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Is this personal? I clearly cannot. What is your view of smoking friends now that was presented, and that was a little people around us. Why all doing vengeance you're dealing with the everyday yeah guess wanted. as high as possible. So when it came to the cinema It gives them that met love, serpents the guests. The arctic gilbert is talking about local drug users, that his ngo caught up in alchemy works to help in san francisco tenderloin district. parties walking me around to witness a phenomenon that has got so Here that the matter has called a state of emergency in the city, the incredibly dangerous drug fence. Now that the data is killing of their work, while the majority of the overdose than the ones who died. I hear is for fitness. We'd go this way. Fentanyl is a powerful opioid

hundred times stronger than morphine is used as pain medication, which, in the past ten years, its use as a recreational drug, has exploded. Its highly addicted The sums this rising now people are doing Clearly, the sounds very obvious. Pretty much every street corner is exactly the same. People lined up doing functional. Seeing people in this state is hard to watch for. Nor has slowly been usurping. Drugs like crack cocaine and crystal meth to dominate son front goes drugs in this He is known for its laid back approach to drugs, but now doing the unthinkable, questioning its easy go ass, a cheese and its so called progressive politics. Opinion is please divided over what to do next time. case in and for assignments this week. What will it take to fix some francisco's problems? somebody was here or life use

drug users. I no whatever RT is showing me streets that hasn't been cleaned in the tenderloin I live in. francisco on the bbc's corresponded here? I don't usually walk around this part of town It has a sort of lawless quality to it, about twenty people are on their street corner. Many have just bullets fencing them, some people are injecting one man is lying across the street. Used syringes lie everywhere. Artie comes round, the world has been used so ready to be made. but they promote the photos that is before us. of all out of needle three four five, six You stated that for the needle there's a bag a little bag, the needle right. There is a needle right here I mean anyone could just like a kids, I'll kill. You can walk right by here,

it is possible. I bought a needle It must be someone you know doing drugs or something while I'm taking my kids to school. I try to tell her to turn her head. Local residents. Venetia is trying to shield her young daughter from the chaos she walks I mean. Sometimes it does get aggressive with the people who are doing the dogs, because we have to announce that what we have to say, it's through or you know mothers or something we have to announce it or order. You know we're just step down. It comes way where sometimes feel if I like, I just want to walk up to, they make take it out of their names, It has for a long time been a rough neighbourhood. It hasn't a notorious reputation. San Francisco, when I first move to the city like was told me to do. Anywhere, but here, but over the years things have got worse here. It's now

ground zero for san francisco drug problem, which has seen death triple in the last, Oh, yes, he's very swollen was getting home. The man's says he was bitten by a rat whilst sleeping around us tents, block pavements and people passed out in doorways its to see police officers on the street here it doesn't feel entirely safe. I see you worried on the streets that won't get furious pricked up. When I see someone exposing a weapon, That can be like a knife or something like that. Familiar with who they re are that net. That right here size me and I think that guy is wearing a mosque and holding what looks like like a large heavy state cry this intimidated.

you put us in the community, see it every single day. Two weeks after we recorded this interview, one fancies com shot by a drug dealer and injured. I went to see the sea for myself. It was still on the sidewalk. The tenderloin is a tough place for everyone, especially for addicts themselves beth j c. They ve been homeless here for about a year after a right. from Cincinnati, attracted like many by some Francisco's liberal reputation and the promise of a. Please don't care about nothing ever uniting, arming them in some way: generosity, the drugs they just go ahead and painful, but our than my name, my name, I dislocated my knee on the job and I took pay those and then come off it ain't it

They just stop and through you to events in a like, like today, all every day. Every day I really am. What's it was that life had not got our time. What's it like living having lawless we will the local trade network. Here is cool the bay area, rapid, transits old, buys it connects san francisco with oakland city, on the other side of the bay, I'm here, here to meet someone who knows only too well how the drugs crisis is dividing society. Jackie Berlin has some corey he's. One of the says living somewhere around the tenderloin corrie. I instantly felt a real whooped, jackie. She comes across as carrying attentive and compassionate everything. You'd want in a

but somehow even with a loving supportive family cory's life descended into addiction. I worry that he is going to upper death and why they are going to die, and you ve, never gonna, say his true potential, as a beautiful human being inside of this act, a really sensitive kind, hearted soul, who feels completely trapped. You, pretty much in prison and action that he had researching this peace. I've spoken to a lot of people on the streets about corrie, and I have yet to hear a word about him. People say he's kind and thoughtful. One person told me he wasn't designed for the streets he's too nice. I had a swedish after called quite my sanity decay,

took a temperament and he was so easy to care for, and he didn't demand alive. He taught himself to think attire, play the facts and the marching band and ice all. But it's when corey goes a little older. That is problems begun. He met a girl you how to diction it was at one point- she got a hold of some heroin with a friend corey said he would never do any hard drugs like that. He ended up, trying it and went downhill from there. Jackie says: Corey has now been addicted to drugs, including fentanyl for ten years jackie's regularly in touch with him. When she does see him, she sees her little boy, but for many people passing him by he's just another junkie. A few months ago she was on facebook. When she saw a picture someone had shared, it was a post and it was someone passed out on Bart with,

next to them, and I started reading the comments and people are saying horrible things about this passed out added and I realized it was my fun. It is really bothered me I went back on there and I bet my son, if not just some no throwaway person and he's not just a bum on the street. He has family that loves him and he actually has a kind heart he's just very, very thick. The last time corey choice to get clean. Jackie tells me she drove him home. She said he had his head in his hands, saying stupid, chief, pitched, cheaper to himself corey blames himself and jack.

Accepts he should take responsibility for his addiction, but she blamed something else to san francisco found and have made it incredibly easy for my fun dreaming an addict. They almost enable him and normalize his addiction Saying that he need to stay addicted is given to him. I do believe in some harm reduction, but I don't believe in allowing open air drug things where people are selling openly on the street in front of me then walking to enhance all in neighborhoods where people live, I've seen them do it. You think it's too liberal its way to live on its way to free waiting, eyebrow. San Francisco, reputation for tolerance and diversity has attracted free spirits ever since the night,

sixty eight summer of love and even before the flower power age, when hippies flocks to take lsd and rally against the vietnam war city has warm weather year round. You can sleep outdoors here, not freeze and its compassionate approach means. There are better services for people that's a homeless than in many other cities across amerika over time the city's become a stronghold for so called progressive leaders, including those from america, has left of scented democratic party policy. like turning a blind eye to public drug use, to vagrancy and even minor crimes have say some encouraged, even more drug users to san francisco swelling numbers in the tenderloin and making it impossible to manage the problems, especially when fencing arrived on the scene. Now, from an unlikely quartet has been a backlash, good afternoon. Everyone. Thank you for joining us here today. I am san francisco in December

cities may at london breed did something that few people expected in a radical departure from progressive politics. She declared a state of emergency in the tenderloin promising big changes to many people. are dying in the city too many people are out all over our streets Now we have a plan to address it, a robust aggressive plan to address it earlier this week I made it I hear that they are going to be a number of things that the city is going to do to address public safety and part of that is a police response. The plan involves putting more police on the streets and encouraging them to disrupt legal activity that we meanwhile uses and rough sleep, as are encouraged to get treatment, shelter and supports. The man believes that you can only office many services, though crucially

says that san Francisco's compassion has been mistaken for weakness, and at some stage addicts you don't want to get clean, need to be forced to change for me It's really about tough love, it's about being aggressive, but is also about showing love and kindness, but so not letting them continue to live like that which will lead to their death. We We have had at war overdose debts in. one year at one point than we did of covert deaths and arson. it's one year and twenty twenty there were over seven hundred people who died from drug overdose in law's extraordinary figures. Yes, and so, when you think about it I mean that's a state of emergency, in the face of its london breed is not someone you might expect to espouse these kinds of law and order policies. She's, a democrats who previously supported the movement to defend the police in the aftermath of George floyd's murder.

but she has a personal motivation to stem the damage from drugs. Own sister died of an overdose in the tenderloin summit. the people I grew up with ended up dead, they ended, in jail. They ended up on drugs, including, sadly, my sister who I lost to a drug overdose and my brother, who still incarcerated, and when I do this work here in San francisco, it's about preventing these kinds of things from happening to other families. The challenges my environment took it's toll. I family insignificant ways ass. We walked, on the outskirts of the tenderloin. We saw the man's attempt to clean up the streets first hand, the authorities literary sweet. away a homeless encampment. One man pulled his tent along the road, stopping the traffic He sat down on the sidewalk opposite contemplating what to do next

This is the kind of thing that lay at london breed once more. Forcing people off the streets she'll hope that these people, to get cattle, maybe even be homes, but the reality is that the people will just move, awaits with different street set up, and the cycle will continue back in the tenderloin. I wanted to find some reaction to the mayor's plans. I'm heading two glide, a charity that helps provide attics with everything they need to use drugs safely, scared at anything else. You want in our counter sharps container because he works here is giving out supplies yamba likes. You can turn out better His on the streets and glide will give you The need for this is part of the city's harm reduction programme. Giving drug use is safe, needles and other drug paraphernalia. Below, pushers, tutors, so lex.

Morningstar, foil, tat, people some of their substances and smoke it These wretches yeah. So we have syringes or points and then our tourniquets, so you wanna try that around the blood flowing this is over. san francisco and experts say this works at reducing diseases like hiv and hepatitis, nikko composite to giving out free condoms to encourage sake for sex. In each case he says the activity is going to happen with EU law It's not so you might as well try to reduce the risk. For those doing it. Do you see, needles around respects. One mommy's that she was concerned about her kids that seventy those were around here. That's something that you think about. When you're giving people syringes the core of harm reduction, is radical. Love essentially says, meetings were there and if there are arranged in the streets- and perhaps providing more shelter, bears more shelters and affordable housing. More bio contain

it's available on the streets for people or you know more people to go pick up those points. I think it's a systemic thing rather than pointing fingers, and what about the london breeds plan d get panel depend. Was part of the plan which parts of the maize plan is any sense of fanatics to access, shelter and mental health services and why they can use drugs freely and safely. Its controversial critic say it's like giving alcoholics a safe place to drink, but in nicosia stepping up law enforcement and the tenderloin is even more controversial in other other parts of emergency, and that are a little concerning, so increasing police presence increasing arrests and incarceration. We know that disproportionately thousand people, immigrants where people go things are really.

There was this girl is falling apart. The city is covered in filth and homeless, encampments some concern- If americans, like fox tv commentator, tucker carlson, have become obsessed with San francisco, saying the city's been ruined by bumbling and incompetent do gooders. They see permissive attitudes to drug use and the laissez faire attitude to crime as everything wrong with the liberal left in one city and for them one man personifies that approach: district attorney, shades of udine udine as a yale educated public defender who was never prosecuted a case as a canon he's become one of the most controversial politicians in california. I think fox news has mentioned your name more than a thousand times and rest content in the last year. Wise right wing america so obsessed. Maybe we'll tells me you're paying more attention to fox news than I am and my sympathies for that. Does your question

fox news, and the alt right media is obsessed with me for the same reason: they're obsessed with San francisco, which is they need to generate fear and distrust amongst folks in the middle of the country, who don't health care who don't have housing or don't have education and who are often voting against their own interests to preserve a status quo that defends the rich and powerful and creates a two tiered system of justice. So they cherry pick videos of the worst most underserved neighborhoods here as a way to stir up fear as a way to suggest that somehow progressive policies aren't working but we're doing something so very well in better a frankly than the rest. The country chase aberdeen has attracted attention because he's in charge of who gets prosecuted and he doesn't it's a powerful position if he decides not to prosecute sets in crimes. There's not much.

point in the police, making arrests, many in san francisco believe his approach is to permissive, making it too easy they use drugs. On the streets, but he insists prosecution is not the answer to san francisco problems, doesnt matter how many people we arrest were prosecute. If there's not drug treatment products folks are gonna contain by drugs in someone's gonna sell them doubling down failed war on drugs is never going to solve those problems, so watch it frances go day. If it's not more incarceration and the status quo is lacking, what should the wash its hands this kind? I first of all, we need to create safe consumption sites. That's the proven way to reduce fatal overdoses, Second of all, we need to make sure that anybody who wants to get treatment can go twenty four, seven somewhere, where they can get services where they can get treatment where they can get sober and get their life back on track. You know you have different elected leaders who say we need services

has services union, may london breed those that spending more money on yet more treatment is not the main issue. San Francisco is already rubbing vast amounts of money at the problem. She says if you look at what we spend in san francisco per resident compared to end other major city in this country? I bet there is no comparison. A billion dollars over the next two years, just for homelessness alone so we're making the investments. The investments alone are not The combat the challenges that continue to exist in this city, and especially in the tender lie, and so we have to make changes. They are necessary in order to turn things around interesting that this progressive mayor here is saying what many conservatives think that compassion only takes you so far She doesn't see eye to eye with chase aberdeen were not on the same page. He tells me brooding him

self is facing a recall election. This spring anti democratic party colleague hasn't yet decided whether she'll backing which you rule out. I can recall of traceability I dont, know what decision I'm gonna make in that particular race at this time, at the end of the day. What we ruling it out, I'm, not rolling anything out. The two politicians disagreements speaks of white arguments within the democratic party. London breeds. U turn in san francisco isn't an isolated case, just across the bay in oakland. The mayor has made a similar volt fast on reverse policies on defending the police. The same time out, she progressive like the district attorney, a doubling on their agenda saying crime and drugs trends are part of a wider problem, not liberal policies on the ground,

I'm stuck in. The middle of the arguments are the objects themselves and their loved ones. When did you not see korea? It was two months ago he might be a little afraid to connect with me. He knows he's been telling me he wants to try again. He hasn't seen corey since christmas, when he was admitted into hospital with hypothermia. He had been seen by a passer by and then can twenty four hours later he hadn't moved. Thankfully they called for an ambulance She comes into the city about once a month to see if she can find him. She cuts an odd figure here.

Middle class mum, walking the little stream sidewalks talking and showing pictures of him to anyone who might be able to help the tenderloin and fence enough. in anyone's love upside down. For my son today. You happen to have seen him yeah As my son, his name's corey. If you see him, can you tell him I'm looking file, then? Finally, elite especially korea at the time when's. The last time you saw him yesterday. Did you see him yesterday was here in San francisco, really an open hearing to hear the news, tell him his mom's out here. Looking for him next time, you see 'em, everything's, everything's, okay, I just really miss him. I want to see you Jackie says. of emergency has yet to have any effect that she could see.

Much has changed on the ground, she says and she blames both in this increasingly popularized debate. I think dealers keseberg eu. I think mayor london brain, I think the county supervisor and I think we all have a hand in it. Not going maybe they're all doing their own thing and not coordinating? Well enough. I don't know what it is jack. You didn't bunch defined corey this time There are so many places here faces antony hoodies people passed out, so many streets and daddy ways that it was always going to be difficult. MT the tenderloin, you see the hundreds of people on the streets and you re like her story is played out here.

over and over again for her. The best bad option would indeed be some tough love. Perhaps then he'd be able to get onto a drugs programme and perhaps get but she's realistic about her sons, illness and even though we say it. I get the feeling that she thinks he's running out of time like so many others. If he doesn't change his life around soon, it will be too late, so I would really love to see corey get well tonight. After worry every single day that it's going to be his last day. I want him to have quality of life back. I want them to be with his family, in order for that to happen, I'd be ok with him getting arrested. Do you think to be forced into some kind of addiction. Silence. Yes, absolutely believe that he would

it being forced in some way would be the best thing for him. The if we had found him today, I would have hugged him and kissed him and told him I loved him, and then I would have asked him how he is feeling and how he is doing. And then I would ask him if he was ready to try again to get well the That's all from this addition of assignments and me James Clayton, to him. Stories go to BBC wild service, dot com, slash assignment.

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