SF mayor targets overnight corner stores in latest effort to crack down on Tenderloin drug markets

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced a new initiative to prohibit some Tenderloin corner stores from operating in overnight hours in the latest move to crack down on open-air drug markets. Mayor Breed will introduce legislation to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to prohibit some retail stores that sell prepackaged food or tobacco from operating between the hours of 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. in part of the Tenderloin.

According to a statement from the mayor’s office, stakeholders in the neighborhood and community members have worked with Mayor Breed to develop the legislation. Resident feedback cited by the mayor’s office indicates community members see the overnight shops as “a contributing factor to the drug markets,” rather than to the “vibrancy of the neighborhood.”

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The legislation was introduced as part of the mayor’s Drug Market Agency Coordination Center (DMACC) efforts. The multi-agency effort to disrupt open-air drug markets is led by law enforcement. According to the mayor’s office, the initiative “targets open-air drug sales, public drug use, and illegal fencing that fuels illegal drug markets.”

“Tenderloin residents, businesses, and workers deserve safe streets not just during the day, but also at night,” said Mayor London Breed. “We are working with and listening to the community as we continue our efforts to make the Tenderloin safer for everyone. This is an idea for the community, from the community. The drug markets happening at night in this neighborhood are unacceptable and must be met with increased law enforcement and new strategies. We are coordinating these efforts across agencies and with community so that we can make deep and lasting changes in this neighborhood.”

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The Tenderloin, which is the epicenter of San Francisco’s open-air drug markets, is also home to many low-income and immigrant families. Neighborhood shops, according to the mayor’s statement “are important for residents who primarily do their shopping during the morning, day, or early evening hours.”

However, with late night drug markets often drawing large crowds, “prohibiting these businesses from operating only between midnight and 5 a.m. strikes a balance between supporting the shops and the community while causing minimal financial impact,” the mayor’s office said.

The proposed legislation would prohibit stores that sell prepackaged food or tobacco from opening between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. between O’Farrell and McAllister streets and from Polk to Jones streets. Other businesses, including restaurants, bars and event halls, would not be impacted.

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