Bay Area

Mayor Breed’s Statement on the Partnership With the State to Disrupt Fentanyl Trafficking

Today Mayor London N. Breed released the following statement about Governor Newsom’s commitment to support addressing fentanyl trafficking in San Francisco.

Published

3 years ago

May 12, 2023

Oakland Post

80% of the overdose deaths so far this year in San Francisco are fentanyl-related, which is why San Francisco has prioritized enforcement of fentanyl dealers, particularly in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods.

San Francisco — Today Mayor London N. Breed released the following statement about Governor Newsom’s commitment to support addressing fentanyl trafficking in San Francisco. The Governor released more details about the partnership between California Highway Patrol, Cal Guard, the San Francisco Police Department and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, which can be read here.

“We are taking aggressive steps to address the fentanyl crisis with both services for those struggling with addiction as well as enforcement to break up open-air drug dealing and hold those who are threatening lives accountable. Our Police Officers have been making arrests and our District Attorney has been aggressive in prosecuting cases against drug dealers who are selling a drug that is driving fatal overdoses in our City. Our local enforcement agencies are committed to this work and we will continue to be aggressive in disrupting the open-air drug markets in our City.

This partnership with the State law enforcement agencies will help us to continue that work and expand our efforts. I want to thank Governor Newsom for his commitment to San Francisco and for listening to our residents, workers, and businesses that have been calling for more support. San Francisco welcomes this support for more enforcement.”

San Francisco’s Work to Address the Fentanyl Crisis

Since January, SFPD has made more than 300 arrests for possession with intent to sell in the Tenderloin and South of Market areas.
The amount of fentanyl seized in the first quarter of 2023 increased by over 150% year over year in 2022.
Compared to the same period in 2021, the City has seen an increase of the amount of fentanyl seized by over 450% this year so far.
The District Attorney’s Office has prioritized the prosecution of high-level dealers and is working closely with SFPD to file narcotics sales cases.
Between July 2022 and April 2023, the District Attorney’s Office filed 638 felony narcotics sales cases, which is a 90% filing rate.
517 individuals were arraigned between July 8, 2022 and April 20, 2023 for felony narcotics, representing an 80% increase compared to the same time period by the previous administration.

The work between SFPD and the DA’s office has been essential at ensuring accountability. For example, on Tuesday, police seized 5 kilos of fentanyl as part of a single arrest, enough to save nearly 2.5 million lives. Today, the District Attorney announced multiple felony charges against that individual.

San Francisco also continues to prioritize treatment and services for those struggling with addiction. This includes the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s (SFDPH) work to implement the City’s Overdose Prevention Plan, a four-part strategy to bring down overdoses, by expanding access to substance use treatment and services, doubling the distribution of naloxone in the next three years, increasing social support for people at risk of overdose, and improving the conditions in communities where drug use occurs. Examples of this work include:

Over the past two years, SFDPH has opened almost 350 residential care and treatment beds, in addition to the existing 2,200 beds.
This includes the recent opening of a 70-bed residential step-down facility in Treasure Island for people transitioning out of treatment programs.
SFDPH has also been widely increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder, namely buprenorphine and methadone.

Mayor Breed’s press conference livestream may be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1CI_hDkmpY

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.