San Francisco, CA –Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins released updated felony narcotics prosecution data and progress in combatting drug trafficking, closing open air drug markets and the District Attorney’s Office’s efforts to hold drug dealers accountable. The District Attorney’s Office remains committed to dismantling the illicit drug trade centered in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods in a smart and sustainable way to ensure that drug trafficking is stopped and not displaced to other neighborhoods by vigorously prosecuting cases and working in partnership with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
“Over the last two years my office has worked tirelessly with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to dramatically scale up the fight against unrepentant drug dealers that have been holding the Tenderloin and other neighborhoods hostage,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “Although there is a lot of work that we need to do, I am grateful to the San Francisco Police Department as well as our federal and state partners whose commitment to a whole of government response to the crisis on our streets has greatly contributed to the progress we are making. Governor Newsom’s deployment of CalGuard (National Guard) attorneys has bolstered our efforts in the courtroom while the US Attorney’s All Hands on Deck initiative opened a new front in the battle against drug dealers that we are starting to see bear fruit. Since day one I promised San Franciscans to do everything in my power to hold drug dealers accountable and the increasing prosecutions and felony convictions demonstrates my continuing resolve.”
Cases Presented and Filed
Since July of 2022 when District Attorney Jenkins first took office, the District Attorney’s Office has been presented with 1,892 felony narcotics cases and filed 1,662 cases1. In just 2024, the office has been presented 480 cases and filed 415. The year-to-date number of cases presented and filed in 2024 shows a decrease from 2023 where 510 cases were presented and 458 were filed. The decrease in number of cases presented and filed is partly attributed to an increased number of felony narcotics cases being handled by federal law enforcement agencies and a modest decrease in overall drug trafficking in the area.
Cases Resolutions
District Attorney Jenkins’ vigorous prosecution of felony narcotics cases and successful partnerships with federal and state law enforcement agencies has resulted in the most narcotics convictions and guilty pleas to other cases since 2020.
Year to date in 2024 there have been 128 felony narcotics convictions compared to 52 in 2023, 40 in 2022, 52 in 2021 and 66 in 2020. Importantly a greater share of convictions are resolving with guilty pleas to felony offenses. 92% of convictions this year are for felony offenses compared to 36% when District Attorney Jenkins first took office.
