San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney is demanding action from federal and city officials to address the problem of rampant drug sales and use outside the Federal Building in San Francisco.
Haney, who has called the issue a public safety and health crisis, on Wednesday was at City Hall calling for an immediate fix from federal and city leaders. Haney said he expects to have meetings with department heads Wednesday night to see action plans.
“Th federal government has a responsibility to maintain it,” Haney said.
Neighbors have said once the Federal Building closes it’s an “open-air drug market.”
“People overdosing, we’ve seen people die out there, we've seen people be revived,” neighbor Jan Weil said. “There’s an ambulance at least once a night taking someone away. It’s a terrifying experience, people from here have been assaulted.”
Last week Haney demanded action against the growing problem by sending a letter to federal and city officials, and police have since begun moving people along.
“[We're] raising the alarm bells on the level of drug dealing, drug use and some of the associated public safety issues that are down there, and asking for a coordinated response,” said Haney.
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But neighbors think that they’re just pushing the problems around the neighborhood.
“They’re arresting them, but they arrest one and two more come the next day,” said Weil. “It’s not solvable just by police. We need public health to get addicts off the streets.”
Weil hopes Haney’s effort to get public health involved will get some people the help they need.
