San Francisco supervisor pushes for mass arrests, mandatory treatment for drug users

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey is calling on several city agencies to weigh in on his proposal to tackle drug use through arrests and mandatory treatment. 

Dorsey, who represents parts of downtown, says more than 200 people loiter and use drugs along a quarter-mile stretch of Sixth Street every night.

"What we're facing is a level of public drug use, drug addiction, and drug markets that's unlike anything that we have seen before," said Dorsey.

Dorsey says new laws on the books, including Proposition 36, have opened the door to treatment-mandated felonies.

"Obviously, if we’re going to make an arrest, it should be a life-saving intervention," said Dorsey. "We should make sure that there’s medically assisted treatment, medication, and opportunities for recovery available."

Dorsey is asking the San Francisco Police Department, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco Fire Department, San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, and San Francisco District Attorney's Office, to all respond to his letter of inquiry in the required 30 days.

"What we need is a coordinated strategy," said Dorsey, who added that he would like to see more than 100 arrests a night.

In response, The San Francisco AIDS Foundation, which provides substance-abuse counseling and operates "harm-reduction sites" in the city, including the distribution of clean syringes, Narcan, and drug testing strips, has come out against the plan. 

In a statement to KTVU on Friday, foundation CEO Tyler Termeer said in part: "Reports of an initiative advocating for mass arrests along the 6th Street corridor as a pathway to treatment or detox are deeply concerning and counterproductive. Decades of research have shown that criminalizing people for their health conditions or circumstances perpetuates harm rather than fosters recovery. Forced treatment under the threat of incarceration undermines trust in health services."

"I would challenge them to show me the studies," said Dorsey. "I think what people tend to show when they look at these studies, they’re looking at studies that don’t have severe substance-use disorders."

Dorsey also pointed out that he’s approaching the problem as someone who once struggled with substance abuse himself.

"This made politics personal to me in a way that it’s never been personal before…and right now I feel like there are a lot of people from the recovery community who are joining with me in saying, we have to do something about the scale of public drug use that’s going on in our city," said Dorsey.

The San Francisco Fire Department told KTVU that while it's early, "The Department is willing to work with the city in its efforts to improve conditions on the streets and get people the help they need."

The San Francisco Department of Public Health also issued a statement to KTVU on Friday, which said, "SFDPH works tirelessly every day to get as many people into treatment and recovery as possible. We have expanded treatment programs, reduced barriers and continue to implement innovative programs that help people into care and treatment. We have and will continue to work with the Mayor’s Office, Board of Supervisors, and City agencies to ensure that people are getting the care they need."