Richard Beal

How do we shut down SF's drug market? Start with the data. Five years ago, drug-dealing arrests hit a low: 1,780 a year. Three years ago, the city launched the Drug Market Agency Coordination Center, uniting public health and public safety for the first time. Arrests spiked to 3,223 under then-Commander, now Chief, Lew. Convictions tripled from 16% to 46% under DA Jenkins. It worked. The market shrank. Daytime dealing is gone. So what's stopping us from finishing the job? Adaptation. First, fewer dealers are left (good news!), with 1,948 arrested last year. But the ones who remain are harder to catch. They've switched from open dealing to drops and moved to nighttime, when police are stretched thin. Second, judges keep letting them go. Of 1,172 pending dealing cases last year, only 10% were held pre-trial. Over 1,000 dealers went right back to the street. To shut it down for good, we need to: 1. Put more police on the street at night 2. Launch a drug market intervention strategy that pairs prevention with enforcement 3. Hold judges accountable for releasing fentanyl dealers pre-trial 4. Change state law to treat fentanyl dealing as the deadly crime it is

This time last year, there was a spike in gun violence amongst the Tenderloin youth. We moved quickly, and I partnered with United Playaz and TLCBD to set up the neighborhood's first Youth Violence Prevention Program. Over 100 transitional age youth have participated in the center since. At risk youth have now come off probation. Many others have found jobs for the first time. While the pilot was initiated by philanthropic funding, we are working with the Mayor's Office and City Departments to ensure the program continues. This is just the beginning, and we'll have more to share in the months ahead. missionlocal.org/2026/09/ten…