'Zombie Park' in SF goes from beloved spot for dog walkers during day to drug market at night

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — An open-air drug market has started to take over a San Francisco park at night — sparking concerns among neighbors.

“It’s pretty; it’s esthetically pleasing if it was cleaned up,” said one neighbor.

During the day, Jefferson Square Park in San Francisco is a beloved spot for dog walkers. But at night, things take a turn for the worse. Cellphone video shows the park overrun by an open-air drug market.

“Well, they call it ‘”‘Zombie Park,’ some people call it the new UN Plaza,” said Sebastian who lives near Jefferson Square Park.

Sebastian has lived nearby for nearly 30 years. He wants to remain anonymous for his safety but feels compelled to speak out about how frightening the park has become in the last couple of months.

“It is very scary because you know there are two schools around here,” he said. “Also we have elderly and people who live in the neighborhood they are afraid to walk with the drug dealers and users all over the place.”

This park is located on Gough Street about a half mile away from City Hall and next to Sacred Heart Cathedral. The school has put up ‘No Trespassing’ signs by its field.

“The park is a mess now,” Sebastian said. “All the neighbors have been complaining.”

Supervisor Balil Mahmood has heard these complaints — from people saying the drug dealing has moved to the park from his district in the Tenderloin.

“SoMa and the TL are looking really good compared to a couple of months ago, but things are getting worse in other neighborhoods,” Mahmood said.

Mahmood decided to see it for himself — walking the park with staff from the Drug Market Agency Coordination Center (DMACC), a task force with several different agencies.

“We didn’t see any arrests that day because sometimes a lot of these things can be solved without an arrest and that’s something that DMACC knows,” Mahmood said. “I saw first hand to people suffering on our streets.”

But Sebastian says when the park does get cleared out, all the people just move down to Van Ness and Eddy streets.

Supervisor Mahmood will be introducing legislation to provide more funding for DMACC’s task force so they can boost staffing to seven days a week. He will present this to supervisors at the next board meeting at City Hall.

This has Sebastian and other neighbors feeling hopeful about the streets and parks becoming safer and cleaner.