Violence prevention program launched in San Francisco’s Tenderloin

A program aimed at preventing youths from getting involved in violence and illicit drug activity is coming to San Francisco’s troubled Tenderloin.

Mayor Daniel Lurie and District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmoud announced the plan Wednesday at a community center.

The Tenderloin Youth Violence Prevention Pilot Program will begin in January. It will feature a range of services, such as mentorship, initially offered to 20 youths in cooperation with the SoMa-based violence prevention group, United Playaz.

The creation of the program comes a month after Mahmoud introduced a resolution before the Board of Supervisors calling for such an effort. More than 50 youths between the ages of 13-17 have been arrested for selling drugs in San Francisco since 2023, with many of them occurring in the Tenderloin.

The one-year pilot program – which is funded by a 200,000 donation by local tech entrepreneurs – seeks to duplicate the success of similar programs operating in the Mission District, Bayview Hunters Point and Visitacion Valley.