Breed announces progress in crackdown on fentanyl in San Francisco's Tenderloin, SoMa
SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced Wednesday results from an ongoing multi-agency crackdown on fentanyl sales in the city's Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods.
"Shutting down open air drug markets is critical to the safety of our neighborhoods and the overall health of our City," Breed said in a statement.
According to the mayor's office, police have seized more than 60 kilos of fentanyl in the two neighborhoods so far this year, an increase of 160% over the same time period last year. The amount is equivalent to 30 million lethal doses.
UPDATE: San Francisco crackdown on open-air drug use intensifies
Police also seized 95 kilos of narcotics were also seized and 390 people were arrested for sale. Officials said the data does not include arrests and seizures in other parts of the city.
State agencies are also taking part in the crackdown, with the California Highway Patrol and National Guard deploying resources. Last week, the CHP announced the seizure of 4 kilos of fentanyl in the Tenderloin and surrounding areas since May 1.
The mayor's office also announced results of a new coordinated effort between police and the San Francisco Sheriff's Office focusing on public drug use.
A team of officers had 58 encounters with people between May 30 and June 18. Five people were taken to hospitals, 11 were cited and 42 people were booked into county jail due to narcotics intoxication.
Among those cited or booked, 28% were held on outstanding warrants. Overall, 8% were city residents, while more than half came from another county and another 34% were from out of state.
The crackdown comes at a time when the number of overdose deaths has skyrocketed in San Francisco and across the Bay Area.
A preliminary report from the city's Medical Examiner's office found that 346 people died from accidental overdoses during the first five months of the year, with 80% of the deaths due to fentanyl. Officials said the city is on pace to surpass the record of 712 overdose deaths in 2020.
"The work that our city agencies and state and federal partners are doing to confront this crisis has to be sustained and expanded and we can't continue to accept the existence of these drug markets on our streets," Breed said Wednesday. "We will continue to offer help to people in crisis, but we must hold people accountable who are hurting our communities."