San Francisco has done something remarkable. After years of dedicated work, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) officially called the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) “a national model for policing in the 21st century.”
The journey began in 2016, when city leaders invited the DOJ to conduct a review of the department. What followed was an eight-year commitment to transformation that touched every aspect of policing: from use-of-force policies to community engagement to accountability measures.
On January 7, 2025, the state announced that SFPD had achieved substantial compliance with its comprehensive reform initiative, implementing 263 of 272 recommendations from the U.S. DOJ.
Since the reform process began, officers’ use of force has decreased 65%.
Officer-involved shootings dropped 50% compared to the seven years before. While crime rates have plummeted (28% overall in 2024 and another 30% in 2025), the department has simultaneously become more accountable and community-focused.
- San Francisco officers now wear body cameras with clear policies about footage retention and public release.
- The Department of Police Accountability (an independent civilian oversight agency) investigates complaints and holds officers accountable.
- An Early Intervention System flags concerning patterns before problems escalate.
- The department resolves 99.9% of crisis-related calls peacefully.
- The SFPD has over 70% of officers completing specialized 40-hour de-escalation training.
- California’s state law on the use of force? It was modeled on SFPD’s 2016 policy.
Walk into any San Francisco police station, and you’ll see a department that looks like the city it protects. Officers of color make up 56% of the force, with representation across Hispanic, Asian, Black, Filipino, and other communities. More than 415 officers are certified bilingual in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog, and Russian, critical for serving San Francisco’s diverse neighborhoods.
The SFPD is also growing. Under Mayor Lurie’s “Rebuilding the Ranks” initiative, entry-level applications increased by more than 40% in 2025. Five academy classes are scheduled this year, marking the first net-positive increase in officers since the pandemic began.
And reform isn’t just about policies and statistics. It’s about relationship and partnership:
- Community Police Advisory Boards hold regular meetings in neighborhoods across the city, bringing together residents, business owners, and officers to solve local problems.
- SFPD officers have raised more than $2 million for Special Olympics Northern California since 1998.
- The annual gun buy-back program with United Playaz has collected over 2,500 firearms.
- United Playaz is a leading violence prevention and community development organization based in San Francisco, and we are proud to have their Executive Director, Rudy Corpuz, serve on our Board.
- The Police Activities League serves 1,200 young people each year through sports, mentorship, and the Law Enforcement Cadet Program.
- From Coffee with a Cop events at neighborhood cafes with the San Francisco Police Department to National Night Out block parties at all ten district stations, these connections are what make reform stick.
Building trust happens one conversation at a time. The San Francisco Police Community Foundation is proud to support this work: funding equipment, community programs, and initiatives that strengthen the bond between officers and the neighborhoods they serve.
Your support helps continue this progress. When you donate to the Foundation, you’re investing in a model of policing that other cities aspire to. Most importantly, you’re helping keep San Francisco safe and thriving for everyone.
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