They have become as much a part of the city streetscape as the homeless — drug dealers who sell hundreds of $10 bindles of cocaine, Fentanyl and heroin on Tenderloin and South of Market street corners while rolling in and out of jail.

On the night of Nov. 29, for example, a suspect known as “Cena” was arrested at the corner of Turk and Larkin streets with 237 bindles of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl. At the time of the bust, Cena was out of jail awaiting trial on an earlier arrest.

Another example is “Carlos V.,” who was arrested for possession of 197 bindles of heroin, cocaine and meth on Nov. 18.

Like Cena, Carlos V. was awaiting trial for a previous drug arrest. He was also under court order to stay out of the Tenderloin.

Cena and Carlos V. account for two of the 288 arrests made by police since October under an ongoing surveillance operation designed to clean up downtown. Their arrests also count among the 600 drug dealing busts in the Tenderloin this year.

While the ultimate goal is to drive the dealers away, given the revolving door at the Hall of Justice, the suspects often are back on the streets within days.

But if they can’t get rid of them, the police can make the dealers’ lives as miserable as possible by seizing their product and cash. Police seized 1,072 bindles of heroin, cocaine, meth and fentanyl in the Tenderloin and South of Market from Oct. 2 to Nov 7.

“If we can, we will make a case and charge them,” said Police Chief Bill Scott. “If not, we can make it difficult for them.”

The renewed surveillance and “buy-bust” operations come after years of criticism that such programs unfairly singled out minorities and that they weren’t a long-term solution to the drug problem.

But with the election of Mayor London Breed, who has gotten an earful from residents fed up with the sordid street life, word has gone out to clean up the streets.

Breed said the goal is to bring the rights of suspected criminals and the rights of the general public back into balance.

While Breed said she supports treatment for drug users, “the fact is we can’t tolerate illegal behavior on our streets in any part of the city,” she said. “We will help those who need help, but law enforcement is out there doing their job.”

The change is already being felt in the courts.

“In October, we easily saw a doubling in the number of felony drug cases over any recent month, and it does seem to coincide with news that Mayor Breed is unhappy with the state of things,” said Danielle Harris, who heads the felony drug division in the Public Defender’s Office.

Harris said similar crackdowns have been tried before and have had little long-term impact.

“They go after the low-level dealers, and someone always takes their place,” Harris said.

Maybe, but Scott says he plans to keep up the pressure.

“People tend to take the easy route, and when we are doing what we are supposed to do as police, it makes it more difficult for them to do what they do.”

“So I think we win either way,” Scott said.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross