BIG STING TARGETS DRUG ZONE IN CITY

More Than 300 Arrests In Crackdown To Roust Pushers In "Out Of Control' 6th
And Market Area

Operation Tbone has taken a bite out of crime in an area that many
consider long ignored.

A monthlong police sting targeting drug dealers around Market and Sixth
streets has produced more than 300 felony and misdemeanor arrests in a
section of San Francisco second only to the Tenderloin in drug sales.

"The drug problem is more manageable now," said Sgt. Ed Santos, a leader of
the sting. "It was out of control before that. We were getting huge pockets
of drug dealers in certain areas."

The operation began in late November. A team of eight to 12 undercover
officers watched the streets closely to pick out the drug dealers, then
began making controlled buys that led to the arrests, said Southern Station
Capt. Dennis Martel. In the first phase of the operation, 165 people were
arrested, 95 of them for felony narcotics offenses and the rest for
misdemeanor offenses.

A second wave of the operation brought in uniformed police officers to cite
or arrest people for public nuisances that can drive a neighborhood down,
such as urinating on sidewalks and selling merchandise off street corners
without permits. That phase of the operation ended last week with about 150
arrests, 30 of them felonies.

In all, police confiscated more than $4,500 in cash, 2 ounces of crack
cocaine valued at $5,000, a half pound of marijuana and small amounts of
heroin and methamphetamine. Many of those caught dealing drugs were from
out of town, Martel said.

Police are the first to admit that the problem is far from eradicated in
the area, which stretches down Sixth Street from Market to Howard streets
and on Market Street from Fifth to Seventh streets. But, they say, their
steppedup enforcement efforts are sending a clear message that the pinch
is on.

Urban Wasteland

A walk through the depressed streets is highlighted by the typical problems
of a blighted inner city. Trash is scattered about on streets stained with
urine. Homeless men and women sit in doorways drinking out of paper bags,
while around them people huddle briefly before exchanging money and drugs.

The neighborhood can be downright intimidating, local business owners say,
and the presence of the drug dealers and the homeless has driven away
customers. The beleaguered shop owners, many of whom have been asking the
Police Department for help for years, say they are grateful for the latest
crackdown.

"I think it's wonderful myself," said Charles Kilbourn, manager of Golden
Gate books at Mission and Sixth streets. "It's about time they started
doing something in this area."

A woman who identified herself only as Rose said she has been forced to
live in the Sunnyside residential hotel on Sixth Street for the past four
months because of financial reasons. If she could move, she would do so in
a second.

"This neighborhood is so bad and so scary," Rose said. "Every time I go
outside, I'm afraid of what might happen. The drug dealers are everywhere."

Rose said she has noticed more police officers in the neighborhood
recently, but problems still exist.

"Some of these people might get arrested and be gone for a couple of days,
but they always come back," Rose said. "I see the same pushers all the time."

One reason, said police Capt. Martel, is that the justice system is
overloaded and has to let many nonviolent offenders out of custody after
they've been arrested.

"There are more cases than the system can deal with. Some of the guys we
arrested had two or more arrests pending. What else can you do?" he said.

DA's Office Cooperated

District attorney spokesman John Shanley said that on this sting, the
office's narcotics investigator worked closely with police to ensure that
many of those arrested could be prosecuted.

"This was a coordinated effort and the police were able to give us what we
needed to pursue the cases," Shanley said. "We're confident we'll be able
to prosecute them."

Martel said he hopes the sting succeeded in getting some of the drug
dealers off the streets or out of town for quite a while. To ensure that
the drop in drug dealing lasts, the steppedup police presence will remain.

"We know realistically that it's only a matter of time before they come
back," Martel said. "But we're not going to let this situation get out of
control again."

©1997 San Francisco Examiner