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 San Francisco Police Department currently has approximately 1,500 sworn officers. The recommended staffing level is 2,000 officers, leaving a shortage of roughly 500 officers. The department has relied on overtime to meet public safety needs.
Mayor Daniel Lurie launched the Rebuilding the Ranks initiative in May 2025. The initiative includes accelerated hiring processes, increased outreach and advertising, and technology solutions to address hiring bottlenecks.
The hiring process has been streamlined, resulting in a reduction of over 50% in the time to hire recruits. Police academy graduation rates have increased by over 20%. The initiative enables recently retired officers to staff special events and transfer administrative tasks to civilian staff.
The department worked with the Mayor’s Office of Innovation to implement operational improvements and deploy digital marketing strategies.
Violent crime in San Francisco is down 18% in 2025. Homicides are on pace to reach their lowest level in 70 years. Overall, crime is down 30% citywide. Property crime has decreased by 28%.
“Thanks to our Rebuilding the Ranks plan to fully staff our police department and sheriff’s office, we are seeing real progress: Crime is down 30% citywide and at its lowest point in decades, with more applications coming in, hiring moving more quickly, and more officers coming through the academy,” Mayor Daniel Lurie stated.
Interim Chief Paul Yep cited competitive pay and benefits, an aggressive hiring strategy, and public support as reasons for the surge in applicants.
“Our political officials and the public support our police, and we’re helping make San Francisco safer than ever before. Working for the SFPD and serving the community is an incredibly rewarding career,” Yep said.
The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office has also seen the largest increase in deputies in a decade due to similar reforms.
Comments are closed.