SAN FRANCISCO (WOWO) — San Francisco officials announced Thursday that a series of convenience stores in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood have been operating as secret hubs for drug sales, gambling, and other illegal activity, highlighting ongoing challenges in a district long associated with crime and homelessness. City Attorney David Chiu said at least nine such dens have been shut down or sued over the past 18 months. Authorities allege the stores were involved in illegal gambling, drug trafficking, possession of firearms, and fencing stolen goods, while also violating the city’s Nighttime Safety Ordinance, a law that restricts late-night operations to curb crime. “These convenience stores were magnets for drug activity, and, in some cases, the stores were selling illegal drugs themselves,” Chiu said. Police raids reportedly uncovered methamphetamine hidden beneath display shelves, cannabis, vape cartridges, hundreds of glass pipes and Brillo pads commonly used to smoke meth and crack cocaine, as well as significant amounts of cash. One store alone yielded more than $17,000, according to officials. Law enforcement also seized weapons, including a firearm with a loaded magazine, a high-capacity Glock magazine, two additional pistol magazines, and other ammunition. Officers found merchandise stolen from major retailers, such as Walgreens, Sephora, CVS, and Target, including out-of-state cigarettes and 17 iPhones displayed for sale. Chiu highlighted the Nighttime Safety Ordinance, passed in 2024 as a two-year pilot program, as a key tool in identifying and shutting down stores involved in criminal activity. He said he is seeking to expand the curfew to San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, another densely populated area with a mix of nightlife, tech offices, and a history of crime. “Most businesses contribute positively to our neighborhoods, but a handful of late-night retail establishments, like the ones we have shut down, attract significant criminal activity,” Chiu said. “The nighttime safety ordinance has been helpful in putting these stores on our radar and giving us additional tools to shut down problematic businesses.” Supervisor Matt Dorsey said officials hope to create neighborhoods that are less hospitable to public drug use, illegal gambling, and fencing operations, which he said fuel rampant drug-related crime. The Tenderloin, located in the heart of downtown, has long struggled with homelessness and street-level crime. City officials said the raids and lawsuits are part of a broader effort to crack down on criminal enterprises operating under the cover of legitimate businesses. Police said investigations into other establishments in the area are ongoing, and they warned that stores attempting to mask illegal activity as convenience operations will face swift enforcement actions. The post San Francisco Shuts Down Tenderloin Convenience Stores Linked to Drugs and Gambling appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less