Santa Ana City Councilman Phil Bacerra is taking action against drug abusers who pass out in public areas in our city. Bacerra has added an item to the July 18 City Council meeting agenda which will prompt the City Council to examine what options we have for dealing with this problem.

Here are Bacerra’s comments about this, as posted on Facebook:

We, as a city, cannot continue to allow people to abuse drugs and lay passed out on our city’s sidewalks, parks, and bus stops. Existing State Law allows police to detain individuals who are found in public places under the influence of drugs or controlled substances where they are a danger to themselves or others.

I have submitted a Councilmember Requested Item to be discussed at the July 18 City Council meeting to direct the City Manager to have Santa Ana Police Officers consistently detain any individuals within the City of Santa Ana who violate those existing state laws and transport them to the Santa Ana Jail for processing, and prior to release, provide them with information on available substance-abuse treatment services. Allowing rampant and uninterrupted drug use in our city is having a negative impact on our community. Doing nothing can no longer be an option.

If you agree, let the Santa Ana City Council know that you support this. You can do this by attending the July 18 City Council meeting and providing public comment, or you can email your comments to the City Council at eComment@santa-ana.org.

It is time for the public to let the City Council know that this is an important issue that needs to be resolved! We cannot allow Santa Ana to become another San Francisco.