Rampant open-air drug dealing supplies addicts 24 hours a day. Exponential homelessness growth, tent encampments, human waste, needles and debris on sidewalks, criminals with free range to commit mayhem on our city streets, terrorized residents fearful to leave their own homes, and lack of resolve from city hall leadership- all undeniably outrageous; the lawlessness must not continue. Drug dealers' business is thriving and tramples the rule of law.
Though many neighbourhoods of San Francisco have remained unscathed til now, the homelessness crisis fueled by drug addiction and mass influx of drug dealers supplying them is creeping further into the normally quiet districts. City Hall's leaders lack any serious plan; years of denial and arrogance, avoidance, rampant corruption, and no accountability exacerbate the crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic has clearly accelerated this tragedy, during this perfect storm, creating massive new needs and drastically straining the existing resources of San Francisco's government.
On Tuesday February 25th, 2020, a state of emergency was declared in San Francisco, as a result of the earliest knowledge of the approach of the pandemic. Not long afterwards, Governor Newsom declared on March 4th a state of California emergency, and on March 13th President Trump declared a national emergency. Together these allow for unprecedented opportunity and coordination.
Regaining Control of Our Streets, Now:
- The federal government must be called in. San Francisco's city leadership has lost control and has effectively surrendered our streets to drug dealers. The mayor is outgunned and unwilling to take a stand against this unfolding human tragedy. The city's board of supervisors turns a blind eye. Deployment of a FEMA team to oversee operations on several fronts is now absolutely crucial.
- The national guard must be activated. Safety perimeters must be established in the Tenderloin neighbourhood of District 6, as well as at BART and MUNI stations, sidewalks near transit entrances.
- A curfew must be imposed in the most crime-ridden and lawless neighbourhoods of the Tenderloin, SOMA, parts of the Mission and other overrun neighbourhoods.
- We must call in federal agencies such as the Department of Justice, the FBI, US Marshal Service, DEA, ATF, ICE and more, in coordination with San Francisco Police Department and Sheriffs Department, to bring our city back under control. San Francisco cannot and must no longer be a haven for drug dealers.
- A temporary drug detox centre must be established to monitor and guide those through the withdrawal process from opioids, alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl, as the distribution of drugs will be halted.
Side note: We should expect, and indeed demand, the resignation or firing of city hall department heads who have allowed, perpetuated and thereby supported the continued presence of drug dealers and open drug markets.
The quality of life of our dear San Francisco residents is the utmost importance. Life-long residents, hard-working taxpayers and contributors to our city, as well as our families with children, the elderly and disabled, small business owners, we each have been suffering due to the appalling degrading of conditions on city streets.
Our safety, health and well-being must be restored and protected.