After hours of discussion and debate, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has approved Mayor London Breed's emergency declaration to address drug use in the Tenderloin District.
There were many questions asked during the hours-long meeting, even though San Francisco supervisors generally agreed that the problems of the Tenderloin amount to a public health crisis.
"This is not something that snuck up on us overnight, but I think that the conditions that have been experienced more recently are what have pushed the situation to crisis," Supervisor Ahsha Safai said.
San Francisco has the highest overdose rate in California, specifically in regards to the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Supervisor Matt Haney, who represents the troubled district, said these are facts "we cannot deny or ignore."
Mayor Breed's emergency declaration allows city officials to bypass rules and quickly set up a service center for drug users. However, some supervisors and members of the public are concerned it will criminalize addicts and the homeless.
"We're not planning on using an arrest tactic to clear the streets," police chief Bill Scott stated, disputing the concern. "That's not what this emergency declaration is at all."
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