It's been nearly a year since the city implemented the Drug Market Initiative program—in which police rounded up 18 low-level dealers and told them they could either quit dealing and seek treatment, or go to jail—designed to curb street dealing in the Central District.

While the program seemed to be relatively successful in clearing drug dealers out of the 23rd Avenue corridor, neighbors in the CD now say they're seeing signs that an open-air drug market starting to reemerge.

From Centraldistrictnews:

For about six months afterwards the comments from community members were glowing. Residents could walk to the post office without wading through crowds of users and dealers. Nearby streets that were once occupied at all hours were suddenly quiet. 

But things began to take a turn last month, where residents at the East Precinct Crime Prevention Coalition meeting reported seeing an increase in activity around 24th & Union. And based on reports from tonight's EPCPC meeting, the situation has only worsened since then.

A resident on Spring Street near 24th said that traffic is way up on that street at all hours, with people hiding out and doing deals behind the bushes. Other neighbors confirmed the increase, including reports of new issues around the post office parking lot.