CA Gov Newsom Deploys National Guard To Tackle Fentanyl Crisis

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has declared that he will take new steps to address the lethal fentanyl crisis in California by dispatching the National Guard and California Highway Patrol to police and clean up the Democrat-controlled San Francisco.

NPR reported that both organizations will team up with the San Francisco police department and the district attorney’s office 

“We’re taking action,” Newsom announced. “Through this new collaborative partnership, we are providing more law enforcement resources and personnel to crack down on crime linked to the fentanyl crisis, holding the poison peddlers accountable, and increasing law enforcement presence to improve public safety and public confidence in San Francisco.”

Newsom’s office emphasized that the initiative will not concern itself with those who are addicted to drugs, it aims to hone in on drug traffickers and suppliers. 

The California governor appeared to bash Florida and Texas, stating in a Friday press release that although there is much to be done in order to deal with concerns surrounding crime in San Francisco, the city’s rate of violent crime is “below comparably sized cities like Jacksonville and Fort Worth.” 

Not mentioned by Newsom was the city of Chicago, Illinois, which saw nearly 700 murders in 2022 and over 800 in the year prior, according to the New York Post. 

Crime is constantly seen in Chicago, and often with soft consequences for offenders. A duo of teenagers allegedly stole a car before killing a 6-month-old baby in a subsequent car crash earlier this month, only to be charged with a single misdemeanor count of criminal trespassing, according to Chicago police.

Some have doubts about the sincerity of Newsom’s initiative given his record in dealing with public crises. A 2008 video that resurfaced showed Newsom revealing a plan to solve homelessness in 10 years.

It appears this “10-year plan” did not work out given that Newsom’s office has put out numerous press releases about homelessness years after the 10-year mark, boasting of multi-billion dollar funding packages seeking to tackle the crisis “head-on” and in “ways California has never done.”

California’s fentanyl crisis exploded during the COVID-19 viral outbreak, with Townhall reporting that the state saw 625 drug overdose facilities in 2021, and another 200 so far in 2023. 

“The city’s drug crisis is more fatal than COVID-19. San Francisco has become synonymous with open-air drug markets and increasing rates of fentanyl addiction,” commented TogetherSF Action, a civic engagement group. “The drug crisis is wreaking havoc.”