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SF Mission residents say drug crackdown Is pushing problem into neighborhood
Neighbors in San Francisco’s Mission District say increased enforcement near major drug hubs like BART plazas displaced open drug-use and dealing into residential blocks near Alioto Mini Park.
SAN FRANCISCO - Frustrated Mission District residents packed a community meeting Tuesday night, saying drug activity once concentrated around major San Francisco hotspots is now spilling into residential streets and a neighborhood park.
What we know:
Neighbors near 20th and Capp Streets say open drug use, suspected dealing, and safety concerns have become more visible in recent months around Alioto Mini Park.
Residents believe increased enforcement near the 16th Street and 24th Street BART plazas, as well as the Tenderloin, has pushed activity into nearby side streets.
"I used to not feel in anyway unsafe and now I definitely feel a lot less safe and I know that a lot of friends and neighbors feel the same way, they feel that it's getting worse," said one resident who asked not to be identified. "The problem is I love the fact the mayor has been doing a lot to clean up the city, but there's a lot of displacement."
More than two dozen residents signed a letter to city leaders requesting surveillance cameras, increased police presence and a coordinated response to the neighborhood encampment and drug activity.
Scary situations
Bryant Chu, who lives near the park, said the situation has worsened in recent weeks.
"In the last month, we're part of the statistic, we've had our house broken into, not the first time, my wife was assaulted on the street, not the first time, and so it's really scary, it's to the point where she won't leave the house," Chu said. "Now we're seeing fentanyl users just folded down where they used to not be and they're just taking up a lot of the sidewalk space."
In response to the complaints, civic group ConnectedSF hosted a community meeting with sergeants from San Francisco Police Department’s Mission Station.
Police response
"We're really focusing our efforts on the dealers, and drug dealers on Mission Street," said Sgt. Shane Herbert.
Sgt. Brandon Rock, who oversees the Mission Corridor Task Force, acknowledged the department has seen activity shift into surrounding neighborhoods.
"It shouldn't be acceptable to use hard drugs in the middle of a BART plaza or in Alioto Park or on the side of Mission Street, there are kids out there, there are people walking. So we're trying to disincentivize that behavior," Rock said. "But the last week or two has been much better on the dealer front. It was very brazen when I got here, and it is no longer so brazen."
Police said officers are now arresting one to two dealers per day in the area, a significant increase compared to last year.
"One thing I should mention is that the neighborhood is far safer than it's been in a lot of time in history. So the violence is not the issue that we once had, but the open drug-use and the dirtiness and the unsafe feeling sidewalks, I totally understand," Rock added.
Residents say they will continue urging city leaders to address the broader quality-of-life concerns affecting the neighborhood.
"I love San Francisco, we've stayed here, we love the diversity, it feels like home. We've been here for over 20 years. I don't want to have to leave," Chu said.
The Source: Interviews with residents, SFPD
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