San Francisco mayoral candidates address fentanyl crisis

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's mayoral candidates weighed in on the city's fentanyl crisis.

While the candidates for mayor have different views on how to address overdose deaths and substance abuse, they all agree that something has to be done sooner rather than later.

Daniel Lurie, who picked up an endorsement from a former police commander, pitched a plan that his campaign said is supported by law enforcement and former public defenders.

Lurie's six-point plan calls for having police and substance abuse experts respond to calls, engage with substance abusers immediately, and refer them to drop off crisis centers that can treat them – and an end to the revolving door at hospitals and jails.

He said accountability for city services and nonprofits alike is the path forward.

"I'm the only one in this race actually coming from the outside that has a track record of getting big things done, holding people accountable," said Lurie.

Neighborhood groups and nonprofits organized a rally on Monday and marched from the Tenderloin to City Hall demanding change.

Mayoral candidate and District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí stood with the crowd, and said accountability begins at the top.

He said the city needs to see that the programs already in place are funded and staffed to live up to their potential by providing vital wrap-around services.

"If you get someone inside, and in a supervised area with medical professionals and job training, all the things that they need and that can prevent them from dying, you're going to begin to turn this around," said Safaí.

Current Mayor London Breed was also on hand, and said her challengers had come to this fight late.

She says her administration has been making progress addressing the crisis, and that any red tape needs to be cut to allow the city to take aggressive steps to addressing fentanyl use and overdose deaths.

"I have allocated funds where this program has been around for 30 years, and they were always denied by Public Health," said Mayor Breed. "Not the Breed administration public health, because I made it clear that we are going to support abstinence-based solutions."

Former Mayor Mark Farrell, who is the newest candidate to toss his hat into the ring, said, "We have tilted too far towards a harm-reduction approach that is enabling drug use rather than helping people actually recover from addiction."

He said as mayor he would mandate treatment, create sober living and recovery plans and audit the city's health and welfare budget.