SF mayor signs legislation for officers to arrest drug users, send them to RESET Center

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — San Francisco is officially taking a new approach to combat public drug use.

“If you use drugs on our streets we will arrest you, but with this new resource we will also give those suffering from addiction a real chance to choose recovery,” said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.

Mayor Lurie signed legislation that opens the doors for the Rapid Enforcement, Support, Evaluation, and Triage – or RESET Center.

“What we are looking for is putting them in a therapeutic healthy environment for them to start the beginnings of sobriety by sobering up and coming off the drugs, and having them come out of the system in the presence of health care professionals,” said San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto.

Now, San Francisco police officers and sheriff deputies will arrest individuals for public intoxication and take them to a place that is not jail. Both law enforcement agencies are working together to combat open drug use.

“What are officers going to be looking for?” ABC7 Eyewitness News reporter Luz Pena asked.

“So typically, they are going to be looking for people who are under the influence intoxicated in public with clear signs of intoxication. Our officers will identify these folks and if they fit this criteria, they can very quickly bring these folks to the RESET Center and get back on the streets,” said SFPD chief Derrick Lew.

The RESET Center will be run by the Sheriff’s Department with Public Health personnel inside and will be located across from the Hall of Justice and the County Jail, but the capacity of 25 beds is still an issue.

“What we are hopeful for is that this is just the starting point. Just as it is a starting point for someone sobering up it’s a starting point for us and something we are hoping to expand on,” said Sheriff Miyamoto.

We went to one of the city’s stabilization centers that are set to partner with the RESET Center.

“What is going to be different from what you guys are currently doing here to what is going to happen inside the RESET center?” Pena asked.

“They have medical staff that is going to be on duty and that is the most beautiful thing, and they are going to have detoxification services on staff,” said Cedric Akbar, Executive Director of Positive Directors Equals Change.

After 24 hours inside the RESET Center, people will have the option to be transferred to a stabilization center where they can stay up to 90 days getting mental health medication and substance abuse treatment.

“We do around the clock wellness checks just to make sure everyone needs to be where they need to be,” said Marsha Hoffman, Lead Monitor at the Eleanora Fagan Center.

The RESET Center is set to open in April.