SAN FRANCISCO – Governor Gavin Newsom is calling out the national guard to San Francisco to combat the fentanyl crisis. The California National Guard, California Highway Patrol, California National Guard, San Francisco Police Department, and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office will join forces to identify and dismantle fentanyl trafficking rings.
Fentanyl has been a growing concern in San Francisco, with overdose deaths rising by over 40% in the first quarter of this year alone. According to recent data, San Francisco has the second-highest overdose rate in the nation and the second-highest death rate from fentanyl overdose in 2020.
“Two truths can co-exist at the same time: San Francisco’s violent crime rate is below comparably sized cities like Jacksonville and Fort Worth — and there is also more we must do to address public safety concerns, especially the fentanyl crisis,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.
The partnership aims to hold drug suppliers and traffickers accountable, rather than criminalizing those struggling with substance use. The collaboration will involve the highway patrol assigning personnel and resources to assist the police in drug trafficking enforcement, technical assistance, and training within key areas of the city. CalGuard will also provide specialist personnel and resources to support the analysis of drug trafficking operations and focus on disrupting and dismantling fentanyl trafficking rings.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed expressed her gratitude towards Governor Newsom’s support in tackling the open-air drug dealing happening in the city. “Our Police Department and District Attorney have been partnering to tackle this issue and increase enforcement, but our local agencies can use more support,” Breed said.
Overall, the partnership between the state and the City of San Francisco aims to provide more law enforcement resources and personnel to crack down on fentanyl trafficking and hold the operators of large-scale drug trafficking operations accountable.