SAN FRANCISCO - Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday he is directing a "joint law enforcement surge" in San Francisco by doubling the number of California Highway Patrol officers deployed to the city to fight crime, address the fentanyl crisis and combat open-air drug markets.
This announcement comes after the CHP said earlier this month that it seized more than 4.2 kilograms of fentanyl, enough to kill roughly 2.1 million people, and after Newsom announced a plan to send National Guard troops to the city back in April. It also comes after the formation of the Drug Market Agency Coordination Center, a unified command center tasked with collecting data to implement new policies to combat the drug crisis.
Newsom announced on Thursday that the new personnel assigned to the expanded operation is expected to include nearly 100 new CHP officers slated to graduate from the CHP Academy this week, as well as active officers within the CHP’s Golden Gate Division.
"Today, I’m authorizing a 100% increase in personnel to bolster the impact of this proven operation, as well as authorizing targeted surges to crack down on crime in the city," Newsom said in a press release. "Working alongside our local, state, and federal partners, we’re committed to cleaning up San Francisco’s streets."
San Francisco Mayor London Breed welcomed the announcement.
"To be successful in the long term we need to sustain and expand this work at the local, state, and federal levels," Breed said. "I want to thank Governor Newsom for sending more support to our city and for his continued commitment to the safety of San Francisco."
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In addition to increasing the number of uniformed officers, Newsom authorized CHP to conduct targeted counter-crime surges in key crime hotspots within the city.
These unannounced joint task force operations will focus on illicit drugs and weapons, leading to the arrest of drug dealers and individuals involved in various criminal activities, the Governor’s Office said.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said the new CHP officers will help combat the current "deadly drug crisis" plaguing the city.
"Our residents, business owners, and visitors to our city deserve to feel safe, and we are making progress in disrupting the drug markets that are causing so much misery on our streets," Scott said.
Since May 1, the CHP has seized 8.1 kilos of fentanyl and made 115 felony and misdemeanor arrests in the Tenderloin and surrounding areas.
The operation involves collaborative efforts between multiple agencies, including CHP, CalGuard, the California Department of Justice, the San Francisco Police Department, and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.
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