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S.F. Mayor Breed declares state of emergency in the Tenderloin

44 points| danielsht | 4 years ago |sfchronicle.com

24 comments

order

finexplained|4 years ago

I really don't understand why this wasn't done years ago.

> is concerned that the emergency declaration is being used to support her plan for more policing in the neighborhood, which could criminalize people with substance use disorders before resources such as the supervised drug-use site or a planned drug sobering center open.

Honest question. Is a supervised drug-use site an effective approach for reducing drug use long term? Does it help get people into services that help them deal with addiction? Or is it just meant to supervise potential overdoes and intervene?

mthoms|4 years ago

The primary goal is harm reduction: fewer deadly overdoses, less disease (HIV) transmission due to needle sharing and less needles discarded on the street.

The site where I live can also provide some help for people who want to get off drugs and off the street, but the addict must want to do that.

I can’t speak to how effective that help actually is, but the harm reduction part certainly works.

Lammy|4 years ago

It had to get really bad first to manufacture popular consent for all the fun new surveillance we’re about to be subjected to :/

hedora|4 years ago

Regan passed a bunch of bills as Governor that basically disbanded mental health care for the homeless.

Since it’s illegal to stick them in a drug rehab clinic, mandatory counseling sessions, or even force them back on their meds (with their prior written consent), all that’s left is putting them out of the public eye while they get high, I guess.

Or, maybe we could just switch the law back to what it was in 70’s.

junon|4 years ago

I know a lot of people are going to criticize this move but man the Tenderloin needs something to change.

jdhn|4 years ago

The only criticism I can see coming is that this should've been done months ago.

rkk3|4 years ago

It's great London Breed is acknowledging SF's policy flaws... but I hope SF gets a new-mayor that is genuine about fixing the city rather than keep the Mayor who has for years exacerbated these problems and only decided to do something now because it was politically expedient.

namlem|4 years ago

Most realistic alternatives to Mayor Breed would probably be worse.

renewiltord|4 years ago

News on the subject is far different from reality. I am very familiar with the area of the Tenderloin bounded by GG Ave, Leavenworth, Eddy, and Larkin. I spent some time nearly every day there, some during the day, some at past midnight, some early in the morning.

The truth is that:

- They were/are running the gentrification project quite well during the daytime. The area around La Cocina gets cleaned up and shifts everyone away. Sometimes you have police

- Starting a couple of months ago, the police have moved the night folks to the area between Market and McAllister near where they meet. The night folks have started recongregating but there are police vehicles past midnight which are stationed with flashing lights

The Tenderloin has been under extra-supervision for a couple of months now. I'm not sure what triggered it. Perhaps the LV hits, but I think it was before that. Hard to tell, but it's not the TL you remember from 6 months ago or from a year ago.

This is the truth as it is on the street. But you don't have to believe me. Take your car right now and drive every street I mentioned. See for yourself.

hindsightbias|4 years ago

It appears the management has given up on the Tenderloin Gentrification Project. Or maybe the SoE could be used to rezone the SROs into condos?