Police storm San Francisco's Jefferson Square Park - dubbed "Zombie Park" - in large-scale drug bust
Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies descended Wednesday evening on San Francisco's Jefferson Square Park, where rampant drug use earned it the name "Zombie Park," arresting dozens of people.
Units from the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco Sheriff's Office, and other agencies swooped onto the park a few blocks west of City Hall, clearing out the public space that has recently become a haven for drug dealing and open-air drug use.
Police said 84 people were arrested on various charges and that the operation was a product of a new effort to stomp out illegal activity that seems to move from block to block.
NIGHT OPERATION LEADS TO NEARLY 90 ARRESTS: An enforcement operation last night at Jefferson Square Park resulted in the seizure of over 1.21 lbs of narcotics and the arrest of nearly 90 suspects.
The operation involved coordinated efforts with multiple City agencies and other… pic.twitter.com/VeL3Hvm2dD
— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) February 27, 2025
"There's been this trend that we see where we go to an area, we clean it up, we stabilize it, and then a lot of the people that have been causing problems and havoc - particularly as it relates to the drug market - go into another neighborhood," said San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott on Thursday. "That day is over ... stop this whack-a-mole thing that we're seeing when drug dealers - and users - go from one community to the next when they get pressured. This pressure will not stop."
Police had recently cleared drug users and unhoused people from nearby Willow Street about two blocks away, and many ended up instead at Jefferson Park, according to published reports.
Scott added that some of the 84 people arrested Wednesday night may be released, while others remain in custody. He said the bottom line is the city will take action, a stance the city's new mayor repeated on Thursday.
"This is a message that I want everyone in the city to hear," said Mayor Daniel Lurie. "If you are selling drugs in this city, we are coming after you."
Lurie was speaking Thursday at a press conference to announce that the weekend of Feb. 14-16, which included the NBA All-Star Game activities and the Chinese New Year Parade, was the safest since 2017, citing police department statistics.
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