San Francisco, CA —Mayor London N. Breed and the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) today announced that violent crimes, particularly gun violence, dropped significantly in 2018.

The findings were released as part of the SFPD’s 2018 CompStat Profile and reflect progress from a number of new initiatives spearheaded by the SFPD and Mayor Breed to increase foot patrols, hire more officers, and help stabilize neighborhoods that experience a higher level of crime.

“Every San Franciscan, regardless of which neighborhood they are in, deserves to be safe in our City,” said Mayor Breed. “Since taking office, I have been focused on adding more police officers to our streets, opening academies to prepare the next generation of SFPD officers, strengthening ties with our communities, and continuing important reforms to the Department. We have a lot of work still to do, but I am encouraged by the progress we have made.”

The 2018 CompStat Profile shows that compared to 2017:

• Homicides decreased 18 percent;
• Homicides by firearms decreased 37 percent;
• Non-fatal shooting incidents decreased 30 percent; and
• Aggravated assaults decreased 3 percent.

“Though we are encouraged by our year-end numbers, one life lost is one life too many,” said Police Chief William Scott. “Through close collaboration with our community-based anti-violence partners and the establishment of our Crime Gun Investigations Center, we saw a decrease in gun-related violence last year. Reducing all violent crime remains our top priority, and we are committed to smart strategies and partnerships that will continue to enable us to provide safety with respect for everyone who lives in, works in or visits San Francisco.”

SFPD seized 1,276 firearms in 2018, a 25 percent year-over-year increase. Last year also saw a significant drop in property crimes that have victimized many people in San Francisco:

• Auto burglaries decreased 17 percent;
• Auto thefts decreased 13 percent; and
• Larceny theft decreased 10 percent.

In 2017, SFPD doubled its citywide uniformed foot patrols, and with the direction and support of Mayor Breed, greatly increased foot patrols in U.N. Plaza and in the Mid-Market corridor last year in response to numerous quality of life issues. A 2018 study by the California Policy Lab and researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found a significant decrease in assaults and thefts after SFPD expanded its foot patrol strategy, which focuses on crime deterrence and improved responsiveness and engagement with community members.

In addition to expanding foot patrol officers, Mayor Breed and the SFPD have focused on increased enforcement of drug dealing in the Tenderloin and Mid-Market areas. This effort includes a two-tiered strategy, with the Narcotics Unit focusing on disrupting the flow of drugs into the City and targeting individuals participating in drug trafficking, coupled with street officers implementing sting operations at the street level to reduce public drug sales.

The Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2018-19 & 2019-20 budget included a focus on responsible investments to strengthen the City’s public safety into the future. Mayor Breed pushed to include funding for the first two years of a four-year hiring plan to deploy an additional 250 officers to the streets. Additionally, she invested $8 million in new funding for the Department of Emergency Management to train 90 new dispatcher recruits, ensuring that sufficient staffing levels are met and maintained.

SFPD CompStat reports are posted online at sanfranciscopolice.org/compstatreports.

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