City Attorney Cracks Down On San Francisco Smoke Shops
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - San Francisco Police and City Attorney Dennis Herrera are taking steps to crack down on store fronts in the Mission District and the Excelsior that allegedly peddle drug paraphernalia.
Neighbors have reportedly been complaining and the City Attorney plans to step in Thursday with a lawsuit.
"We're announcing an unfair business practices lawsuit against six smoke shops, most of which are in the Excelsior neighborhood, two of which are in the Mission," said Herrera.
KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:
Herrera said those smoke shops are breaking the law by selling cocaine pipes and other paraphernalia that is only used to ingest hard drugs.
He'll be at the Excelsior Library with the San Francisco Police Department Thursday to announce his court action and will seek an injunction to stop the sales.
"It's obviously a concern for us because many of these smoke shops are located close to schools, daycare centers and we believe that this poses a public nuisance," Herrera added.
According to the City Attorney, his office has received complaints about drug dealers who buy crack pipes in the smoke shops and then use the paraphernalia to hawk their wares out on the sidewalk. The lawsuit follows an undercover police operation at the smoke shops in question.
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