San Francisco, one of California’s most progressive cities, has has fenced-off a plaza within its Mission district due to blackmarket activity and rampant open-air drug use.
The lawlessness has greatly disturbed the neighborhood, San Francisco District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen shared on Twitter Wednesday, forcing her to close off access to the problematic area until the situation is resolved.
“While it is never my desire to close public space the situation at 24th & Mission BART plaza has become untenable & is causing problems for the whole neighborhood. It infuriates me to see a once beautiful & vibrant community space overrun by open-air drug markets & vendors selling stolen goods,” she wrote.
“It’s been chaotic and it’s getting increasingly dangerous,” Ronen told the San Francisco Chronicle.
A new fence has been erected as a temporary solution while the Public Works department creates a vendor permit application process, which should be finalized by mid-August. More street inspectors will also be trained, Ronen said.
“Once the permits are available Public Works can begin confiscating goods from unpermitted vendors. SFPD & Public Works will continue to enforce ADA laws to ensure safe access to the sidewalk,” she added.
The local government is working to re-open the plaza as a community space in collaboration with the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District and BART, Ronen said.
“(The issues have) created a feeling of unsafeness and a feeling of hopelessness,” Susana Rojas, executive director of Calle 24, told the Chronicle. “Through the pandemic there has been a lot of suffering and that is very visible in our communities… we know that the fencing is one of the temporary tools to be able to bring back the plaza in a community way.”
The anarchy running wild in the district has in many cases hindered access to public transportation. Residents told Ronen that it has often been difficult to safely get off the bus, she told the Chronicle. The plazas at 24th and Mission streets have been areas of concern for city officials, members of the public, and their riders, BART officials told the publication.
“We’re wanting to get our safe and vibrant neighborhood back,” Ronen said. “We want to make it as orderly, safe and non-chaotic as possible.”
Over the last few years, California has experienced a massive net population outflow due to surging crime, homelessness, and drug addiction, in addition to cost of living and taxation. Between 2020 and 2021, 249,239 people left California, many of whom went to more conservative states in the Sun Belt like Florida and Texas.