San Francisco officials shut down drug, gambling dens in Tenderloin

San Francisco officials announced last Thursday that the city had uncovered several hidden drug and gambling dens disguised as convenience stores; all were located downtown in a notorious neighborhood long associated with illegal activity and homelessness.

At least nine such shelters have been closed or sued in the Tenderloin in the past 18 months, City Attorney David Chiu said.

He added that the stores engaged in a number of illegal activities, including gambling operations, illegal drug sales, possession of firearms, dealing in stolen goods and violating the city’s night security ordinance, which prohibits stores from operating late at night to deter criminal activity.

“These convenience stores were a magnet for drug activity, and in some cases, the stores themselves sold illegal drugs,” said City Attorney Chiu.

BLUE CITIES BEGAN DISTRIBUTING DRUG SUPPLIES TO ADDICTS AFTER PROGRESSIVE POLICIES FAILED TO PREVENT THE EPIDEMIC

According to the announcement, illegal gambling operations were allegedly conducted in the stores and the police seized a large number of slot machines up to 11 from a single location, as well as money counting machines. Law enforcement reportedly seized a significant amount of cash, including more than $17,000 from one store.

During a search, officers found methamphetamine hidden under a display shelf. Other seizures turned up marijuana, e-cigarette cartridges and hundreds of glass pipes and Brillo pads commonly used for smoking methamphetamine and cocaine, Chiu said.

Significant weapons were also located at the facility, including a firearm with a loaded magazine, a high-capacity Glock magazine, two additional pistol magazines and other ammunition.

WHEN TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD MADE THREATS, DEM GOVERNORS SUDDENLY ADVERTISED A SOLUTION TO THE CRIME

Homeless people gather at Willow St. in the Tenderloin district of downtown on Thursday, February 24, 2022 in San Francisco, CA. He consumes illegal drugs in a camp throughout. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Authorities said the markets were used to protect stolen goods. Officers reportedly seized items bearing the original price tags from major retailers such as Walgreens, Sephora, CVS and Target. Specific contraband includes out-of-state cigarettes and 17 stolen iPhones offered for sale.

Chiu touted the Night Security Regulation, a legal measure adopted in 2024 as a two-year pilot program aimed at curbing illegal activities. He said he is now trying to expand curfews to further combat crime in San Francisco’s South of Market district, a densely populated area known for its nightlife, tech offices and history of crime and homelessness.

People walk to work and hang out at the intersection of Leavenworth and Golden Gate Streets in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, California, on Wednesday, January 26, 2022. (Washington Post via Melina Mara/Getty Images)

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“Most businesses contribute positively to our neighborhoods, but the handful of retail businesses that remain open late into the night, such as the one we closed, attract serious criminal activity,” he said. “The night safety ordinance helped put these stores on our radar and gave us additional tools to close problem businesses.”

Supervisor Matt Dorsey said he hopes the neighborhoods will eventually become “a less welcoming environment for all drug-related lawlessness, including public drug use, drug dealing and illegal fence operations that fuel widespread drug use.”