EXCLUSIVE: 'Video vigilantes' documenting San Francisco drug use hope for stronger city response

Monday, October 1, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- We showed you one man with an iPhone and a Twitter account, documenting the drug issues in San Francisco's South of Market. Turns out, he's not alone.

All lament how they hope for a stronger response from City Hall. Slowly, with a barrage of messages, they may be breaking through the din.
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An apparently drug-crazed man screams, lurches, and falls over. Business as usual, if you can call it that, at 7th and Mission, south of Market in San Francisco.

RELATED: SF man documents shocking drug 'madness' for months, looks for help on social media

"Human decay is what I call it," said Adam Mesnick as he watched from across the street.

On Twitter, he goes as @bettersoma -- another video vigilante trying to draw attention to a problem he and neighbors describe as out of control.



"They terrorize the whole neighborhood," said Cynthia Rogers, who lives nearby.

They're soldiers in what has become a Twitter assault, tagging San Francisco politicians who have begun to respond. Last weekend, San Francisco Mayor London Breed caught one of the tweets and had a mess at a bus stop cleaned up within two hours.

RELATED: 'Zombie-like' people seen doing drugs at BART station

"Yeah, and I think sadly we have a lot of challenges that have existed for so many years," said the mayor.
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Had Mayor Breed looked at the feeds Monday morning, she might have what appeared to be junkies passing needles to each otther and sharpening a weapon.



Another video vigilante, @CleanUpWestSoma, captured that one. "We have feces and urine and people shooting up and people with machetes and kids riding bikes."

"Is the city paying attention?"

RELATED: SF's new 'poop patrol' will try to find waste before you do

"I don't think so," said @CleanUpWestSoma.

"An eleven billion dollar budget and they can't keep a street clean?"
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Desperate times. No end in sight. And citizens who feel that they're working harder to clean up their neighborhoods than the people they elected.



"Live-ability. Live-ability. That is what we want," said Mesnick.



"Is it moving in the right direction?"

"Wrong direction."

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