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During his State of the City address on January 15, 2026, Mayor Daniel Lurie highlighted something that San Franciscans can genuinely celebrate: 2025 is on track to be one of the safest years in the city’s history.  The numbers tell a compelling story. Homicides haven’t been this low since 1954 (a historic milestone marking 70 years of progress!). Crime citywide is down nearly 30%, with car break-ins at a 22-year low and traffic deaths dropping 42%.  These statistics represent neighborhoods where families feel safer, streets where small-business owners can thrive, and communities where people want to live again.  WATCH: Mayor Lurie’s State of City Address (transcript) Central to this turnaround is a renewed investment in the San Francisco Police Department. The mayor announced that applications to join SFPD have surged 54%, and for the first time since 2018, the city is growing its ranks of officers and Sheriff’s deputies. This recruitment success signals a crucial point: people want to serve San Francisco’s communities.  The mayor also marked a leadership transition at SFPD, thanking interim Chief Paul Yep for paving the way for Chief Derrick Lew, a 20-year veteran who understands that public safety is directly tied to addressing the drug […]

As we look back on 2025, San Francisco residents have something meaningful to celebrate. The year brought landmark improvements across multiple public safety metrics, representing some of the most significant gains the city has achieved in decades.

The headlines speak for themselves. San Francisco recorded 28 homicides in 2025, the lowest number since 1954. That’s a 20% decrease from 2024 and marks a historic moment: the city’s homicide rate hasn’t been this low in 70 years. 

On a rainy Saturday morning, on December 13th, something magical happened at Target San Francisco West. Officers from the San Francisco Police Department stood alongside nonprofit partners to help children in the community select gifts, turning what could have been an ordinary shopping trip into an unforgettable holiday moment. This is the Heroes & Helpers initiative (Target’s partnership with local public safety and community organizations) to ensure that every child in San Francisco experiences the joy of the holidays, regardless of their circumstances. This year, the SFPD partnered with the San Francisco Police Community Foundation, St. Anthony’s, SF Asian Family Center, and SF PAL to help local children choose from bicycles, video games, and toys, with officers cheering them on every step of the way. When a child picks out a present alongside a police officer, they’re experiencing the presence of someone who serves their community, showing up not in uniform with authority, but as a helper, a supporter, a witness to their joy.  “This event is about more than gifts,” said Executive Director Ixchel Acosta. “It’s about telling children they matter. It’s about demonstrating to them that community leaders care about their well-being. When we invest in moments like […]

On Wednesday, December 3rd, families gathered at Civic Center Plaza for the annual Holiday Tree Lighting. This celebration brought together San Francisco residents for an evening of festive entertainment, crafts, and genuine holiday spirit. The night featured performances from the San Francisco Boys Chorus, the Broadway All-Star Band, tap dancing Christmas Trees, and Boswick the Clown, with a grand tree lighting as Mayor Daniel Lurie illuminated the 50-foot noble fir across from City Hall. Beyond the performances and holiday magic, this event embodied something deeper. The San Francisco Police Community Foundation partnered with Another Planet Entertainment and the SFPD to distribute over 500 toys to children in attendance. Families also enjoyed holiday craft activities hosted by SF Etsy in the Makers Village-ornament making, Santa letter-writing stations, and more-while the San Francisco Public Library gave away books to young readers. “The holidays remind us what we’re working toward,” said Executive Director Ixchel Acosta. “When we see a child’s face light up at the tree lighting, when we witness families connecting with their neighbors and with police officers, we’re creating memories that last a lifetime. These moments matter. They’re how we build communities where everyone belongs.” We’re grateful to the Civic Center […]

On Sunday, December 7, North Beach residents of all ages ventured out for a festive afternoon of holiday fun, kicking off the season with the inaugural “Elf on the Shelf” scavenger hunt.  Families picked up maps and punch cards at Goorin Bros. Hat Store on Stockton Street and spent the next three hours exploring participating neighborhood businesses to find hidden elves displayed in windows and storefronts. The response was wonderful. San Francisco children and parents moved through the community together, discovering local shops they might not have visited otherwise, while the elves hidden throughout the neighborhood created a sense of playful discovery that brought genuine smiles. This event reflects exactly what the San Francisco Police Community Foundation works to create: moments when community members connect with the officers who serve them.  “The holidays are about joy and inclusion,” said Executive Director Ixchel Acosta. “When we bring families together around shared celebration, we strengthen the bonds that make our neighborhoods safer and more resilient. These aren’t just prizes, they’re opportunities to remind each other that we belong to a community that cares.”   Every family that completed the scavenger hunt earned prizes, and those who found all the elves were entered […]

On December 3, 2025, the San Francisco Police Community Foundation was thrilled to celebrate the official opening of the San Francisco Police Department’s (SFPD) upgraded Real-Time Investigation Center (RTIC).  “San Francisco two years ago was in the Dark Ages when it came to police technology,” interim Chief Paul Yep said. “San Francisco is now back in its rightful place, leading the nation in technology innovation.”  Following Mayor Daniel Lurie’s announcement in August 2025, the upgraded and modernized facility opened on December 3, 2025, marking a transformative milestone in the city’s public safety strategy.  The headquarters at 315 Montgomery St. replaces the original space in the Hall of Justice. No longer cramped with spotty power and poor cell reception, the new downtown hub features expansive video walls, upgraded computing systems, and modern investigative tools. WATCH THE NEWS CONFERENCE “Everything that you see here is all brand new,” said Commander Tom McGuire. “Everything at the Hall of Justice was very antiquated, from infrastructure to equipment and software.” The project represents a successful partnership between civic leadership, philanthropic vision, and law enforcement innovation. Chris Larsen, co-founder and executive chairman of Ripple, donated the space while the San Francisco Police Community Foundation funded the […]

The San Francisco Police Department recently announced the largest surge of recruits in five years as it addresses an ongoing staffing shortage. 

The San Francisco Police Department received 3,375 entry-level applications in 2025, representing a 40% increase from the previous year. The department also received 195 lateral transfer applications from officers at other jurisdictions, a 364% increase from the previous year.

The SFPD Academy has completed four consecutive full classes, with a fifth class scheduled to begin in December. This represents the first net positive increase in officers on the street since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The holiday season is FAST approaching, and with it, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) is once again organizing its Citywide Toy Drives!

This post will serve as your guide to all upcoming toy drive events in San Francisco. We encourage you to bookmark it and check back regularly for updates on new dates and locations. 

At the San Francisco Police Community Foundation (SFPCF), we’ve developed a comprehensive approach that transforms how public safety works in our city.

Bringing together cross-sector leaders from amongst San Francisco’s businesses, nonprofits, and neighborhoods, the SFPCF organizes privately raised resources to 1) improve police officers’ quality of life on the job, 2) provide new forward-looking public safety tools, equipment, and resources for the City, and 3) promote community well-being through events and programs.

Behind every successful community initiative are dedicated individuals who believe in making a difference. 

The San Francisco Police Community Foundation (SFPCF) brings together neighborhood leaders, law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, and business leaders united by a shared commitment to public safety through community-building partnerships.

When we walk through San Francisco’s neighborhoods, we see a city that thrives on connection. Yet too often, the conversation around public safety feels divided, leaving communities and law enforcement on opposite sides of an imaginary line. The San Francisco Police Community Foundation (SFPCF) exists to erase that line entirely. The Challenge We Face Together San Francisco faces real public safety challenges, and sustainable solutions emerge when communities and police officers work together as partners.  When officers know the shop owners on their beat, when neighbors feel comfortable approaching law enforcement, when everyone shares responsibility for keeping our streets safe—that’s when real change happens. The San Francisco Police Community Foundation is a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to supporting the San Francisco Police Department while helping to strengthen the connection between officers and the broader communities they serve. The foundation aims to enhance the morale, recruitment, and retention of police officers, ultimately supporting our diverse community with tangible benefits.  We’re not here to choose sides…we’re here to build bridges.  By channeling public energy into consistent support for our officers while building positive community-police rapport, the SFPCF strives to ensure that San Francisco continues to be a world-class, safe place for people […]

On National Coffee with a Cop Day, October 1st, San Francisco police officers from four stations stepped away from their desks and patrol cars to meet residents at local coffee shops across the city.

These casual gatherings created the perfect opportunity for neighbors to chat with officers about neighborhood safety, share stories, and connect with the people who serve their community. Locations included:

San Francisco took a step forward in protecting families from gun violence this week when Mayor Daniel Lurie announced the Pierce’s Pledge Gun Safety Storage Program. The first-of-its-kind initiative allows residents to voluntarily store firearms at any of the city’s 10 police stations for up to one year at no cost.

The program launched in partnership with Pierce’s Pledge, a nonprofit founded by San Francisco mother Lesley Hu, whose 9-year-old son Pierce was murdered by his father during a family law matter in 2021. 

More than 1,000 San Francisco residents gathered in Chinatown on Wednesday for the neighborhood’s 11th annual Night Out event, a celebration designed to strengthen connections between the community and local public safety services.

$9.4 Million in Philanthropic Funding Will Help SFPD Catch Criminals, Reduce Crime; Overall Crime Down Nearly 30% Across San Francisco

Mayor Daniel Lurie today took an additional step towards opening the San Francisco Police Department’s (SFPD) new Real-Time Investigation Center (RTIC) headquarters, signing legislation to accept and expend a $9.4 million grant from Ripple. The new space, donated in-kind by Ripple, will allow the SFPD to expand the RTIC technology hub with modern crime-fighting tools and will include funding for equipment upgrades made possible by donations from San Francisco Police Community Foundation and Crankstart.

Mayor Daniel Lurie recently announced that San Francisco’s automated speed camera enforcement program began issuing citations on August 5, 2025, at 33 intersections across the city. 

The groundbreaking program makes San Francisco the first city in California to implement this life-saving technology, reducing speeding and preventing auto collisions.

A crypto billionaire with a reputation for funding public safety projects San Francisco is asking officials to green-light a $9.4 million gift to create a new, state-of-the-art technology hub for the city’s police force. 

For the first time in the history of the San Francisco Police Department, their Color Guard team traveled to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Steve Young National Honor Guard Competition during National Police Week in May 2025. 

This historic moment marked a significant milestone for the SFPD and brought San Francisco representation to one of the nation’s most respected law enforcement agencies.

Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed longtime gun safety advocate Mattie Scott to the San Francisco Police Commission and swore in new Commissioner Wilson Leung on Friday. The two appointments bring decades of public safety experience to the commission as the city works to enhance neighborhood safety.

Mayor Daniel Lurie and city public safety leaders kicked off a major weekend of NBA All-Star and Lunar New Year festivities, announcing comprehensive measures to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. San Francisco is expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors for events projected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity.

Mayor Daniel Lurie joined San Francisco Fire Department Chief Dean Crispen and Department of Emergency Management Executive Director Mary Ellen Carroll for a Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) training session. The free, community-based program teaches residents the basics of personal preparedness and disaster prevention.

Mayor Daniel Lurie joined San Francisco Fire Department Chief Dean Crispen and Department of Emergency Management Executive Director Mary Ellen Carroll for a Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) training session. The free, community-based program teaches residents the basics of personal preparedness and disaster prevention.

By San Francisco Chronicle Last week, in an unassuming conference room at the San Francisco police’s Northern Station, a small army of officers and civilians began deliberations over a question not often associated with local government: What should we do with all this free money?