The requested methodology would use commercially available databases to research the residential histories of three populations: those arrested for public drug use, those whose cause of death was an overdose, and recipients of the County Adult Assistance Program.

It would quantify how long they lived in San Francisco and track their county, state and national origins.

There were 806 overdose deaths in San Francisco in 2023, a record number, up from 647 deaths in 2022, the Department of Public Health reported. The deaths were mostly due to fentanyl.

Dorsey said that current city reporting provides divergent data on what percentage of arrested drug users or overdose victims are San Francisco residents, as opposed to out-of-town visitors who may be attracted by permissive drug policies or a robust social safety net.

His request cited a June 2023 report that 95% of recent arrests for drug use in the city were of non-San Francisco residents, which the supervisor contrasted with a proposed city resolution stating that 95% of deadly overdoses last year happened to residents.

Dorsey said more reliable statistics could bring overdue scrutiny to unintended consequences of the city’s struggles with open drug scenes and free assistance programs.

The Coalition on Homelessness said they are deeply concerned about the number of lives being lost to the overdose crisis and said the request for the report amounts to political tactics.

“Political tactics such as these that attempt to shift blame and divert attention away from real solutions such as the implementation of the DPH overdose prevention plan are irresponsible and misguided,” Jennifer Friedenbach of the coalition said in an email. “In addition, looking into ‘home addresses’ not only wastes time and energy when lives are at stake—sit often misrepresents the real situation, such as individuals who were forced to leave their homes due to abuse are counted as housed from out of town.”