SF Mayor Signs Law Authorizing Arrests for Public Drug Use
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed legislation that authorizes police to arrest individuals using drugs in public. Those arrested will be directed to a "RESET" center, which is intended to serve as an alternative to jail. The initiative is designed to address the city's public drug use crisis, though it has reportedly raised legal concerns from the city attorney.
- The facility, officially named the Rapid Enforcement, Support, Evaluation, and Triage (RESET) Center, is a 25-bed pilot program located at 444 6th Street. - An Arizona-based company, Connections Health Solutions, will operate the center under a 26-month contract valued at $14.5 million. - The Board of Supervisors passed the measure with a 9-2 vote; Supervisors Jackie Fielder and Connie Chan voted in opposition, citing doubts about the program's effectiveness and legal standing. - The City Attorney's office circulated a confidential memo warning that because the center is not a jail, it is not subject to state regulations for detention facilities, creating a "very high legal risk" for the city. - The initiative is part of Mayor Lurie's broader "Breaking the Cycle" plan and was fast-tracked under his "Fentanyl State of Emergency" ordinance, which allows for expedited approval of contracts addressing the drug crisis. - Unlike a jail cell, the RESET center will feature reclining chairs and is intended to be a more "nurturing environment" where individuals can be held for up to 23 hours and connected with health services. - This policy complements Proposition F, a measure approved by voters in March 2024 that requires drug screening for recipients of the County Adult Assistance Program (CAAP) who are suspected of substance use. - Supporters, including Supervisor Matt Dorsey, have called the center "the single most important policy shift in San Francisco since the advent of the fentanyl crisis," while opponents like the Drug Policy Alliance argue it escalates a failed war on drugs.
