Commission Backs $755M SFPD Budget as Crime Drops and Policy Reforms Advance

San Francisco's Police Commission met Feb. 11 for a wide-ranging session that moved from celebration to grief to fiscal strategy — a single evening that captured the competing pressures shaping public safety in the city. The commission unanimously approved SFPD's FY2027-2028 budget request, heard striking crime-decline numbers tempered by a homicide spike, and showcased a collaborative policymaking model that drew praise from officers, advocates, and disability-rights groups alike.

• $755M SFPD budget approved 7-0, with $24 million in new priority requests focused on technology, staffing, fleet, and facilities

• Part 1 crimes down 35% year-to-date — but homicides jumped to six, five of which were cleared by arrest within days

• SFPD managed roughly 200 Super Bowl week events with no major security incidents; drone technology helped track a Molotov cocktail suspect

• Collaborative policy working groups on domestic violence and deaf accessibility earn wide praise from officers, community members, and city agencies

• DPA reports 22% surge in complaints, secures new positions from the mayor's office with no budget cuts required

• SFPD recruitment hits a high-water mark: 803 applications in January, up 85% over last year

Why it matters: The numbers tell two stories — a city where most crime categories are falling fast, and one where lethal violence has not followed the same curve. The contrast will shape budget and staffing debates for months.