Crime Plunges 27%, but Homicides Triple as Mothers Plead for Victim Liaison's Return

The San Francisco Police Commission's April 8 meeting laid bare a central tension in the city's public safety story: overall crime is falling fast, but the most violent acts are surging — and the person who connected grieving families to the department is gone. Commissioners also broke new ground by announcing the first-ever annual performance reviews of the Police Chief and the Department of Police Accountability director, a governance shift that signals a more assertive oversight body.

• Part 1 crimes down 27% year-to-date, but homicides have tripled from 4 to 14; 13 of 14 have been solved

• Mothers of homicide victims demand reinstatement of SFPD liaison Lisa Ortiz, cut in budget reductions, calling her irreplaceable for community trust

• Commission announces first-ever annual performance reviews of the Police Chief and DPA director

• Academy graduation class of 41 officers celebrated as a dramatic turnaround; 800 applications received in February

• DPA reports historic lows in overdue cases while seeking witnesses for open airport investigation

• Disciplinary board issues four recommendations targeting gaps in restraining order training, victim notification, and personnel tracking

The basics: Part 1 crimes — the FBI's most serious offense category, covering everything from robbery to auto theft — are the standard benchmark for measuring a city's crime trajectory.