A crackdown on illegal drug markets in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods in San Francisco resulted in the arrests of 3,000 suspects and the seizure of about 200 kilos of narcotics over the past year, city officials announced on May 29.
Mayor London Breed and Police Chief Bill Scott activated public safety resources across the city in May 2023 to address a growing fentanyl crisis and deteriorating street conditions including drug dealing and open drug use.
Known as the Drug Market Coordination Center, the operation brought state and federal agencies together to disrupt drug dealing, public drug use, and illegal selling of stolen goods, according to officials.
In its first year of operation, the coordination center seized nearly 200 kilos of drugs, about 90 kilos of fentanyl, 48 kilos of methamphetamine, 15 kilos of cocaine, 8 kilos of heroin, and nearly 37 kilos of other narcotics.
The team also made 3,150 arrests. Of those, 1,008 were suspected drug dealers, nearly 1,300 were suspected drug users, and the remaining were wanted on warrants or arrested for other crimes.
“We have brought unprecedented levels of coordination to tackle the drug markets on our streets and we are not letting up,” the mayor said in a statement. “The partnerships we put in place are getting fentanyl out of our neighborhoods, and with new technology being deployed and more officers joining our ranks, our efforts will only grow stronger over the coming year.”
The initial operation focused on 7th Street near Mission and Market streets, near the United Nations Plaza, where dealers and users often congregate, according to city officials.
Ongoing efforts will continue to focus police and other city resources around the United Nations Plaza and the San Francisco Public Library during nighttime hours.
“Our officers have made tremendous progress over the last year in dismantling San Francisco’s pernicious drug markets,” Mr. Scott said in the mayor’s statement. “Anyone who sells or brazenly uses narcotics in San Francisco will be arrested and held accountable for their behavior.”
The city claims that to help with the illegal drug crackdown, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has prioritized prosecuting drug dealers to “address public safety challenges involving open-air drug dealing.”
As of May 25, the district attorney’s office has been given 394 felony narcotics cases and filed charges on 344 of them this year. The office also reports 101 felony narcotics convictions and 70 guilty pleas in other cases, according to officials.
“Our continued progress will rely upon our ability to build consensus and deploy effective new strategies that will promote the recovery of both individuals and communities,” Ms. Jenkins said in a statement.
The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office also played a role in drug enforcement operations by making arrests and seizing narcotics while processing inmates in county jail. The California Highway Patrol (CHP), California National Guard, Drug Enforcement Agency, and U.S. Attorney’s Office also contributed to the operation.
Statewide, nearly 6 million fentanyl pills have been seized since January as part of the state’s Counterdrug Task Force operation, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the CHP announced May 28.
