A new ‘linkage center’ aimed at connecting homeless street addicts with drug rehab facilities opened in San Francisco last week – but distressing images show an open air illicit drug consumption site that is now littered with needles and crowded with addicts shooting up in broad daylight. 

DailyMail.com photographs show a woman seated in a chair, with her pants pulled down to her ankles. A needle is attached to the neck of the woman who sits next to her.  

Others sit on the ground, among garbage, empty food containers, and filthy blankets as they struggle to find drug paraphernalia for the frigid weather. 

The center, which opened on January 18, is part of the San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s Tenderloin Emergency Intervention plan introduced last year. The linkage center is located at 1172 Market Street, in the United Nations Plaza. Just blocks from San Francisco City Hall, the Civic Center and its courthouse is the supervised drug consumption zone. It’s an outdoor section with a fenced fence that can be used for recreational purposes. The area is shown in aerial footage as homeless tents are seen. 

In December, Breed declared a state of emergency in Tenderloin and announced a sweeping crackdown on open air drug use and drug dealing in the downtown neighborhood – one of the city’s poorest and most drug-infested areas.

Tenderloin is a long-standing epicenter for homelessness and drug abuse. However, city officials claim that the situation has worsened since the rise in the opioid epidemic. 

Announcing a crime crackdown, Breed argued that San Francisco officers should get aggressive and ‘less tolerant of all the bulls*** that has destroyed our city’, as she went back on her plans to defund the police.

“It is high time that criminals are taking over our city. It’s now, she stated. It will end when we are more aggressive in law enforcement and more assertive with our policy changes.

DailyMail.com photos from this week prove that these streets aren’t being cleaned up and the neighborhood is far from safe.

A woman is slumped over in a wheelchair, preparing to inject a needle into her thigh, at a new 'linkage center' that opened in San Francisco last week, aimed at connecting homeless street addicts with drug rehab facilities

An elderly woman lies in a wheelchair and is preparing for a procedure to infuse a needle into her right thigh at the new linkage center that was opened last week in San Francisco. It is designed to connect homeless street-addicts with rehabilitation facilities.

A group of women sit on the ground at a new linkage center in San Francisco where hundreds of people were seen using and dealing drugs, including the woman pictured seen with a needle to her neck

At a San Francisco new linkage centre, a group of women are seen seated on the ground. There were hundreds of drug dealers and users in the area. The woman with the needle is pictured below.

The center, which opened January 18, is aimed at helping connect people to services, but distressing images depict an illicit drug consumption site that is now littered with needles and and crowded with addicts shooting up in broad daylight

Although the center opened on January 18th, it is intended to help people connect with services. However, distressing photos depict a drug-use site littered in needles as well as addicts shooting up in broad daylight.

Drone images show the site with dozens of people openly dealing, smoking and injecting drugs on the plaza. A San Francisco police cruiser rolled past but did nothing

Images from a drone show the spot with numerous people dealing, smoking, and injecting drugs. San Francisco’s police cruiser passed the scene but did nothing

The linkage center is located at 1172 Market Street, in the United Nations Plaza, the city's largest open air drug market. The supervised drug consumption area is an outdoor fenced section of the linkage center, where many people were seen fumbling with drug paraphernalia

At 1172 Market Street is the linkage center, which can be found in the United Nations Plaza. It’s the city’s biggest open-air drug marketplace. This is the supervised drug consumption section, which can be found outdoors and fenced in. Here many were seen using drug paraphernalia.

The center is equipped to serve up to 100 people at a time who are suffering from drug use and mental health issues, connecting with long-term and short-term services like health care and housing

It can serve as a resource center for people with mental and drug problems and up to 100 at once.

The center, which opened on January 18, is part of the San Francisco Mayor London Breed's Tenderloin Emergency Intervention plan for a sweeping crackdown on open air drug use and drug dealing in the downtown Tenderloin neighborhood

It was inaugurated on January 18. The center is part the San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s Tenderloin Emergency Intervention program for a broad crackdown on drug trafficking and open drug use in the Tenderloin area.

The plan came in the midst of a local, state, and national debate over whether the city should open a 'supervised drug consumption' site as a tactic for reducing drug overdose deaths

This plan was made in the middle of national, state and local debates about whether or not the city should create a “supervised drug consumption” site to reduce drug overdose deaths.

A high percentage of an estimated 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco - many of whom pitch tents in the Tenderloin - are struggling with chronic addiction or severe mental illness, often both

An estimated 8,000 San Francisco homeless persons – who pitch tents in Tenderloin — are suffering from severe addiction or mental illness.

The center is equipped to serve up to 100 people at a time who are suffering from drug use and mental health issues, connecting with long-term and short-term services like health care and housing

It can serve as a resource center for people with mental and drug problems and up to 100 at once.

Mayor Breed and members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors have advocated a supervised drug consumption site, and purchased two properties in the Tenderloin to serve people suffering from addiction

Mayor Breed and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors advocated for a controlled drug consumption site. They also purchased properties in Tenderloin, to help people with addiction.

The linkage center (in blue)  is located at 1172 Market Street, in the United Nations Plaza in Ssan Francisco's Tenderloin district. The supervised drug consumption area is an outdoor fenced section of the linkage center. Photos taken by DailyMail.com show people on the streets in the Tenderloin district (marked in red) also taking drugs. This is happening just blocks away from San Francisco City Hall and the iconic Pioneer Monument

The linkage center (in blue)  is located at 1172 Market Street, in the United Nations Plaza in Ssan Francisco’s Tenderloin district. A section of the linkage centre that is supervised for drug use can be found in an enclosed outdoor area. DailyMail.com photographs show that drug users are also seen in Tenderloin. These people are just blocks from San Francisco City Hall.

Breed spoke at a press conference about the situation and said the streets were in ‘crisis’ because of more drug overdoses and criminal activity. 

She stated that Friday’s crisis was causing her to say, “We need to act accordingly.” Too many people are suffering in this city. There are too many homeless people. We must go to their place.   

Breed stated that it is urgent for drug intervention because approximately two people per day die from overdoses of fentanyl in the Tenderloin or the South of Market area.

She stated that the work she had done after the assessment allowed her to use the emergency declaration to quickly and effectively change conditions, specifically in the Tenderloin area. 

“This is essential in order to make a difference.” 

The move came after Breed performed a dramatic U-turn on the ‘defund the police’ strategy as she called for ‘more aggressive policing’ to replace ‘bulls**t progressive policies’ and said she would ask for more money to be given to the police to stamp out drug dealing, car break-ins and theft. 

On January 18, the day the site opened, Mayor Breed issued a list on her web site of the services available at the linkage center; they did not include a supervised consumption site

Mayor Breed published a listing on her website of all the services at the linkage centre. It did not contain a site for supervised consumption.

The illegal supervised drug consumption site at the linkage center, where a half-dozen people were witnesses smoking fentanyl in an outdoor area on the site, and two people passed out at a table

A linkage centre illegal supervised drug intake site. Half-dozen witnesses were seen smoking fentanyl outdoors. Two people also passed out at a table.

A man sits on the ground next to a fence that surrounds the linkage site in San Francisco where witnesses have seen hundreds of people dealing and using drugs

The linkage site is located in San Francisco. A man lies on the ground beside a fence.

Drone images show people using drugs within the fence of San Francisco's new Linkage Center, which is an essential component of San Francisco's Tenderloin Emergency Initiative aimed to link addicts to services

Drone photos show drug users within San Francisco’s Linkage Center fence. This is an important component of San Francisco’s Tenderloin Emergency Initiative, which aims to connect addicts with services.

Trash litters the area at the linkage site which opened on January 18, is part of the San Francisco Mayor London Breed's Tenderloin Emergency Intervention plan introduced last year

Trash litters the area at the linkage site which opened on January 18, is part of the San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s Tenderloin Emergency Intervention plan introduced last year

People at the linkage center cling to one another in drone images captured just after the center opened in January

The linkage center’s people cling together in these drone pictures taken shortly after it opened in January 

Mayor Breed said that the city was in 'crisis' and that the streets were 'nasty' as more crime and drug overdoses littered the streets. Pictured are people sprawled out at the new linkage site where many have been witnesses dealing and using drugs

Mayor Breed claimed that the city was currently in a ‘crisis’. He also stated that it was unsafe for pedestrians as there were more drugs overdoses and criminal activity. The new linkage location is pictured with people sprawled across the streets, many of whom have witnessed drug deals and used drugs.

Despite Breed's promise to crack down on rampant crime and homelessness, people are still living on the streets in the Tenderloin neighborhood

Breed promised to end homelessness and rampant crime, but people continue to live on the streets of the Tenderloin area.

The emergency declaration paved the way for the city to cut through red tape that delays the public response to deteriorating conditions in the Tenderloin and quickly provide shelter, counseling and medical care to people suffering from addiction, Breed and city officials said.

They also stated that there will be more coordination in enforcement of illegal activity, as well as street clean-ups and infrastructure improvements, to improve the safety of the neighbourhood.

She announced shortly thereafter the establishment of the linkage center. This is an initiative to help homeless street addicts find drug rehabilitation facilities.  

This center can connect with both long-term or short-term services such as housing and health care for up to 100 individuals who have suffered from substance abuse and mental disorders.  

Mayor Breed, along with members of San Francisco Board of Supervisors, have advocated the establishment of a site for controlled drug consumption. Two properties were purchased in Tenderloin by the Board of Supervisors to help people who are addicted.

In a press release, Mayor Breed stated that ‘our work in the Tenderloin demands all of our city departments and community partners to collaborate to address the major problems we know exist.’ The Linkage Center is part of this work. It will allow people with substance abuse and other problems to receive immediate help, then move into long-term care and housing. This is hard work. Thank you to everyone for your partnership in helping me make a difference.

However, the city did not approve the construction of the linkedage center’s supervised consumption location. The site also violates both state and federal laws.

Michael Shellenberger first wrote about the blatant drug abuse at the site. He claimed that two journalists had seen a deal and half-a dozen people using fentanyl outdoors.

A city contractor employee at the linkage centre told the workers that two individuals had died from overdose and needed to be revived in the first week after the center opened. 

A high percentage of an estimated 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco - many of whom pitch tents in the Tenderloin - are struggling with chronic addiction or severe mental illness, often both.

The estimated 8,000 homeless San Francisco residents – who often pitch tents at the Tenderloin– have a high rate of chronic addiction and severe mental illnesses.

In addition to connecting people with services, the center will also help people living on the streets with access to basic things like food, water, bathrooms, showers and laundry

The center connects people to services and also provides basic necessities such as water, toilets, showers, food, etc. to people who live on the streets.

Many people at the site were seen buying and selling drugs at the site after Mayor Breed announced a crime crackdown, arguing that San Francisco officers should get aggressive and 'less tolerant of all the bulls*** that has destroyed our city', as she went back on her plans to defund the police.

Many people at the site were seen buying and selling drugs at the site after Mayor Breed announced a crime crackdown, arguing that San Francisco officers should get aggressive and ‘less tolerant of all the bulls*** that has destroyed our city’, as she went back on her plans to defund the police.

An employee of a city contractor at the linkage center told Daily Mail that two people had overdosed and been revived within the first week that the the site was open

Daily Mail received a report from an employee of the city contractor who said that two persons had taken overdosed, and that they were revived as soon as the site opened.

Signs posted to cars near the linkage site announce 'nothing to steal' as crime continues to rise in one of the city's poorest and most drug-infested neighborhood

As crime in this poorest, most drug-infested area continues to increase, signs are posted near the linkage site announcing that there is nothing to steal.

Some people rant in the streets, nude and in need of medical help. Last year, 712 people died of drug overdoses, compared with 257 people who died of COVID-19

People rant on the streets and need medical attention. 712 people overdosed on drugs last year, as opposed to 257 who were poisoned by COVID-19.

Drone images show dozens of people sprawled out at the linkage site, many in wheelchairs and on crutches

Drone photos show many people sprawled out at linkage site in wheelchairs or on crutches.

When confronted with evidence that the linkage center housed a drug consumption site, spokespersons for Urban Alchemy and for Mayor London Breed declined to comment

When presented with evidence that linkedage center was home to drug consumption sites, Urban Alchemy and Mayor London Breed spokespersons declined comment

An employee of a city contractor at the linkage center told DailyMail.com that two people had overdosed and had to be revived within the first week of the site opening

DailyMail.com received a report from an employee of a linkage center city contractor stating that two persons had overdosed. They had to be revived by the end of the first week. 

People at the site are seen using and selling drugs, slumped over, and sitting among trash that litters the area

There are many sightings of people at this site using and selling drugs. They also sit in the middle of trash and litter.

Witnesses reported seeing people take their clothes off, rant in the streets and even saw two people overdosed. Last year, 712 people died of drug overdoses, compared with 257 people who died of COVID-19

Witnesses claimed that they saw people ranting in the streets, taking off their clothes and overdosing. Last year 712 people overdosed on drugs, while 257 died from COVID-19.

When presented with evidence that the linkage facility was home to drug-consumption sites, Urban Alchemy representatives and Mayor London Breed declined comment.   

The area was filled with hundreds of drug-dealing, smoking, and injections when the undercover reporters visited it just days before the opening. San Francisco’s police cruiser passed by but did not do anything. 

Mayor Breed, who has been working for this goal since years, introduced legislation last November to permit safe drug consumption in San Francisco.

Scott Weiner, the State Supervisor introduced a bill to allow such locations for San Francisco (Oakland) and Los Angeles in the state legislature.

New York City established recently two safe drinking areas in East Harlem (Washington Heights) Federal law makes these sites illegal, however the Biden administration has not taken any action.

Mayor Breed posted a list of all services offered at the linkage centers on her website, 18 January. This was not the date the site had opened. 

Signs point to the entrance of the linkage center in the Tenderloin area

The entrance of the Tenderloin Linkage Center is evident from signs

The center operates seven seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., with limited staff due to the impact of COVID-19. However, the center will expand to operate 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and have the capacity to serve 100 people at a time

Due to COVID-19, the center is open seven days per week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The center is expanding to be open 24 hours per day, 7 days a semaine and can serve up to 100 people.

In addition to connecting people with services, the center will also help people living on the streets with access to basic things like food, water, bathrooms, showers and laundry, according to the release

According to the release, in addition to helping people connect with services, this center will help those living on the streets to access basic necessities like water, food, and showers.

Mayor London Breed launched an emergency police intervention in December aimed at curbing open drug use, brazen home break-ins and other criminal behaviors taking place in San Francisco's crime-ridden Tenderloin neighborhood

Mayor London Breed initiated an emergency police intervention to curb open drug use and brazen home burglaries in December. This was in response to other crimes taking place in San Francisco’s Tenderloin area.

In the last year, crime in San Francisco was a major problem. Three homicides have been recorded in San Francisco since January 1, a rise of two from 2021. Overall crime has fallen by 21.8% so far in this month compared with the same period last year.

San Francisco’s lawlessness has led to a city that is overrun by crime in the past two year. There were 3,375 reported cases of larceny theft in the city, most of them car burglaries. The Central District of SFPD saw the largest number of car smash-and grabs at 876. 

This month so far, there has been a 50 percent increased in homicides with three reported between January 1 and January 23, compared to only two during the same time frame last year, but overall crime has decreased by 21.8 percent, according to crime statistics released by the San Francisco Police Department.

From 151 assault cases in last year, to now 135, the number of attacks on this city has fallen by more than 10%.

The number of cases involving larceny theft has also fallen by 15%. As at this point, there are 1,282 cases. This is down from 1,517 last year.   

The number of robbery and rape cases dropped by around 24 percent, respectively. 

The estimated 8,000 homeless San Francisco residents – who often pitch their tents at the Tenderloin– have a high rate of chronic addiction and/or severe mental illness. People rant on the streets and need medical attention. 712 people overdosed on drugs last year, while 257 died from COVID-19. 

The linkage center operates seven seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., with limited staff due to the impact of COVID-19. However, the center will expand to operate 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and have the capacity to serve 100 people at a time. 

In addition to connecting people with services, the center will also help people living on the streets with access to basic things like food, water, bathrooms, showers and laundry, according to the release. 

The center will also provide services like COVID-19 vaccination and testing as well as HIV and Hepatitis C testing.

The center is being overseen by both the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the San Francisco Department of Emergency management, with assistance from city departments and several community organizations.

The linkage center operates seven seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., with limited staff due to the impact of COVID-19. However, the center will expand to operate 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and have the capacity to serve 100 people at a time

Due to COVID-19, the linkage center is open seven days per week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The center is expected to expand and be open 24 hours per day, 7 days a semaine. It can serve up to 100 people.

The site is surrounded by a fence of the open air illicit drug consumption site that is now littered with needles and crowded with addicts shooting up in broad daylight

This is the location surrounded by an open-air illicit drug consumption site. It is littered now with needles, and is overflowing with addicted people shooting up in broad daylight.

In addition to connecting people with services, the center will also help people living on the streets with access to basic things like food, water, bathrooms, showers and laundry, according to the release

According to the release, in addition to helping people connect with services, this center will help those living on the streets to access basic necessities like water, food, and showers.

A woman is seen using a water bottle to shower off outside a tent at the linkage site. A high percentage of an estimated 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco - many of whom pitch tents in the Tenderloin - are struggling with chronic addiction or severe mental illness, often both

One woman uses a water bottle for showering outside of a linkage tent. An estimated 8000 homeless San Francisco residents, many of them pitching tents at the Tenderloin, are suffering from either severe addiction or mental illness.

The emergency declaration paved the way for the city to cut through red tape that delays the public response to deteriorating conditions in the Tenderloin and quickly provide shelter, counseling and medical care to people suffering from addiction, Breed and city officials said

Breed and officials from the city said that the emergency declaration allowed the city to quickly respond to the Tenderloin’s deteriorating condition and provide assistance, counseling, and medical care for people with addiction.

A fence surrounds the open air illicit drug consumption site that is now littered with needles and crowded with addicts shooting up in broad daylight

The open-air illicit drug use site is surrounded by a fence. It’s now littered in needles, and overflowing with people who are attempting to get high.

The center (pictured) being overseen by both the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the San Francisco Department of Emergency management, with assistance from city departments and several community organizations

This center is being managed by the San Francisco Department of Public Health as well as the San Francisco Department of Emergency management. With assistance from several city departments, and other community groups.