Cleaning up the Streets: Supervisor Dorsey, Sheriff Miyamoto & Chief of HHS

Under the direction of Mayor Lurie, the City is opening a new "sobering center" downtown in a push to make progress on eliminating open-air drug use. This center, to be overseen by the Sheriff's Office, will open in the new year.

Join Supervisor Matt Dorsey, SF Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Chief Kunal Modi of Health & Human Services (HHS), and moderator Lyanne Melendez in conversation to explore what the effect of this program will have on the City and on the members of this city whose lives are plagued by drug addiction.

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Supervisor Matt Dorsey represents District 6. Supervisor Dorsey served for fourteen years in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, where he worked to support groundbreaking cases around marriage equality, education access, public health, tenants rights, and worker protections.

Supervisor Dorsey is committed to providing paths to recovery for those struggling with addiction, supporting new housing at all levels to meet growing demand, and investing in public safety resources to ensure that all people can feel safe in their communities.

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Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, the first Asian American sheriff elected in San Francisco's 173-year history, assumed office on January 8, 2020. A fourth-generation native San Franciscan, he joined the Sheriff’s Office in 1996 and swiftly ascended through the ranks, working in jails, patrol, investigations, training, and as a member of the Emergency Services Unit and the Special Response Team. As the Sheriff, he oversees San Francisco’s jails, as well as key buildings such as the City’s courts, hospitals, and City Hall.

Sheriff Miyamoto, a graduate of Lowell High School and the University of California, Davis, carries a family legacy of resilience. Inspired by his late father and extended family's triumph over adversity during the Japanese internment during World War II, he credits his success to the values instilled by his family.

The Sheriff is equally proud of his Chinese roots, inherited from his mother, and has been a dedicated member of the San Francisco Police Department's Lion Dance team for the Chinese New Year Parade since 2000. He participates in San Francisco’s annual Pistahan Parade every year, honoring his wife LeeAnn and their children’s Filipino heritage. He and LeeAnn, a former San Francisco Deputy Sheriff and San Francisco Police Officer, have been married for more than 23 years and have five children that include a set of triplets.

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Kunal Modi is the new Chief of Health and Human Services (HHS), appointed this year by Mayor Daniel Lurie. Before this, he spent nearly 12 years at McKinsey & Company, where he focused on helping governments and mission-driven organizations better serve the public.

Health and Human Services is a collection of different departments here in the City, including Human Services Agency (SFHSA), the Department of Public Health (SFDPH), etc.

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Lyanne Melendez joined ABC7 in June 1994 as a general assignment reporter. Melendez brings years of experience to ABC7 along with numerous honors and awards which reflect her accomplished career. Melendez covers the AIDS and education beat in the Bay Area.

Melendez received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Alabama and a Master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Melendez has traveled to Somalia, Iraq, Central and South America, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on special assignments.

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