San Francisco drug raid: Few dealers arrested after huge bust (https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/) (The San Francisco Standard » Feed) (https://sfstandard.com/feed/) (https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/favicon-32x32-1.png) (https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/favicon-192x192-1.png) (https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/favicon-180x180-1.png) (/_next/static/css/6b275e355b01a795.css) (/_next/static/css/6b275e355b01a795.css) (/_next/static/css/758813a8b76bfdfb.css) (/_next/static/css/758813a8b76bfdfb.css) (/_next/static/css/f347fb09d5ebbb60.css) (/_next/static/css/f347fb09d5ebbb60.css) (/_next/static/css/b0d8966d5feb41e0.css) (/_next/static/css/b0d8966d5feb41e0.css)  (https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@300;400;500;600;700;800;900&display=swap) (/_next/static/css/2680ab45b165261e.css) (/_next/static/chunks/pages/membership-20388b78d6c3a100.js) (/_next/static/chunks/pages/newsletters-12a8dc2c768d3474.js) (/_next/static/chunks/pages/account/login-9628d82a13e5a5b4.js)     (https://sfstandard.com/membership/) ()   (https://sfstandard.com/membership/) (Ad for campaign membership)    Skip to main content Open search bar and full menu      (/) (The San Francisco Standard)   (/membership/) Join Now (/account/login/?return_to=https%3A%2F%2Fsfstandard.com%2F2025%2F03%2F06%2Fdrug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid%2F) Sign in    (/news/) News  (/politics/) Politics  (/business/) Business  (/opinion/) Opinion  (/culture/) Culture  (/food-drink/) Food & Drink  (/sports/) Sports       Close menu    (/account/login/?return_to=https%3A%2F%2Fsfstandard.com%2F2025%2F03%2F06%2Fdrug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid%2F) Sign in Search query (Search) () Search   Please provide a query to perform your search   (/news/) News  (/politics/) Politics  (/business/) Business  (/opinion/) Opinion  (/culture/) Culture  (/food-drink/) Food & Drink  (/sports/) Sports  (/newsletters/) Newsletters  (https://www.lifeinsevensongs.com/) Podcast   Social Links (https://www.instagram.com/sfstandard/)     (https://twitter.com/sfstandard)     (https://www.facebook.com/SFStandard)     (https://www.tiktok.com/@sfstandard)     (https://www.threads.net/@sfstandard)      (https://www.linkedin.com/company/sfstandard)     (https://bsky.app/profile/sfstandard.com)          (/news/) News Massive drug market raid nabs almost no dealers “What is the long game here?” one expert asked of the city’s strategy for eliminating night-time markets.   (The image shows a cluttered ground with a black suitcase, a cap filled with syringes, a can, a colorful woven item, and other miscellaneous objects.)   A fentanyl user displays his drugs and paraphernalia near Jefferson Square Park on Feb. 24.|  Source:  Andy Omvik for The Standard     Share   Share     Copy linkto this article    (mailto:?subject=Massive drug market raid nabs almost no dealers&body=From The San Francisco Standard%0A%0AMassive drug market raid nabs almost no dealers%0A%0A“What is the long game here?” one expert asked of the city’s strategy for eliminating night-time markets.%0A%0Ahttps://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=email_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons)    Email   (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Massive%20drug%20market%20raid%20nabs%20almost%20no%20dealers&via=sfstandard&url=https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=twitter_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons)    Twitter   (https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Massive drug market raid nabs almost no dealers https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=bluesky_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons)    Bluesky   (https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=facebook_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons)    Facebook   (https://www.linkedin.com/cws/share?url=https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=linkedin_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons&title=Massive drug market raid nabs almost no dealers)    LinkedIn   (https://t.me/share/url?url=https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=telegram_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons&text=Massive drug market raid nabs almost no dealers)    Telegram   (https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=Massive drug market raid nabs almost no dealers https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=whatsapp_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons)    WhatsApp   (https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=reddit_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons&title=Massive drug market raid nabs almost no dealers)    Reddit     Close share menu      By (https://sfstandard.com/author/david-sjostedt/) David Sjostedt  Updated Mar. 06, 2025 • 1:01pm Published Mar. 06, 2025 • 6:00am   Cops stormed Jefferson Square Park last week with motorbikes, drones, floodlights, zip ties, and a jail bus to make more than 80 arrests at San Francisco’s latest drug hot spot.  The high-profile raid marked a major shift in how city agencies respond to the continually evolving open-air markets, one praised by Mayor Daniel Lurie and other officials as an important step toward dismantling the drug trade.  “I want everyone to hear this,” Lurie wrote on X after the raid. “If you are selling drugs in this city, we are coming after you.”    (https://sfstandard.com/membership/) (Ad for campaign membership)   However, arrest data, obtained by The Standard through a public records request, show that suspected dealers made up a tiny fraction of those who were arrested during the night-time raid. When asked if it was prosecuting any suspects for drug dealing, the district attorney’s office provided just one name.   Related  (A nighttime scene with a group of police officers standing near a brightly lit bus stop. The bus stop displays an ad about parked cars getting hot quickly.) (A nighttime scene with a group of police officers standing near a brightly lit bus stop. The bus stop displays an ad about parked cars getting hot quickly.)     (/2025/02/27/jefferson-square-park-raid-san-francisco-police-drugs-arrests/) Cops storm drug market in late-night park raid    (Two officers stand outdoors at night, holding flashlights. They wear tactical gear and appear to be on a street. A building is faintly visible in the background.) (Two officers stand outdoors at night, holding flashlights. They wear tactical gear and appear to be on a street. A building is faintly visible in the background.)     (/2025/02/27/friscolive415-detained-drug-raid-jefferson-square-park/) Citizen journalist FriscoLive415 detained during drug raid    (A person sleeps on a sidewalk surrounded by blankets and a suitcase, beside a colorful graffiti wall, while two people walk past.) (A person sleeps on a sidewalk surrounded by blankets and a suitcase, beside a colorful graffiti wall, while two people walk past.)     (/2025/02/21/the-mission-is-the-new-tenderloin/) The Mission is the new Tenderloin    Of the 85 people arrested, three were detained on drug dealing charges; of those, two were booked into jail and one was cited and released at the scene, according to the police department. As of Wednesday morning, one of those people remained in custody, according to Sheriff’s Department records.   (https://sfstandard.com/newsletters/?newsletters=The%20Daily) () ()      Today’s stories straight to your inbox Everything you need to know to start your day. (https://sfstandard.com/newsletters/?newsletters=The%20Daily) Sign up now!     (https://sfstandard.com/membership/) ()   However, none of those three will be charged with dealing, according to the district attorney’s office. The office said it is prosecuting another suspect, Wyatt Johnson, who was also arrested at the scene, with possession of drugs and intent to sell. Johnson is in custody.  In total, police booked 29 people into jail on charges that included having outstanding warrants, loitering with intent to engage in drug activity, and drug possession. As of Wednesday, seven remained in jail.   The majority of those arrested — 52 people — initially faced just one charge: loitering with the intent to commit a drug offense. The district attorney’s office said it is prosecuting 11 people with drug-related misdemeanors and two with felony and misdemeanor narcotics charges.    (The image shows police cars parked on a street at night, with officers and a person standing nearby. City lights and palm trees are visible in the background.) (The image shows police cars parked on a street at night, with officers and a person standing nearby. City lights and palm trees are visible in the background.)         There were more than 80 arrests in the raid at Jefferson Square Park.|  Source:  Sebastian Luke   Lurie’s spokesperson Charles Lutvak argued that the raid was successful in sending a message to drug users and dealers, citing an improvement in conditions around the park.“With 85 people booked or cited on drug-related charges and significantly improved conditions on the ground in Jefferson Square Park, it is clear last week’s operation was successful,” Lutvak said in a statement. “We will bring this strategy anywhere in the city to send the message loud and clear: San Franciscans deserve safe, clean streets, and that’s what they are going to get in every neighborhood under this administration.”  Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, whose district includes the park, defended the police action, reasoning that residents have since reported a clear improvement in the neighborhood. He has (https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/21/the-mission-is-the-new-tenderloin/) advocated for a “drug market intervention strategy” to deploy more unarmed night ambassadors and fund job programs for those involved in the drug trade.  “Even one drug dealer off the street is a huge win,” Mahmood said.   However, critics question the operation’s cost and argue that arrests have merely shifted the illegal market around the city over the past year.   Residents in the Mission have reported an increase in drug activity that they say has taken a dramatic toll on businesses. Meanwhile, the jail population has steadily increased since 2023, (https://sfgov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13750876&GUID=3A3393BF-D9CF-4CD7-8EA6-222ED4F90A1B) and the DA’s office has reported that its prosecutors are at capacity . The number of fatal overdoses in the city has increased monthly, from 37 in October to 59 in January, according to preliminary data from the chief medical examiner.  Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who represents the Mission, is calling for the city to implement a “four pillars” strategy that saw success in Zurich and hinges on collaboration between public health and law enforcement officials.“We cannot continue to displace problems from one part of the city to another, or use one or two strategies when more are needed,” Fielder said in a press release this week.     (A busy city sidewalk is crowded with people, one bent over with no shirt. Others stand or walk past, and there are parked cars and a scooter nearby.) (A busy city sidewalk is crowded with people, one bent over with no shirt. Others stand or walk past, and there are parked cars and a scooter nearby.)         A man seen slumped over after using drugs in the Mission.|  Source:  Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/The Standard   In an Instagram post Tuesday, Lurie said the city wants to deploy more street teams.  “I’m seeing what our children have to see on their way to and from school every single day,” Lurie said in the video while standing at 16th and Mission streets. “We have to get tough on those who are dealing drugs. Those who are using drugs, we have to get off the street and into shelter beds, into mental health and drug treatment beds.”   Keith Humphreys, a Stanford professor who advised President Barack Obama on drug policy, said the mass arrests will likely prove ineffective unless drug dealers face harsher consequences and the city develops a more comprehensive plan.   “What is the long game here?” Humphreys asked. “Making a lot of arrests is not a strategy.”  Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, who represents residents living across the street from the park, said the number of dealing arrests doesn’t necessarily equate to the success of the operation.   “I don’t think anybody is planting a victory flag,” Sherrill said. “This is just the beginning.”   Copy link to this article      (mailto:?subject=Massive drug market raid nabs almost no dealers&body=From The San Francisco Standard%0A%0AMassive drug market raid nabs almost no dealers%0A%0Ahttps://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=email_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons)     (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Massive%20drug%20market%20raid%20nabs%20almost%20no%20dealers&via=sfstandard&url=https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=twitter_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons)     (https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Massive drug market raid nabs almost no dealers https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=bluesky_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons)     (https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/06/drug-dealing-arrests-police-park-raid/?utm_source=facebook_sitebutton&utm_medium=site_buttons&utm_campaign=site_buttons)         David Sjostedtcan be reached at(mailto:david@sfstandard.com) david@sfstandard.com   Filed Under (/tag/city-hall/) City Hall (/tag/daniel-lurie/) Daniel Lurie (/tag/drugs/) Drugs (/tag/fentanyl/) Fentanyl (/news/) News (/tag/san-francisco-police-department/) SFPD    Read More (https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/09/fitness-sf-communal-showers/?itm_source=parsely-api) ‘More than a place to rinse off’: Castro gym patrons hold candle vigil for sexy showers The communal showers were a place where gay men would go to laugh, show off, and run out of conditioner.   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