Sheriff oversight, harm reduction, and bad air

Good afternoon!

Does nobody in San Francisco care about oversight of the Sheriff’s Department? Do people not take the nascent Sherrif’s Department Oversight Board seriously? Or is the board simply terrible at getting the word out about its meetings? The oversight board–approved by San Francisco voters–is in the process of hiring its first Inspector General to lead the office that will oversee the conduct of sheriff’s deputies and investigate complaints. An official job posting has been published, offering a salary range up to $224, 484; the deadline for applicants is April 24. But last night, the second community meeting to discuss qualifications required for the new leader drew the same number of participants as the first — one.

Speaking over sounds from the nearby basketball court, the six board members introduced themselves to an empty room. Every few minutes the lights, which were triggered by motion sensors, would dim, forcing the board members to wave their arms to relight them — even as they offered reminders about upcoming meetings. The next community meeting is scheduled for April 11 at 6 p.m. at the Crocker Amazon Clubhouse, 799 Moscow Street. Similar meetings will be held on April 21 and May 19. Do you want to attend?

As Mission Local reported yesterday, the Mission is one of the top four San Francisco neighborhoods where accidental overdoses occur. We mapped the Mission bars and organizations that offer free Narcan (naxalone) to reverse opioid overdoses and/or test strips so users can check their drugs for fentanyl.

For today’s story, Mission Local contacted 75 bars; almost half carried Narcan behind the bar, and many also had test strips, saying they felt an urgency about the overdose crisis affecting the city. “I’ve personally lost friends,” said Sean Mabry, co-owner of Mothership, who’s been stocking supplies since the bar opened in 2021. Josh Yule, a graphic designer and local music programmer, began creating decorative harm reduction boxes filled with strips and Narcan and distributing them to Mission bars after a close relative died of an overdose. Yule hopes the “stigma” around offering such supplies may lessen. “It makes you feel safer that the box is there,” he says, “and has all the tools to save a life within seconds.”

Our reporters also heard the reasons why some bar owners and employees don’t want to be involved. Some say they are confident their customers don’t use drugs. Others cited fear of liability if a person uses illegal substances in the bar, and some said stocking strips and Narcan would exacerbate overdoses by encouraging risky, life-threatening behavior. Alex, the manager of El Trebol, at 22nd and Capp Streets, was firmly against carrying harm reduction supplies. “This is a family bar,” he said. “If I see someone using drugs, I kick them out.”

Finally, Recology has been kicked out of its unpermitted construction debris crushing site on Pier 94 by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. For reasons that are unclear, the site was never permitted, but allowed to operate for 14 years, despite community opposition.

Michelle Pierce, executive director of Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates, an organization that has long pushed for the closure of the plant, pointed out the high risk for residents. “The plant is next to people’s houses, senior care centers, daycares, churches, unhoused people. It’s always concentrated in neighborhoods like ours.” Kamillah Ealom, an organizer with Greenaction for Environmental Justice, said the closure is a result of the “hellraising” of residents and local organizations––and that much more needs to be done to make the air in the neighborhood safe to breathe.

More soon,

Sara

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