Newsom doubles down on San Francisco crime-fighting plan

Governor Gavin Newsom is doubling down on his week-old effort to combat what he calls "rampant" crime in San Francisco. Mayor London Breed has signed on to the effort, expected to start May, 1st, arguing that the city's "open air drug dealing" atmosphere can't continue.

Only last week, Newsom announced he was calling in the California Highway Patrol and the National Guard to help "crack down on crime." Now he's expanding a multi-agency alliance that once targeted fentanyl dealing to include cracking down on guns and human trafficking.

"Those who traffic drugs, guns, and human beings are not welcome in our communities," said Gov. Gavin Newsom. "That's why we're launching this operation. This is not about criminalizing people struggling with substance use – this is about taking down the prominent poison peddlers and their connected crime rings that prey on the most vulnerable, and harm our residents. While it's true that San Francisco is safer than many cities its size, we cannot let rampant crime continue."

The California Department of Justice is now set to join the effort. "The fentanyl crisis is a serious threat to public health and the safety of our communities — and addressing this crisis requires a multifaceted, collaborative approach," said Attorney General Rob Bonta. "Shoulder to shoulder with our partners in this operation, we stand ready to provide legal expertise and assistance in prosecuting complex and multi-jurisdictional cases and protect our communities from those who traffic deadly poison."

"The fentanyl crisis is impacting our residents, workers, and businesses, and it requires all of us working together to disrupt the flow of drugs in San Francisco while also making sure we have treatment for those struggling with addiction," said San Francisco Mayor London Breed. "Our police and district attorney have been working hard to enforce against open-air drug dealing in our City, and this partnership with the California Highway Patrol and CalGuard will help them make more progress and deliver results for our City."

According to the governor's office, the California Highway Patrol will launch a "new team of law enforcement personnel to proactively enforce the law — with a focus on drug trafficking enforcement within key areas of the city, including the Tenderloin." The patrol will also offer investigative support and training.

CalGuard will engage in "analysis of drug trafficking operations, with a particular focus on disrupting and dismantling fentanyl rings" while providing additional personnel for "administrative non-patrol tasks" so more San Francisco Police Department officers can be on the street. According to the governor's office, "similar CalGuard-supported operations conducted last month statewide resulted in the seizure of 4.7 million fentanyl pills and 2,471 lbs of fentanyl powder — with a wholesale street value of over $49 million combined."