California Governor Gavin Newsom has promised an increase of resources for the state’s ongoing effort to fight the fentanyl crisis in San Francisco. On Thursday, Newsom announced the decision to double the number of California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers deploying to San Francisco streets, as part of the public safety plan implemented on May 1.
Expected to arrive in the city in the coming weeks, the 100 new officers are part of this week’s CHP academy graduates. Additionally, Newsom has authorized CHP to work with local law enforcement agencies to conduct operations focused on the arrests of drug traffickers and illegal weapon seizures.
The CHP reports impressive results in the first six weeks of operations. Officers have already made 115 felonious and petty arrests and have seized 8.1 kilos of fentanyl, which could have potentially been used to kill the city’s entire population nearly three times over.
Mayor London Breed welcomed the increased resources from the state, emphasizing that effective long-term solutions will combine forces from local, state and federal levels. “Over the past several weeks, we have welcomed the California Highway Patrol and National Guard working in partnership with our local agencies to disrupt drug trafficking and drug markets that harm our neighborhoods. To be successful in the long term, we need to sustain and expand this work at the local, state and federal levels,” Breed said.
Newsom and other state authorities are continuing to work together to ensure that San Francisco is provided with all the necessary resources to address the mounting fentanyl crisis.
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