Police officers speak with three individuals on a sidewalk near a building as a car passes and a person walks nearby.
4/09/25 San Francisco Narcotics Police detain two individuals on Hoff Street and 16th.

On Wednesday afternoon at 1:29 p.m., officers from the San Francisco Police Narcotics Unit arrested two middle-aged men at the corner of Hoff and 16th streets. When asked what would happen to the two, an officer filling out paperwork said the arrests were misdemeanors, and the men would likely be released within two hours.

Our piece will be updated when the Sheriff’s Department responds to our request for more information about the arrests.

Earlier, Caledonia Street had two individuals sitting in the roadway, with pieces of trash scattered throughout the area. The street remained quiet.

By 11:46 a.m., about 10 people blocked the sidewalk along the west side of Julian Avenue. Two individuals leaned behind a planter, surrounded by their belongings, while eight others stood nearby.

Around the same time, Wiese Street had fewer people than reported earlier in the week. Residents were able to walk through the area with little issue.

A local resident who has lived at the corner of 15th and Mission streets for more than two years shared the changes he has seen in the neighborhood.

“Compassion hurts when you see this much suffering every day,” said Mark Nguyen, describing how conditions on nearby streets have worsened.

Nguyen questioned the city’s response. “If the city can ticket people 100% of the time for not curbing their wheels, why can’t we consistently address public hard drug use?”

He also called for stronger intervention. “I think people need to be forced into help, like court-ordered therapy,” he said. “Watching people mentally and physically break down in public isn’t helping anyone.”

“These people need help. Everyone needs more therapy,” Nguyen said.

At the southwest 16th Street Plaza, a police cruiser and the mobile-command unit were present. People waited for their buses as a single fruit vendor cut slices of pineapple for a customer.

Across the street at the northeast 16th Street Plaza, a single police cruiser was parked with an SFPD officer inside. Two other officers, along with two Department of Public Works employees, stood across the street from the plaza, on Mission Street looking north.

Capp Street had little activity, with two people sitting on a cardboard box near an auto-body shop. Box trucks continued to unload equipment into nearby businesses.

Narrow urban alley with beige and tan buildings, graffiti on walls, and scattered debris. A tree shades part of the street.
4/09/25 Caledonia Street. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
A group of people gather on a city sidewalk beside a parked car, near a tree. Urban buildings and utility lines are in the background.
4/09/25 Julian Avenue, west side. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
A blurred person pushes a shopping cart quickly through a narrow urban alley with yellow buildings on a sunny day.
4/09/25 Wiese Street, looking south. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Urban intersection with pedestrians, a police vehicle, and a motorcycle. Buildings and a street market are in the background. Crosswalk features geometric patterns.
4/09/25 Southwest 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Street scene with a snack cart under colorful umbrellas, a building with graffiti, pedestrians, and palm trees. A traffic light and crosswalk are in the foreground.
4/09/25 Northeast 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
People wearing high-visibility vests stand near a street corner with trees and traffic in the background. A person in black clothing walks nearby.
4/09/25 Looking Northeast 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Police officers speak with three individuals on a sidewalk near a building as a car passes and a person walks nearby.
4/09/25 San Francisco Narcotics Police detain two individuals at Hoff and 16th streets.
Police officer standing by a car, looking into a backpack on the vehicle's trunk.
4/09/25 San Francisco Narcotics Police is seen at Hoff and 16th streets.
Street view of a quiet urban area with parked cars along the sidewalk. A person sits on the sidewalk near a cardboard box, and a sign for an auto body center hangs above.
4/09/25 Capp Street. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.

Gustavo Hernandez is a freelance photojournalist and videographer currently living in Excelsior District. He graduated in Fall 2024 with a double major in Journalism (Photojournalism) and BECA (Broadcasting and Electronic Communications Arts) from San Francisco State University. You can periodically catch him dodging potholes on his scooter and actively eating pho.