SF DA Jenkins' crime crackdown brings hope to Tenderloin business owners

SAN FRANCISCO — Business owners in the San Francisco Tenderloin neighborhood said they have seen a drop in crime recently. And they're thanking District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.

business owners like Jesus Kauil say they have seen it all: from people shooting needles in the bathroom to drug dealers running inside his business, trying to escape from the police.

"They would come in here looking to hide so that they wouldn't get arrested, and there's no way to tell them, don't come in. So they would come in here waiting for things to calm down, and then they would go back out," said Kauil, the owner of Los Yucatecos, a restaurant he opened three years ago on Ellis Street.

But he said, luckily, he hasn't witnessed this in quite some time, at least over the last year.

"So I don't see those people anymore, and that's why I can notice and say, something is changing," Kauil added.

He's just one of many business owners and residents who are paying close attention to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' actions.

On Wednesday, Jenkins released new data regarding her office's efforts to combat drug trafficking in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods.

"We have seen an overwhelming decrease in the amount of drug dealing going on in the Tenderloin. We still have a long way to go to get the Tenderloin to where we wanted to be. We still have trouble spots, but we have seen a massive change in the amount of activity during the day that's going on," said Jenkins.

Jenkins notes that these efforts have led to an increase in convictions. So far in 2024, there have been 128 felony narcotics convictions, with 92% of these being felony offenses compared to just 20% when Jenkins first took office in 2022.

"We are here to do a job, and that's to make sure that our streets are safe and clean, and I want them to fear consequences. We have to have a healthy fear of consequences in San Francisco to get our streets to where we want them to be, and that's another part of the commitment. No more we're giving misdemeanors. We believe in true accountability," Jenkins emphasized.

This is exactly what Kauil wants to keep seeing. He said the complicated quality of life in the Tenderloin means fewer customers. These days, he can barely get 120 people, while back in the day, he said he would get at least 400 daily.

"We like it here. We have great support. We have customers, but sometimes there's a little fear, especially at night," Kauil explained.

Despite the challenges, Kauil is hopeful. He's not going anywhere and believes things will keep getting better because, ultimately, this is his home.