April 21, 2023 7:54pm EDT
Gov. Newsom directs National Guard to help combat San Francisco's fentanyl crisis
The effort specifically singles out San Francisco's Tenderloin district, which has seen open-air drug use and trafficking
By Louis Casiano California Gov. Gavin Newsom has directed the National Guard and California Highway Patrol to help combat San Francisco's fentanyl trafficking crisis.
On Friday, Newsom announced an effort to have both agencies assist local authorities to address the rise in fentanyl use.
The agreement will focus on "dismantling fentanyl trafficking and disrupting the supply of the deadly drug in the city by holding the operators of large-scale drug trafficking operations accountable," the Democratic governor's office said.
"Two truths can co-exist at the same time: San Francisco’s violent crime rate is below comparably sized cities like Jacksonville [Florida] and Fort Worth [Texas] — and there is also more we must do to address public safety concerns, especially the fentanyl crisis," said Newsom in a news release.
CHP will assist the San Francisco Police Department by assigning personnel and training, drug trafficking enforcement within certain areas of the city, specifically the Tenderloin area.
The National Guard, or CalGuard, has been directed by Newsom to identify personnel and resources that will help dismantle fentanyl trafficking rings.
The city's Tenderloin neighborhood has been called the epicenter of the region's homelessness and drug crisis.
more
https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-gov-newsom-directs-national-guard-help-combat-san-franciscos-fentanyl-crisis.amp
