Laura Kimble, senior drug chemist and forensic scientist with the Hamilton County CoronerÕs Crime Laboratory located in Blue Ash, shows some of the fake oxycodone, Thursday, March 24, 2022 that was seized in a large drug bust. Legally prescribed, the drug is used to relieve severe pain. It is an opioid analgesic. The fake pills contain fentanyl and acetaminophen. But though the drugs were confiscated in the same drug bust, theyÕre not all the same. Kimble said one pill tested with no actual drugs in it. She noted the discoloration and smudging of the letters. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and is 100 times more potent than morphine. Covid Death Hit One Million
San Diego, California – Drug-related arrests and citations in San Diego rose by 24% in 2024 compared to the previous year, marking the city’s most aggressive narcotics enforcement push since the pandemic, according to newly released police data obtained by CBS 8.
San Diego Police reported 3,569 drug-related arrests and citations last year, up from 2,873 in 2023 and 2,737 in 2022. While still lower than the 6,000+ cases reported in 2020, the increase reflects a broader statewide trend tied to the implementation of Proposition 36 — the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act — which reintroduced mandatory drug courts for repeat offenders.
Lieutenant Michael Swanson of the San Diego Police Department attributed the rise in enforcement to department-wide training and renewed focus on drug offenses.
“After the COVID-19 pandemic, SDPD re-emphasized narcotics enforcement for patrol officers to combat drug-related crime,” said Lt. Swanson. “Since 2022, we’ve trained more patrol officers through our narcotics enforcement program, and that’s directly impacted the number of arrests and citations citywide.”
The most commonly encountered drugs by SDPD in 2024 included fentanyl (both pill and powder form), methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base, Xanax, and psilocybin. From 2019 to 2024, officers issued 6,677 misdemeanor citations for drug possession, with more than 1,000 written last year alone — the highest total since 2021.
Proposition 36 allows individuals with two prior drug convictions to avoid prison on a third offense by enrolling in and completing a drug rehabilitation program. If they succeed, the offense is cleared. Failure results in jail time.
Attorney and University of San Diego law professor Don Dripps, who specializes in drug policy, says the approach is about addressing addiction, not just punishing it.
“The idea is that addiction is the root cause, and coercion may be the only way to get people into treatment they can’t afford or won’t seek on their own,” Dripps said. “But the system needs to work — otherwise we’re just cycling people through court and jail again.”
As counties across California ramp up enforcement under Prop 36, San Diego’s rising numbers may be just the beginning of a larger shift in how drug crime is addressed across the state.
