Overall crime in San Francisco fell 25% last year, as the homicide rate sank to a level unseen since Bill Haley & His Comets recorded “Rock Around the Clock.”
Killings for the year plunged to 28, the lowest number of homicides since 1954, Chief Derrick Lew announced.
In addition to the 20% slide in homicide, there was an 18% decline in violent crime and a 27% decrease in property crime, police said.
“Our officers have been doing a tremendous job,” Lew said in a statement Friday. “We’re committed to building on these successes in the new year to ensure San Francisco remains one of the safest cities in the world.”
The Police Department said it is strengthening partnerships with the mayor’s office, the district attorney’s and the sheriff’s offices to drive down crime.
“These historic reductions in crime show what’s possible when we focus relentlessly on public safety and give our officers the tools to succeed,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said.
Other results for the year showed:
- Shootings down 16%
- Robberies down 24%
- Robberies with firearms down 45%
- Motor vehicle thefts down 44%
- Car break-ins down 43%
- Burglaries off 29%
- Larceny including retail theft down 22%
Officers seized 1,003 firearms and made 6,683 arrests related to drug activity, seized 1,003 firearms and over 56 pounds of fentanyl, police said.
The SFPD’s Homicide Unit and other specialized units reached a clearance rate of 125% after solving several cases from previous years.
The department said the national average for homicide clearance rates in between 50% and 60%.
“We’re committed to building on these successes in the new year to ensure San Francisco remains one of the safest cities in the world.”
Chief Derrick Lew
San Francisco Police, aided in some cases by other law enforcement agencies such as the Sheriff’s Office, made 6,683 arrests in 2025.
They include 735 arrests for drug dealing, 3,586 arrests for drug use, and 2,362 arrests for other crimes, including having outstanding warrants, police said.