A major crackdown on open-air drug dealing and use in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood has led to the arrest of 533 suspected drug dealers so far in 2023, according to the San Francisco Police Department’s Tenderloin Station. This number is close to surpassing the 566 total arrests for narcotics sales in all of 2022.
In addition to making arrests for drug sales, police are now also arresting people for using illicit drugs in public, a shift from previous enforcement practices.
In the ongoing effort to dismantle open-air drug markets, SFPD officers have seized 123 kilograms of narcotics, including 80 kilograms of fentanyl in the Tenderloin, surpassing the total amount of drugs seized in all of 2022.
These efforts come amid a surge in fentanyl overdose incidents in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods. The influx of fentanyl into the city’s drug supply has caused fatal overdoses to dramatically rise.
SFPD has ramped up patrols, buy-busts, warrant operations, and larger narcotics investigations. “We are committed to getting these drugs off our streets, and we are holding these dealers accountable. San Francisco should be a safe place for residents, businesses, and visitors to enjoy,” said Police Chief Bill Scott.
For this crackdown, SFPD is working in partnership with the California Highway Patrol, California National Guard, U.S. Department of Justice, San Francisco Sheriff’s Department, Department of Emergency Management, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Department of Public Health.