SAN FRANCISCO — Business owners in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood say they’ve seen a drop in crime lately. And they have District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to thank.
Business owners like Jesus Kauil say they’ve seen it all: from people injecting needles in the bathroom to drug dealers running into their businesses, trying to escape the police.
“They come here to hide from getting arrested, and there’s no way to keep them out. So they come here and wait for things to calm down, and then they come out again,” said Kauil, owner of Los Yucatecos, a restaurant he opened three years ago on Ellis Street.
However, he said, fortunately, he has not witnessed this in some time, at least for the past year.
“So I don’t see those people anymore, and that’s why I can pay attention and say, something’s changed,” Kauil added.
He is just one of many business owners and residents who have taken notice of the actions of San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
On Wednesday, Jenkins released new data on his office’s efforts to combat drug trafficking in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods.
“We’ve seen a huge decrease in the amount of drug dealing in the Tenderloin. We still have a long way to go to get the Tenderloin to where we want it to be. We still have some trouble spots, but we’ve seen a huge change in the amount of activity that’s going on during the day,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins noted that these efforts have led to an increase in convictions. So far in 2024, there have been 128 drug convictions, with 92% of them being felonies compared to just 20% when Jenkins first took office in 2022.
“We’re here to do a job, which is to make sure our streets are safe and clean, and I want them to fear the consequences. We have to have a reasonable fear of consequences in San Francisco to make our streets the way we want them to be, and that’s another part of the commitment. We’re not going to give out light punishments anymore. We believe in real accountability,” Jenkins said.
That’s what Kauil wants to see continue. He says the complicated quality of life in the Tenderloin means fewer customers. He can now serve only 120 people, whereas in the past, he says he could serve at least 400 people a day.
“We love it here. We have great support. We have customers, but sometimes there is a bit of fear, especially at night,” Kauil explained.
Despite the challenges, Kauil remains optimistic. He is not going anywhere and believes that things will continue to improve because, after all, this is his home.
