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1h ago

San Francisco to Open Sheriff-Run Sobering Center for Public Drug Arrests

Officials describe a quicker route to treatment that frees police for patrol.

San Francisco plans to open a new law enforcement sobering center inside a city-owned building at 444 Sixth St.
Drug users and dealers are seen outside the Asian Art Museum on Hyde Street in San Francisco in a file photo. 
A drug user bends, nearly falling, on Golden Gate Avenue in the Tenderloin in San Francisco.
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Overview

  • Mayor Daniel Lurie announced a facility at 444 Sixth St. targeted to open early next year, overseen by the Sheriff’s Office and run by a nonprofit.
  • People arrested for using drugs in public would be taken there, required to remain until deemed sober—typically about four hours, up to 23—or risk being taken to jail if they try to leave.
  • Detainees would not be booked or charged, and officers could return to duty sooner than with traditional jail processing.
  • The center will feature 16 to 25 reclining chairs and on-site staff to initiate methadone or buprenorphine and connect people to ongoing treatment or shelter.
  • Officials promote a “tough love” tool as misdemeanor narcotics arrests rise 85% this year, though the city has yet to show that such approaches lead to sustained treatment.