a safe drug-use site, the city is now grappling with how to address its drug crisis moving forward. With the mayor and supervisors pitted against each other in a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/sf-supervisors-rally-for-5-5m-for-wellness-hubs-after-plan-stalls/">fight to open more</a> sites—or <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-s-plan-to-open-12-supervised-drug-17636311.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">none at all</a>.

With the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/tenderloin-center-clients-warn-of-disaster-as-controversial-drug-site-heads-for-closure/">closure of the Tenderloin Center</a>, a safe drug-use site, the city is now grappling with how to address its drug crisis moving forward. With the mayor and supervisors pitted against each other in a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/sf-supervisors-rally-for-5-5m-for-wellness-hubs-after-plan-stalls/">fight to open more</a> sites—or <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-s-plan-to-open-12-supervised-drug-17636311.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">none at all</a>.

Supervisors say safe use sites are essential for stopping rampant <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/san-francisco-plans-12-new-drug-consumption-sites-despite-legal-hurdles/">overdose deaths</a>, but the Mayor’s Office says the federally illegal sites could cause the city huge legal problems.

Supervisors say safe use sites are essential for stopping rampant <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/san-francisco-plans-12-new-drug-consumption-sites-despite-legal-hurdles/">overdose deaths</a>, but the Mayor’s Office says the federally illegal sites could cause the city huge legal problems.

Caught in the middle of the debate are everyday residents living in the Tenderloin and SoMa—the worst affected neighborhoods.&nbsp;

Caught in the middle of the debate are everyday residents living in the Tenderloin and SoMa—the worst affected neighborhoods.&nbsp;

Residents enduring the crisis told The Standard what living inside the epicenter of it is like.

Residents enduring the crisis told The Standard what living inside the epicenter of it is like.

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Wendy Ake cuts hair at her business, Wendy’s Salon, in the Tenderloin in San Francisco, Calif., on December 14, 2022. | Jason Henry for The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/inlined1_LinkageLofts13122022-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-104634"/><figcaption>Wendy Ake cuts hair at her business, Wendy’s Salon, in the Tenderloin. | Jason Henry for The Standard</figcaption></figure>

Barber Wendy Ake said that she regularly sees drug use and dealing near her home and workplace, especially on the streets of Eddy, Hyde and Ellis.

Barber Wendy Ake said that she regularly sees drug use and dealing near her home and workplace, especially on the streets of Eddy, Hyde and Ellis.

Ake has lived in the Tenderloin for nine years at the Mosser Towers on Turk Street, where she also works.

Ake has lived in the Tenderloin for nine years at the Mosser Towers on Turk Street, where she also works.

“It’s so bad because I have four kids. I see [people] using, selling,” Ake said in Spanish.

“It’s so bad because I have four kids. I see [people] using, selling,” Ake said in Spanish.

The single mother said she thinks the neighborhood is too unsafe for her kids to play outside.

The single mother said she thinks the neighborhood is too unsafe for her kids to play outside.

She takes her kids out of the worst parts of the neighborhood to the Metreon or Jefferson Square Park to play. Even though there is a closer playground just down the street.

She takes her kids out of the worst parts of the neighborhood to the Metreon or Jefferson Square Park to play. Even though there is a closer playground just down the street.

“For the most part the kids stay home, because it’s too dangerous,” Ake said in Spanish. “Not even in the [nearby] park.”

“For the most part the kids stay home, because it’s too dangerous,” Ake said in Spanish. “Not even in the [nearby] park.”

Related: <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/photos-of-life-at-the-center-of-san-franciscos-drug-crisis">Photos of Life at the Center of San Francisco’s Drug Crisis</a>

Related: <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/photos-of-life-at-the-center-of-san-franciscos-drug-crisis">Photos of Life at the Center of San Francisco’s Drug Crisis</a>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-tenderloin-center">The Tenderloin Center</h2>

<h2 id="h-the-tenderloin-center">The Tenderloin Center</h2>

A person sleeps on the sidewalk in the Tenderloin in San Francisco, Calif., on December 14, 2022. | Jason Henry for The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/inlined2_LinkageLofts13122022-2500x1809.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-104637"/><figcaption>A man sleeps on the sidewalk in the Tenderloin in San Francisco. | Jason Henry for The Standard</figcaption></figure>

A few blocks south of Ake’s home, the Tenderloin Center closed on Dec. 4, and has some residents worried about what will happen following the safe drug-use site’s closure.

A few blocks south of Ake’s home, the Tenderloin Center closed on Dec. 4, and has some residents worried about what will happen following the safe drug-use site’s closure.

Reese Isbell, who lives in SoMa south of Civic Center, said he had issues with drug dealers and users gathering near his apartment before police action moved the problem away.&nbsp;

Reese Isbell, who lives in SoMa south of Civic Center, said he had issues with drug dealers and users gathering near his apartment before police action moved the problem away.&nbsp;

Reese Isbell on the roof of the building where he lives with his partner in San Francisco, Calif., on December 14, 2022. The Tenderloin Linkage Center closed on Monday, December 5, 2022 leaving homeless people and others with drug addiction problems without a local resource. Local residents of UN Plaza, Civic Center and the Tenderloin areas continue to express concerns about public drug use, homeless encampments lining the streets and overall issues around public safety. | Jason Henry for The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/INLINED002_TCClosureConcerns14122022-2500x1666.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-104456"/><figcaption>Reese Isbell on the roof of the building where he lives with his partner in San Francisco. | Jason Henry for The Standard</figcaption></figure>

But now that the Tenderloin Center is closed and the city is reducing the hours that the UN Plaza is open, he <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/man-fears-drug-market-will-return-to-his-home-after-crisis-zone-curfew/">worries that users and dealers will return to the block where he lives</a>.

But now that the Tenderloin Center is closed and the city is reducing the hours that the UN Plaza is open, he <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/man-fears-drug-market-will-return-to-his-home-after-crisis-zone-curfew/">worries that users and dealers will return to the block where he lives</a>.

“They’re still around UN Plaza, and the shutting down of UN Plaza makes me worried they’re going to come over here,” Isbell said.

“They’re still around UN Plaza, and the shutting down of UN Plaza makes me worried they’re going to come over here,” Isbell said.

The Tenderloin Center <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/tenderloin-center-clients-warn-of-disaster-as-controversial-drug-site-heads-for-closure/">reversed more than 300 overdoses</a> and served almost 100,000 meals, washed over 3,400 loads of laundry and completed more than 1,500 referrals to housing and shelter. The Tenderloin Center cost the city $22 million during its 11 months of operation.

The Tenderloin Center <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/tenderloin-center-clients-warn-of-disaster-as-controversial-drug-site-heads-for-closure/">reversed more than 300 overdoses</a> and served almost 100,000 meals, washed over 3,400 loads of laundry and completed more than 1,500 referrals to housing and shelter. The Tenderloin Center cost the city $22 million during its 11 months of operation.

In the aftermath of the center’s closure, some city officials are pushing to open more similar sit, with the Department of Public Health planning a dozen “<a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/san-francisco-plans-12-new-drug-consumption-sites-despite-legal-hurdles/">wellness hubs</a>” around the city, before the Mayor’s Office said the plans had been stalled by <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-s-plan-to-open-12-supervised-drug-17636311.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">apparent legal issues</a>.&nbsp;

In the aftermath of the center’s closure, some city officials are pushing to open more similar sit, with the Department of Public Health planning a dozen “<a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health/san-francisco-plans-12-new-drug-consumption-sites-despite-legal-hurdles/">wellness hubs</a>” around the city, before the Mayor’s Office said the plans had been stalled by <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-s-plan-to-open-12-supervised-drug-17636311.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">apparent legal issues</a>.&nbsp;

‘They Ain’t Changed Shit’

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-they-ain-t-changed-shit">‘They Ain’t Changed Shit’</h2>

<h2 id="h-they-ain-t-changed-shit">‘They Ain’t Changed Shit’</h2>

Brenda Lopez, who has lived in the neighborhood for 18 years, in San Francisco, Calif., on December 14, 2022. | Jason Henry for The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/inlined3_LinkageLofts13122022-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-104640"/><figcaption>Brenda Lopez, who has lived in the Tenderloin neighborhood for 18 years. | Jason Henry for The Standard</figcaption></figure>

Many Tenderloin residents haven’t noticed a difference, both while the Tenderloin Center was open and since it closed.

Many Tenderloin residents haven’t noticed a difference, both while the Tenderloin Center was open and since it closed.

“They ain’t changed shit,” said Brenda Lopez, who has lived in a single-room occupancy (SRO) unit at the Vincent Hotel for 18 years.

“They ain’t changed shit,” said Brenda Lopez, who has lived in a single-room occupancy (SRO) unit at the Vincent Hotel for 18 years.

“There’s still dope, people getting shot, stabbed; it&#8217;s crazy out here,” said Lopez, who also told The Standard she had recently gotten off methadone. “I don’t feel unsafe per se, I’m pretty much seeing the same things.”

“There’s still dope, people getting shot, stabbed; it's crazy out here,” said Lopez, who also told The Standard she had recently gotten off methadone. “I don’t feel unsafe per se, I’m pretty much seeing the same things.”

“There’s still dope, people getting shot, stabbed; it&#8217;s crazy out here,” said Lopez, who also told The Standard she had recently gotten off methadone. “I don’t feel unsafe per se, I’m pretty much seeing the same things.”

Security guard Saya Burns moved to the Tenderloin from the Western Addition four years ago.

Security guard Saya Burns moved to the Tenderloin from the Western Addition four years ago.

People gather on the sidewalk along Hyde Street in the Tenderloin in San Francisco, Calif., on December 14, 2022. | Jason Henry for The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/LinkageLofts13122022_0034.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-104607"/><figcaption>People gather on the sidewalk along Hyde Street in the Tenderloin in San Francisco, on Dec. 14, 2022. | Jason Henry for The Standard</figcaption></figure>

Burns said she keeps her head down and hopes no one will bother her, especially when she leaves for work early in the morning and often sees people using drugs near her block.

Burns said she keeps her head down and hopes no one will bother her, especially when she leaves for work early in the morning and often sees people using drugs near her block.

“If it’s really early and it’s looking sketchy, just walk by. If you look scared, of course they’re going to bug you,” Burns said. “I don’t want to deal with all the riff raff.”

“If it’s really early and it’s looking sketchy, just walk by. If you look scared, of course they’re going to bug you,” Burns said. “I don’t want to deal with all the riff raff.”

Jennifer Friedenbach has worked in the Tenderloin for 27 years and is the executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness.

Jennifer Friedenbach has worked in the Tenderloin for 27 years and is the executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness.

Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness, sits in her office in San Francisco on December 14, 2022. 

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/LinkageLofts13122022_0016-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-104619"/><figcaption>Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness, in her office in San Francisco. | Jason Henry for The Standard</figcaption></figure>

Friedenbach said the Tenderloin is the most impoverished neighborhood in the city and has had drug issues for decades.

Friedenbach said the Tenderloin is the most impoverished neighborhood in the city and has had drug issues for decades.

“If affluent people are moving into an impoverished neighborhood, they should know what they are getting into,” Friedenbach said during an interview in the Coalition’s offices on Turk Street.

“If affluent people are moving into an impoverished neighborhood, they should know what they are getting into,” Friedenbach said during an interview in the Coalition’s offices on Turk Street.

Friedenbach said that despite the neighborhood’s issues, it&#8217;s a tight-knit community that’s politically engaged.

Friedenbach said that despite the neighborhood’s issues, it's a tight-knit community that’s politically engaged.

Friedenbach said that despite the neighborhood’s issues, it&#8217;s a tight-knit community that’s politically engaged.

“I think it is also a caring community,” Friedenbach said. “They know their supervisor, they have spoken at City Hall.”

“I think it is also a caring community,” Friedenbach said. “They know their supervisor, they have spoken at City Hall.”

What life is like at the center of San Francisco’s drug crisis

Jonah Owen Lamb

Newly appointed District Attorney Brooke Jenkins stood in a dark blue blazer above the rotunda at San Francisco City Hall, a pair of flags behind her. For months, she’d campaigned to recall her former boss, Chesa Boudin, saying that the city needed a warrior to clean up its streets.

Newly appointed District Attorney Brooke Jenkins stood in a dark blue blazer above the rotunda at San Francisco City Hall, a pair of flags behind her. For months, she’d campaigned to recall her former boss, Chesa Boudin, saying that the city needed a warrior to clean up its streets.

But on that July day, she had the job.

“We are at a tipping point in San Francisco,” she said in her first speech as district attorney on July 8, 2022. “San Franciscans do not feel safe.”&nbsp;

“We are at a tipping point in San Francisco,” she said in her first speech as district attorney on July 8, 2022. “San Franciscans do not feel safe.”&nbsp;

<figure class="wp-block-video"><video autoplay controls loop muted poster="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/JenkinsYearInReview.00_00_00_00.Still003.png" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Video1_JenkinsYearInReview061523.mp4" playsinline></video><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Brooke Jenkins promises to crack down on open-air drug-dealing during her swearing-in ceremony on July 8, 2022. | Courtesy SFGovTV</figcaption></figure>

Jenkins&#8217; rhetoric was aimed at what many saw as the worsening state of the city’s streets post-Covid, with increased open-air drug-dealing and overdoses—all imparting a sense of lawlessness that many, fairly or not, laid in the lap of Boudin.&nbsp;

Jenkins' rhetoric was aimed at what many saw as the worsening state of the city’s streets post-Covid, with increased open-air drug-dealing and overdoses—all imparting a sense of lawlessness that many, fairly or not, laid in the lap of Boudin.&nbsp;

Jenkins&#8217; rhetoric was aimed at what many saw as the worsening state of the city’s streets post-Covid, with increased open-air drug-dealing and overdoses—all imparting a sense of lawlessness that many, fairly or not, laid in the lap of Boudin.&nbsp;

Jenkins quickly adopted a more punitive approach to crime than her progressive predecessor both in tone and substance, homing in on repeat narcotics offenders and drug dealers, whom she targeted with more stringent policies and harsher rhetoric. She threatened to charge dealers with murder if their drugs lead to overdoses, said she’d add years to sentences for those who deal near schools and revoked what she termed “lenient” plea offers made by Boudin.

Jenkins quickly adopted a more punitive approach to crime than her progressive predecessor both in tone and substance, homing in on repeat narcotics offenders and drug dealers, whom she targeted with more stringent policies and harsher rhetoric. She threatened to charge dealers with murder if their drugs lead to overdoses, said she’d add years to sentences for those who deal near schools and revoked what she termed “lenient” plea offers made by Boudin.

But there is <a href="https://sf.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/City%20Survey%202023%20Summary%20Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">little evidence on the streets</a> that these tactics are working, and many say they are merely a return to a failed &#8220;war on drugs.&#8221; Instead of focusing on diversion and treatment, which were part of Boudin’s approach, Jenkins has put more of her tools toward jailing drug dealers and punishing users.&nbsp;

But there is <a href="https://sf.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/City%20Survey%202023%20Summary%20Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">little evidence on the streets</a> that these tactics are working, and many say they are merely a return to a failed "war on drugs." Instead of focusing on diversion and treatment, which were part of Boudin’s approach, Jenkins has put more of her tools toward jailing drug dealers and punishing users.&nbsp;

But there is <a href="https://sf.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/City%20Survey%202023%20Summary%20Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">little evidence on the streets</a> that these tactics are working, and many say they are merely a return to a failed &#8220;war on drugs.&#8221; Instead of focusing on diversion and treatment, which were part of Boudin’s approach, Jenkins has put more of her tools toward jailing drug dealers and punishing users.&nbsp;

Reports of drug offenses have increased 41% since she took office. Overdose deaths driven by the fentanyl epidemic are on pace to hit a record high, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/california/san-francisco-bay-areas-fight-against-fentanyl-is-failing-new-overdose-numbers-reveal/">having hit 268 as of the end of April.</a> Things have become so dire that Gov. Gavin Newsom sent in state law enforcement to help patrol the epicenter of the drug crisis in the Tenderloin as numerous local operations have sprouted to tackle the issue.

Reports of drug offenses have increased 41% since she took office. Overdose deaths driven by the fentanyl epidemic are on pace to hit a record high, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/california/san-francisco-bay-areas-fight-against-fentanyl-is-failing-new-overdose-numbers-reveal/">having hit 268 as of the end of April.</a> Things have become so dire that Gov. Gavin Newsom sent in state law enforcement to help patrol the epicenter of the drug crisis in the Tenderloin as numerous local operations have sprouted to tackle the issue.

While data provided by the DA’s Office shows that Jenkins is beginning to differentiate herself from Boudin—she is charging more drug cases and sending far <a href="https://sfdistrictattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Diversion-Factsheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fewer people to diversion programs</a>, which offer alternatives to conviction—her increased caseload has yet to lead to a sizable change in drug convictions. In fact, in her first 11 months in office, she convicted fewer drug dealers than Boudin over the last 11 months of his time as district attorney.&nbsp;

While data provided by the DA’s Office shows that Jenkins is beginning to differentiate herself from Boudin—she is charging more drug cases and sending far <a href="https://sfdistrictattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Diversion-Factsheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fewer people to diversion programs</a>, which offer alternatives to conviction—her increased caseload has yet to lead to a sizable change in drug convictions. In fact, in her first 11 months in office, she convicted fewer drug dealers than Boudin over the last 11 months of his time as district attorney.&nbsp;

Jenkins said her approach to running the District Attorney’s Office will simply take more time to bear fruit. Cases can take years to yield convictions, and righting an office that was driven more by a progressive ideology than the law cannot happen overnight, she said in emailed statements.

Jenkins said her approach to running the District Attorney’s Office will simply take more time to bear fruit. Cases can take years to yield convictions, and righting an office that was driven more by a progressive ideology than the law cannot happen overnight, she said in emailed statements.

Her office is also still unveiling new policies, which include charging drug users who are arrested more than once for possession, which stands in contrast to past years when charging people for having drugs or paraphernalia on them was not a priority.&nbsp;

Her office is also still unveiling new policies, which include charging drug users who are arrested more than once for possession, which stands in contrast to past years when charging people for having drugs or paraphernalia on them was not a priority.&nbsp;

SFPD officers and DA Brooke Jenkins attend a press conference where Mayor London Breed and Police Chief Bill Scott announced a plan to increase the uniformed officers in the districts of the city with majority Asian populations, after both mass shootings during the Lunar New Year, despite “staffing crises,” on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, at the Lady Shaw Senior Center in Chinatown, San Francisco, Calif. | Camille Cohen/The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED2_JenkinsYearInReview061523.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-176761"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">San Francisco police officers and DA Brooke Jenkins attend a press conference with Mayor London Breed and Police Chief Bill Scott on Jan. 26, 2023, at the Lady Shaw Senior Center in San Francisco Chinatown. | Camille Cohen/The Standard</figcaption></figure>

While both Jenkins and her critics agree that the drug crisis will not be solved by the criminal justice system alone, those who oppose her tough-on-crime tactics say that the crackdown is misguided and cannot solve what is, in reality, a public-health emergency, with suppliers who cannot be arrested out of existence.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While both Jenkins and her critics agree that the drug crisis will not be solved by the criminal justice system alone, those who oppose her tough-on-crime tactics say that the crackdown is misguided and cannot solve what is, in reality, a public-health emergency, with suppliers who cannot be arrested out of existence.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I think what we&#8217;re seeing—a year into what was billed as a different approach to drug use and sales—is that it doesn&#8217;t work,” said Cristine Soto DeBerry, who heads an association for progressive district attorneys called the Prosecutors Alliance of California. “We don&#8217;t have anything to show for it.”

“I think what we're seeing—a year into what was billed as a different approach to drug use and sales—is that it doesn't work,” said Cristine Soto DeBerry, who heads an association for progressive district attorneys called the Prosecutors Alliance of California. “We don't have anything to show for it.”

“I think what we&#8217;re seeing—a year into what was billed as a different approach to drug use and sales—is that it doesn&#8217;t work,” said Cristine Soto DeBerry, who heads an association for progressive district attorneys called the Prosecutors Alliance of California. “We don&#8217;t have anything to show for it.”

DeBerry —shortly Boudin&#8217;s chief of staff— advocates for a holistic, citywide approach that does not solely rely on arrest and prosecution but also treatment and other efforts to help end the cause of the addiction crisis.

DeBerry —shortly Boudin's chief of staff— advocates for a holistic, citywide approach that does not solely rely on arrest and prosecution but also treatment and other efforts to help end the cause of the addiction crisis.

DeBerry —shortly Boudin&#8217;s chief of staff— advocates for a holistic, citywide approach that does not solely rely on arrest and prosecution but also treatment and other efforts to help end the cause of the addiction crisis.

A Changed Strategy With Mixed Results&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-changed-strategy-with-mixed-results">A Changed Strategy With Mixed Results&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

Breed defends drug arrests, slams progressive lawmaker: ‘As if you’re the savior’

San Francisco mayor had secret meeting with Nancy Pelosi on city’s drug crisis

What life is like at the center of San Francisco’s drug crisis

Has San Francisco DA Brooke Jenkins’ drug-dealing crackdown made a dent?

San Francisco drug crisis commission doing nothing for lack of members

Search Results for: drug crisis

Breed defends drug arrests, slams progressive lawmaker: ‘As if you’re the savior’

San Francisco mayor had secret meeting with Nancy Pelosi on city’s drug crisis

What life is like at the center of San Francisco’s drug crisis

Has San Francisco DA Brooke Jenkins’ drug-dealing crackdown made a dent?

San Francisco drug crisis commission doing nothing for lack of members