San Francisco, CA

UN Plaza in San Francisco: Is It Still the Drug Crisis Zone?

Published

10 months ago

January 27, 2024

UN Plaza in San Francisco: Is It Still the Drug Crisis Zone?

Zachariah Blade Dawson stood on a ledge with his skateboard at United Nations Plaza—the longtime epicenter of San Francisco’s drug and homelessness crises—and watched as a woman and a child made their way through the square.

“They can walk through here without a care in the world because we’re right here,” Dawson said, referring to skateboarders who have taken ownership of the public space since the city added a skate park to the plaza last fall.

“You think they would do that if it was surrounded by drug dealers?” he said as he smoked a cigarette. “You could bring your grandma down here now.”

Local officials say crime and reckless behavior have greatly diminished during the day since the park opened at U.N. Plaza. For skaters, the new park symbolizes a dramatic change in how the local government treats them. The sport was effectively banned in the plaza before.

Last week, the shoe company Adidas hosted a “skate jam” and video screening at the park with blind skateboarder Dan Mancina.

“Skateboarding was the next best crime,” said Dawson, co-owner of Low Key Skate Shop in the Tenderloin. “We self-regulate. … I guess they finally recognized that.”

From 2019 through 2023, U.N. Plaza, just two blocks from City Hall, was the location with the most drug overdose emergency calls in the city. The San Francisco Fire Department responded to 433 overdose calls at the plaza between Jan. 1, 2019, and Nov. 7, 2023, before the skate park opened. That’s according to The Standard’s data analysis of fire department calls with a high likelihood of being overdoses based on patient care reports filed by medics.

As part of a plan to “activate” the plaza, city officials launched a series of initiatives last year to make the area more inviting.

The plans were initially met with suspicion as vendors at the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market were forced to move across the street, and others questioned how around $2 million in renovations could combat the city’s drug crisis.

Since the skate park opened on Nov. 8, the fire department has responded to about two daytime overdoses—between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.—each month. That’s about half the four daytime overdose monthly average the department logged at the plaza in 2023 before the skate park arrived.

However, the number of overdoses in the plaza has remained steady. An average of 12 people have overdosed in the plaza monthly since the skate park opened, as overdoses are occurring more frequently at night.

The data provides an imperfect picture of overdose calls at U.N. Plaza because the fire department logs calls to the nearest intersection. To get a count of calls to U.N. Plaza, The Standard selected intersections that have a clear entrance into the public square. The data documents calls between Jan. 1, 2019, and Jan. 19, 2024.

During the pandemic, the city sanctioned a homeless encampment, known as a “safe sleeping site,” across the street from the plaza. That site closed in preparation for the return of the Pride Parade in 2022.

Then, for 11 months in 2022, the city operated the Tenderloin Center, a supervised drug use site, in the plaza. Staff at the facility reversed 333 overdoses, but the center closed as some alleged it attracted criminal behavior to the area.

Following the closure, the city turned its efforts toward revitalizing the plaza. In December 2022, the Department of Emergency Management constructed a mural of trees and installed speakers blasting classic rock & roll, meant to “reinforce the area as an arts & cultural district,” where the Tenderloin Center once stood.

In August, the city hosted a four-day carnival in the plaza that featured a Ferris wheel, a 100-foot super slide and spinning teacups.

In November, just before world leaders descended on the city for the APEC summit, Mayor London Breed unveiled the skate park and activity area, complete with chess tables, pingpong tables and an exercise space. The plaza’s fountain, designed to represent the continents of the earth, was also refurbished with new plants.

In a statement, Breed’s office touted the renovations as “proof of what’s possible when we work together to deliver safe, clean, and vibrant public spaces to our communities.”

But the root of the problems once seen at the plaza has not been fixed; these problems have simply been moved away during the daytime. The total number of overdose calls in the city has remained consistent, and many overdoses are still reported in the plaza at night. The city experienced a record number of overdose deaths last year, losing 806 lives, according to preliminary data from the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office.

Around 8 p.m. Thursday, a reporter for The Standard saw more than 100 people gathered at the edges of the plaza, hawking wares and using drugs as police cars sat parked nearby. Skaters rolled through the skate park in the middle of the plaza, while a new art display of LED plant fixtures glowed fluorescent colors.

“Don’t come here at night still,” Dawson, the skate shop owner, said. “Don’t be stupid.”

Starting in June, city, state and federal agencies began a collaborative effort to stamp out drug activity in the area around the plaza.

The San Francisco Police Department said in a statement that it’s focused many of its efforts on stopping drug activity in the area. However, the department said it’s still looking to further address drug activity at night but refused to give additional details.

“U.N. Plaza and the surrounding area where children and families come to enjoy our city is not an area where we will tolerate drug dealing or drug usage,” the statement read. “We are currently looking at implementing plans to address this 24-hour problem.”

Even the farmers’ market is doing better than many of the vendors initially feared, according to Steve Pulliam, director of the market. Pulliam said many of the market’s customers feel safer at its new location, even though it’s just across the street in the plaza between the Asian Art Museum and the main library.

Pulliam said 20% of vendors at the market have seen an increase in their business at the new location, while 40% reported no changes in their sales. Another 40%, many of whom are located on the far side away from the BART station, said they’ve seen a decrease in business, he said.

“It’s hard to say if customers feel safe because we moved or because of the increased security presence,” Pulliam said, referring to a seeming uptick of police officers and nonprofit ambassadors in the area. “They’re getting the support that we would have loved to have during the rough times.”

Meanwhile, at the United Nations Cafe, business is booming, according to Penglorn Sam, a longtime employee. Sam used to dread coming to work at the plaza, but now he can’t stop smiling as he sells coffee and sandwiches to skateboarders and passersby.

“Before, I wanted to leave. But now I’m happy to work,” Sam said. “I feel so much better than before.”

Sam, who’s worked the cash register at the cafe for six years, said he used to encounter people with severe mental illness daily. He recalled multiple times when the front window of the cafe was smashed and another occasion when someone crawled behind the counter and stole his tip jar.

But now, with the skate park, those types of incidents have decreased. The cafe has capitalized on the improvements, adding an outdoor patio where customers can eat.

Steven Rice, director of ambassadors for the nonprofit Code Tenderloin, told The Standard much of the drug activity has dispersed across the Tenderloin.

At night, Rice said, drug dealers are mostly operating on the corners of Turk and Hyde streets—several blocks north of U.N. Plaza—and also at Jones and Market, one block east of the plaza. However, Rice is among those who consider the plaza’s renovations a success.

“It’s been lively. They’ve got a lot of people there during the daytime,” Rice said, noting that he enjoys eating at United Nations Cafe’s new patio. “But the drug dealing has spread out in many different areas.”

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San Francisco, CA

What channel is Clemson vs San Francisco on today? Time, TV schedule

Published

2 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

What channel is Clemson vs San Francisco on today? Time, TV schedule

The Clemson Tigers suffered their first loss of the 2024-25 season the last time Brad Brownell’s team went out of state.

Despite a career-high 30 points from Chase Hunter, the Tigers fell 84-71 at Boise State in their first road trip of the season on Nov. 17. Clemson rebounded with a 79-51 win over Radford on Thursday behind Chauncey Wiggins’ game-high 16 points.

Next up for Clemson (4-1) is a quality mid-major opponent in the Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach. The Tigers face the San Francisco Dons of the West Coast Conference. The Dons went 23-11 last season and were 11-5 in conference play, receiving an NIT bid and falling to the No. 2 seed Cincinnati Bearcats in a first-round game.

San Francisco (4-1) lost its first game of the season against Penny Hardway’s Memphis Tigers Thursday. According to ESPN’s Matchup Predictor, Clemson has a 63.4 percent chance of winning.

The winner of Monday’s game will face the winner of Penn State vs. Fordham in the winner’s bracket Tuesday. The loser of Monday’s games will play in a “consolation game” Tuesday.

Here’s how to watch today’s Clemson game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information.

What channel is Clemson vs San Francisco on today? Time, TV schedule

TV Channel: CBS Sports Network

Start time: 6:30 p.m. ET

Clemson vs. San Francisco will broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network from Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.

Where to watch Clemson vs San Francisco on livestream

Streaming options for the game include FUBO and Paramount+.

For FUBO:

Watch Clemson vs San Francisco live on Fubo (free trial)

For Paramount+:

Watch Clemson vs San Francisco live on Paramount+

Clemson vs San Francisco odds and spread

ODDS: Clemson -2

O/U: 144 1/5

All College Basketball Odds via BetMGM.

Clemson schedule 2024

Nov. 4: vs Charleston Southern (W, 91-64)
Nov. 8: vs St. Francis, PA (W, 88-62)
Nov. 12: vs Eastern Kentucky (W, 75-62)
Nov. 17: at Boise State (L, 84-71)
Nov. 21: Radford (W, 79-51)
Nov. 25: vs San Francisco (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
Nov. 26 vs Penn State/Fordham (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
Nov. 29 vs Florida A&M
Record: 4-1

San Francisco schedule 2024

Nov. 5: vs Cal Poly (W, 86-78)
Nov. 9 vs Boise State (W, 84-73)
Nov. 13 vs Long Beach State (W, 84-54)
Nov. 16 vs Chicago State (W, 82-37)
Nov. 21 at Memphis (L, 68-64)
Nov. 25: vs Clemson (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
Record: 4-1

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San Francisco, CA

3 quick takeaways from the 49ers 38-10 loss to the Packers: Time to wrap up the season?

Published

10 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

3 quick takeaways from the 49ers 38-10 loss to the Packers: Time to wrap up the season?

The writing seemed to be on the wall heading into the weekend for the San Francisco 49ers when Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, and Charvarius Ward were ruled out due to injury. Then, Trent Williams was deemed inactive after a pregame warmup.

Well, Sunday went exactly how many expected and even worse to a degree, as the 49ers suffered their ugliest loss of the season in a 38-10 defeat to the Green Bay Packers, dropping to 5-6 on the season.

Offensively, the 49ers couldn’t establish any form of a run game, while their passing game struggled to generate many explosives and finish drives.

Defensively, San Francisco was out-physicaled and looked gassed from the jump, struggling to contain the run without Bosa, leading to the blowout defeat.

Here are three quick takeaways from the 49ers 38-10 loss to the Packers on Sunday.

Establishing the run game

Coming into the game, with a key injury at quarterback and at left tackle, it was clear the 49ers weren’t going to muster enough offense without a consistent run game.

San Francisco had struggled to establish the run with Christian McCaffrey over the last two games, as the star rushed for just 3.7 yards per carry since returning from injury.

That didn’t improve on Sunday, as McCaffrey had just 31 yards on 11 carries, failing to muster any type of success on the day. In our three keys to win, I highlighted the need to give Jordan Mason more carries during a game where the 49ers absolutely needed an identity on the ground.

Mason got a 16-yard carry on his first touch on the first drive of the second half, but didn’t see much volume outside of that, with San Francisco relying more on their passing game after falling into a deficit early.

The 49ers just looked flat, so an extra boost of physicality from Mason could’ve helped. Instead, they rode McCaffrey hard again, who struggled on the ground, while fumbling the ball on his longest catch of the day.

Defensively, San Francisco allowed Green Bay to run the ball 42 times, gaining 169 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Starter Josh Jacobs led the way with 106 yards and all three scores, powering through inside the red zone for a number of touchdowns.

The passing game was inconsistent for Green Bay, as Jordan Love completed just 13/23 passes for 163 yards. But, a strong rushing attack led the way en route to 38 points.

Big swing

One of the 49ers’ biggest chances in this game came to open up the second half. San Francisco had an abominable start, going three-and-out on consecutive possessions, while giving up scores on all three of Green Bay’s opening drives.

Down 17-7, the 49ers had a big chance to cut the game to a one-score lead, but opportunities were missed, as has been the case for much of the year.

Facing a 1st & 10 at the Green Bay 47-yard line, Brandon Allen had a deep ball to Jauan Jennings behind him, missing the open wideout who could’ve corraled the pass but wasn’t able to. Then, on 4th & 2, Allen had happy feet and was late dishing out an out-route, killing the drive.

After having a chance to pull within one score, the 49ers missed out, giving Green Bay a chance to improve their lead. But, the defense forced a quick three-and-out, giving San Francisco a chance to get within one score once again.

Well, as they did on the opening drive, San Francisco moved the ball, getting from their 10-yard line to the Green Bay 45-yard line. But, disaster struck again, as Brandon Allen had a pass intercepted off a dart to Deebo Samuel, which went through his hands and into those of Xavier McKinney.

Green Bay wouldn’t let that opportunity pass, as they swiftly put together a three-play, 26-yard touchdown drive to go up 24-7, never looking back from there.

In a game where so much was already going against them, the 49ers had a big chance to begin the second half. But, as they’ve done for much of the season, San Francisco was unable to capitalize.

Outlook of the stars

Coming into the season, it seemed like the 49ers were going to rely on their stars more than expected with the roster getting older and younger talent slowly getting integrated into the roster.

Well, 11 games through, San Francisco is 5-6 and their stars are a big reason for that.

Offensively, it starts at the top with Brock Purdy. The quarterback has been a positive for the season as he has utilized his legs more often, while overcoming other deficiencies. But, the question is: has he looked like a $60 million dollar quarterback?

Running back Christian McCaffrey missed the entire first half of the year as he rehabbed Achilles tendonitis, leaving San Francisco in a hole with arguably their best skill position player shelved. Brandon Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL early in the season, forcing rookies into action sooner rather than later at the receiver position. Then, Trent Williams started dealing with ankle issues, limiting his play and forcing him to miss a game.

Defensively, Nick Bosa has recently dealt with an oblique and hip issue, missing this past week. Javon Hargrave was ruled out early in the season with a triceps injury. Charvarius Ward has missed time. Fred Warner has not looked the same as his Defensive Player of the Year-level start. Talanoa Hufanga has also been out of the lineup for much of the year.

That has led to a talent depreciation on both sides of the ball, with certain players feeling like they’ve regressed, while the passion and fight in this team feel different than years past.

With the top players looking as they have over the first 11 games of the year, it’s questionable to see how this team can truly turn things around.

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San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Giants Trade Idea Swaps Slugger For High-Risk, High-Reward Ace

Published

18 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

San Francisco Giants Trade Idea Swaps Slugger For High-Risk, High-Reward Ace

The San Francisco Giants need more pitching and seem to want to trade one of their sluggers — and they may be able to accomplish two tasks with one move.

With Buster Posey seemingly wanting to move on from LaMonte Wade Jr. while he still holds a bit of trade value, he will need to consider what they to get back in return.

One team that could be desperate to bring Wade in is the Houston Astros, long plagued by poor play at the plate from their first basemen. While most of their pitchers were injured last season, they do have a slight surplus of starting caliber players on their roster. They might just be the perfect trade partner.

A potential deal between the two squads could see the Giants ship Wade off to the Astros in exchange for right-handed starter J.P. France and pitching prospect Jackson Nezuh.

France is an interesting case, and would certainly be a risk, but does have the potential to be an impactful arm in the backend for the rotation.

He is a long way from someone that could replace Blake Snell, but could be an interesting innings eating starter or long-reliever depending on how he comes back from injury.

That is something that San Francisco wished they had last year during their flurry of pitching injuries.

The Houston righty struggled last year, but it was just a small sample size of five starts. The Giants would need him to find a way back to his surprisingly solid rookie campaign.

In 2023, he made 24 appearances (23 starts) and finished with a 3.83 ERA across 136.1 innings pitched.

France has a great breaking balls that helped him soar in the minor leagues. HIs changeup is especially effective.

Given that he is coming off of a shoulder injury, though, the Astros could need to add a mid-tier prospect as a bit of insurance.

Nezuh was a 14th-round selection in the 2023 MLB draft out of the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns.

He has always been more of potential guy than actual results, but he had a great first year in the Houston farm system. He had a 3.89 ERA with 11.3 K/9 across Single and High-A.

Wade was red-hot to start last season, but fell off hard. As he enters the final year of his career, Posey could be looking to maximize his trade value and help the roster out in a bigger spot of need.

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