San Francisco homicide rate lowest in decades as 2024 wraps up, officials say
San Francisco is seeing its lowest homicide rate since the 1960s, according to city officials.
During a press conference at San Francisco Police Headquarters on Tuesday, Police Chief Bill Scott said there have been 33 homicides citywide in 2024, so far.
At the same time last year, there were 50 homicides in 2023. (There were 54 homicides by the end of the year.)
"Our shootings are down this year, our gun-related violence is down this year, and our homicides - specifically to firearms - are down this year," Scott said.
Mayor London Breed, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, and Sheriff Paul Miyamoto joined Chief Scott during the announcement on Tuesday.
"I think what we want to be able to do is send a strong message, and I think that the data is helping us to send that message. If you want to do something that impacts someone else's life in San Francisco, there is a law enforcement team of folks who will make sure you're held accountable," Breed said.
Scott and Breed recognized the city's Violence Reduction Initiative, also known as VRI.
SFPD worked with California Partnerships for Safe Communities to implement VRI in District 10, which includes Bayview.
VRI focuses on reducing gun violence, reducing recidivism, and building trust between community members and law enforcement.
District 10 saw a 50% reduction in homicides and nonfatal shootings in 2022-2023 compared to the rest of the city, according to a report by the University of Pennsylvania.
The police department plans to implement VRI across other districts next year.
"Something is definitely happening that's positive in these neighborhoods. And I'd like to say, it's not by accident. It's by design. We're very intentional with our community partners," Reagan Cunningham, the co-director of California Partnerships for Safe Communities, said.
Both Scott and Breed spoke about the perception of San Francisco as a crime-riddled city, a contrast from the data presented on Tuesday.
Breed spoke about the need for more attention on the positives citywide, which she claimed isn't highlighted enough.
"Look, I don't discount the way people are feeling because the way people are feeling are based on their experiences, you know things that have happened to them or someone that they know," Scott said. "However, the work is being done. We have to continue to highlight and get the truth out there about the work being done."
