San Francisco officials are reporting on the first six months of an effort to crack down on open-air drug markets in the city. They report a significant increase in seizures and arrests. In the last half year, 700 people were arrested for drug sales, 800 for public drug use and another 420 wanted fugitives were arrested in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also increasing federal charges against drug traffickers, raising the stakes by holding dealers accountable. Mayor London Breed reports the efforts have also resulted in the seizure of 148 kilos of narcotics including over 80 kilos of fentanyl.