On the heels of the deadliest year yet, amid the drug overdose crisis, a San Francisco supervisor is calling for more data about where people who are using and dying from illicit street drugs are coming from.
“We know anecdotally, that there are people who come here from out of town. And often, over the years, I’ve seen it play out that there are debates on whether San Francisco is a city for drug tourism,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey.
The supervisor sent a letter Thursday to the city’s controller office, requesting it compile home address histories of people arrested for drug use and those who have died of an overdose.
“I wanted to work with the controller to develop a methodology. These numbers are not unknowable, and I think SF should have the ability to get its arms around what the numbers really are,” Dorsey said.
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And, once a methodology is established, the supervisor would like to see an annual report. This would also include data on where people who are receiving general assistance benefits from the city are from.