SF Neighbors Speak Out: Drug Users and Unhoused People Flood Mission District Street
Mayor Daniel Lurie states that there has been progress in addressing the issue of drug users and homeless individuals on San Francisco's Sixth Street. Therefore, one might wonder: Where have these people ended up?
In response to requests from residents, ABC7 News covered a formerly quiet street in San Francisco’s Mission District that has since turned into a hub for drug activity.
That's where we encountered Joshua. He chose not to share his surname with us.
MORE: San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie states that public safety remains his primary focus even after completing 100 days in office.
“I’m not sure, but I believe I am not ready to cease drug use. And that’s the issue,” he shared with us.
By persisting with his drug use, Joshua has shifted his issue onto another person, a resident of Julian Avenue, who must now deal with it.
“It’s unfair to lump those drug addicts who won’t accept services together with others who are spending a lot of money to reside here, raise their children here, and simply want to avoid leading stressful lives,” stated Andres Wiken.
Wiken has valid reasons to feel stressed. Recently, he posted video Of his three-year-old daughter cruising down her street in the Mission as she maneuvers around multiple drug users who are visibly consuming substances—probably fentanyl or meth. A few appear to be drifting in and out of awareness.
It drew the mayor’s focus, and Commissioner Daniel Lurie dropped by Julian Avenue several days afterward.
The mayor stated that such circumstances were intolerable and indicated his intention to take further action. However, he did not make any promises,” Wiken noted.
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The mayor cannot make pledges since this individual named Joshua possesses the complete authority to respond with "No, thanks," repeatedly whenever outreach groups present a route to rehabilitation.
He mentioned to us that he was unable to remember the last time he had spoken with an outreach worker.
Just like numerous individuals we have covered over the years, he hails from outside the Bay Area.
"Boston," Joshua informed us. However, his travels included stops in Texas and Humboldt County as well. When we questioned him about why he ended up in San Francisco, he replied, "Well, I suppose it was for the drugs, yes." He confessed with some hesitation.
He informed us that he finances his addiction by selling the items he pilfers from a Safeway supermarket.
After assuming office, Lurie has primarily shared updates regarding his achievements and the city’s progress toward recovery.
Yet, he acknowledges the difficulties tied to the fentanyl epidemic.
More arrests were made during his tenure as well as the preceding Breed administration.
RELATED: San Francisco's drug enforcement efforts in specific zones are leading issues to spread into neighboring communities.
According to incident reports from the San Francisco Police Department, between April 2024 and now, there have been 5,163 documented drug-related arrests and citations—an uptick of 25% compared to the previous three-year period. However, the majority of these drug-related cases involved minor offenses.
In the SoMa district, the highest number of arrests occurred compared to any other area. This led to placing a mobile triage unit at Sixth Street with the aim of handling individuals who use drugs and providing them with assistance. According to law enforcement officials, ever since the mobile triage facility began operations on February 7th of this year, they've made around 360 drug-related arrests. On average, that equates to roughly four daily apprehensions, which seems relatively modest considering the significant visible presence of those consuming substances illicitly.
"We are conducting arrests. While you may not see us around-the-clock, our officers are always present. There will be moments when we are engaged in making arrests or patrolling different areas across the city; however, rest assured that our efforts will be unyielding," assured SFPD Assistant Chief David Lazar.
However, many people now understand that these issues have merely shifted to different areas, leading us back to Julian Avenue in the Mission district. Locals around here report a significant rise in the number of drug users, and they assert that law enforcement isn’t making any arrests.
As we were present, individuals were freely using drugs. We observed nobody being apprehended or ticketed.
MORE: The San Francisco District Attorney's office outlines reasons behind why 40 individuals apprehended during a drug market takedown have not faced prosecution as of now.
No, not drug users. The police officers just passed by; I just forwarded you the footage where there were 15 individuals using drugs outside my home. Then, one officer used the loudspeaker saying, ‘Please vacate the road.’ Although they disperse everyone, people are still openly vaping what appears to be fentanyl-infused substances right there,” disclosed Wiken.
What caught our attention was the deterioration in the quality of life among these neighbors, particularly due to the widespread presence of human waste.
"Sure thing. Earlier when I was walking around here, I saw a few drug addicts hanging out on the street. If you're interested, we could check them out," replied Andres.
A neighboring resident shared pictures of Weise Street nearby, an area where the drug epidemic is most intense.
They mention reaching a state of compassion fatigue regarding drug users and the homeless.
Andres stated, 'Everyone needs to warn drug addicts: either refrain from using drugs here or leave. They might assume it’s acceptable, but it isn’t; we find it repulsive. If you’ve traveled abroad, you’d understand how absurd our society is, despite having ample resources which we seem to be squandering,' he remarked.
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