San Francisco has been working to curb illegal drug sales and other activities in hotspots like the Tenderloin and South of Market, but those targeted crackdowns now have people in other neighborhoods saying the problem has moved to their streets.
Bryan Tublin, owner of Kitava in the Mission District, said he and other businesses are increasingly facing new challenges.
"What we have seen happen in the last couple of years is an increase in illegal activity and specifically the dealing and using of hard drugs," Tublin said. "That's led to all kinds of problems right in front of our business as well as in the alley."
Tublin said the area, like many, has had its public safety problems, but the situation seems to be getting worse lately.
"Just in the last 10 days we have had folks come into the restaurant and be highly disruptive to guests and staff, yelling and screaming," he said.
Tublin said the problems escalate outside at night.
"Selling illegal goods and selling and using hard drugs to the point where our staff has to walk over folks that are blocking the entrance when they come to and leave work at night," he said.
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Tublin said it’s hard to pinpoint a reason for the change, but he would like to see something done to address it.
"Taking it seriously and actually taking action," he said. "I think definitely the presence of more community officers and resources in the area that are very visible would definitely help. We've seen it is a deterrent and it's something that can be positive if it's engaged with the community."
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Police have noted that crackdowns in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods have yielded good results, but Supervisor Jackie Fielder said the war on drugs in those areas the past few years has just displaced problems into the Mission.
When asked to comment on growing crime concerns in the Mission, Mayor Daniel Lurie said, "I have the same concerns. I go to 16th and Mission, Julian, Wiese Alley. I have been going there often with the supervisor, on my own. We’re going to be relentless. If you are dealing drugs in San Francisco, we are going to arrest you and we are going to prosecute you."
Police said they were unavailable to comment on the issue Friday.
