The Whac-a-Mole games continued Wednesday night with another law enforcement sweep and mass arrest on San Francisco's Mid-Market Street, resulting in 40 more drug users and/or dealers arrested.

San Francisco police were assisted by SF Sheriff's deputies in a Wednesday night sweep at Van Ness Avenue and Market Street. Video posted by the SFPD shows two school buses parked on Market Street to transport arrestees, and dozens of people in various states of inebriation having their wrists zip-tied.

Police say they made 40 arrests, and said in a tweet, "This activity will not be tolerated and we will continue these operations for as long as it takes."

San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto went on KPIX/CBS5 early Thursday to talk about the sweep, suggesting that it is their goal to "disrupt" these drug markets and "funnel people into services," though it remains unclear how successful these efforts have been. And, Miyamoto admits, they continue to see some of the same people being arrested in sweeps like this one, and one they conducted three weeks ago in Jefferson Square Park.

KPIX reports that Jefferson Square Park neighbors have seen a significant improvement and a drop in nighttime drug activity in the park since the raid occurred. But critics continue to point out that these actions are only serving to create new hubs of drug activity elsewhere, including in the Mission District.

Van Ness and Market, and around the Muni station there, apparently had become another one of those hubs, just as alleys off of Van Ness have been in recent years.

Miyamoto defends the law enforcement sweeps against criticism saying, "We need that constant engagement [and] we don't want to arrest our way out of this problem. People need help. People are gripped in the throes of addiction, and we really need to get them the help and services that they need to get out of that cycle."

He says that having these individuals become "a part of the justice system" and having to constantly go before the courts is "one way that we [have] to maneuver them to those areas where they... can get those services."

Miyamoto says that law enforcement is hoping to "change the dynamic" and make visitors and residents alike feel safer walking on SF's streets.

Still, we have not seen much if any data that shows that these cycles of arrests have gotten many addicts into treatment or off the streets. But it does seem to be effective, in the short term, of discouraging them from gathering in these open-air spaces to buy and use drugs — they just generally seem to find a new space pretty soon.

Previously: Sixth Street Crackdown Seems To Be Just Merely Pushing Blight to Mission District