Has San Francisco made West SoMa into a crime containment zone?

"Molina's job is to keep sidewalks clear of people sitting or lying down on the pavement. If he sees people using drugs in the open, he tells them to move along."

"Molina was homeless, incarcerated, and then went back to living on the streets, with few options for work or shelter. That history helps him to relate to people in crisis."

"West SoMa locals say the private patrols capture a broader truth about the neighborhood. Over a dozen residents and business owners told Mission Local that the area has come to feel like a 'containment zone'."

"The area seems increasingly abandoned by city officials, they say. It is left to deal with drug use, as well as other street problems."

Isaac Molina works as an outreach worker in SoMa, facing potential violence without police authority. He aims to keep sidewalks clear and address open drug use, drawing on his own experiences of homelessness and incarceration. His role is part of a private initiative funded by local property owners to enhance street-level security in an area perceived as neglected by city officials. Residents describe the neighborhood as a 'containment zone' for severe street issues, highlighting the absence of law enforcement.

Read at Mission Local