San Francisco's 311 app now has a "public drug activity" category. The city administrator's office, which runs 311, says the reports will help SFPD plan future enforcement and inform citywide efforts.
What changed
- Before: drug-use reports filed through the app were closed without action, apart from telling the person to call police, even as officials urged residents to report drug use to 311, The Standard reports. That caused confusion.
- Now: reports are logged by location and frequency and shared with SFPD, which can use them to decide where to boost enforcement.
- Not changed: a 311 report doesn't send an officer. If you want a police response, including a wellness check, you still need to call SFPD.
Why
District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood had pushed for the fix and said the automatic cancellations were a common complaint from his constituents. "These updates to 311 help get the right services to the right people at the right time," he posted on X.
Patrick McCabe, who built the third-party AI-powered 311 app Solve SF, backed the change and told The Standard that 311 is easier to use than calling police.
How to report: call 311 to talk to a live person, or use the 311 mobile app or website. The service is available 24/7.