What some businesses are saying about the SFPD Civic Center crackdown on crime

San Francisco Police say they're cracking down on illegal behavior in the city's mid-Market, Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods and businesses in the area say they're starting to see the effects.

For years those areas have been notorious for drug use and other illegal activity.

Today the city's police chief Bill Scott says he's brought additional enforcement to the area and just completed week long drug buy and bust operation. "We've made 62 arrests, just over the past week," said Chief Scott. "Just for drug dealing. Overall in that area we've made 158 arrests for a variety offenses."

The move comes after complaints about the neighborhood flooded in.

Mayor London Breed walked the streets in the area herself shortly after taking office. Assessing the problem and looking for solutions.

Today saying cleaning up this neighborhood is a priority. I don't think that's it's OK to just let business continue as usual which is why I've had conversations with all departments responsible for the different levels of things that occur in this particular area," said Mayor Breed.

In September San Francisco police parked this mobile command unit here, staffed to oversee activity in the UN Plaza and Civic Center Plaza area.

That command unit is just a few feet from Judie's Tacos Locos. Jackie Gonzalez has worked here for nearly four years and says since the police showed up it's been like night and day. "Before, like, we'd have to watch our tip jars, you know? People would get stuff, like, stolen. It was just a lot of craziness, everything just, like cracked down, it stopped we like it. We like it better," said Gonzalez.

The question now, "will this have a long term impact?"

The District Attorney's office is saying it has prosecuted 88 percent of drug dealing cases through mid August and is committed to keeping prosecution rates high for drug dealers.

The police chief says it's critical to bring good cases to prosecutors to keep bad actors off the streets.

"Our job remains the same, regardless of what happens in those cases," said Chief Scott. "We have to continue to push forward and we have to continue to let people know there will be some accountability when you come here and break the law."

The police chief says at this point there's still no end date to the special enforcement in the area. The chief is saying officers and this command center will stay here "as long as it takes."