San Francisco Major Crimes Drop 44% Since 2023, New SFPD Data Shows

Measured against the city's own crime dashboard, San Francisco closed 2025 with 28 murders, its lowest homicide rate since 1954, as total reported crimes fell 25.2% year-over-year and major crimes declined 44% compared to 2023, according to SFPD data.

The homicide count dropped from 35 killings in 2024 to 28 in 2025, a figure that tracks through December 28 using matched date ranges. Violent crime overall fell 17.5% to 3,877 incidents, down from 4,699 the previous year. Shootings declined 16%, robberies dropped 24%, and armed robberies specifically fell 45%.

Property crime figures were equally sharp. Motor vehicle theft posted one of the steepest single-category declines, down 44.1% year-over-year, with just over 3,000 car thefts recorded in 2025 compared to roughly 5,400 the year before. Car break-ins fell 43%, burglaries dropped 28.4%, and larceny theft, the highest-volume property crime category, declined 21.4%. Citywide, reported property crimes fell 26.3% to 23,023 incidents through December 21, down from 31,254 over the same period in 2024. Measured against 2023 rather than 2024, the declines are steeper still: car thefts fell 54%, burglaries 33%, and larceny was cut roughly in half.

The SFPD's Drug Market Agency Coordination Center drove much of the enforcement activity. Officers, working alongside the Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement partners, made 6,683 arrests in 2025: 735 for drug dealing, 3,586 for drug use, and 2,362 for other crimes including outstanding warrants. Officers also seized 1,003 firearms and more than 56 pounds of fentanyl. Citywide retail theft enforcement operations in commercial corridors, combined with high-visibility patrols, produced the reductions in larceny and retail theft. The department also credited drones, license plate readers, and public safety cameras as operational tools behind the crime drop.

The SFPD's Homicide Unit reached a clearance rate of 125% in 2025 after solving several cases from prior years, compared to a national average the department cited as between 50% and 60%.

"These historic reductions in crime show what's possible when we focus relentlessly on public safety and give our officers the tools to succeed," said Mayor Daniel Lurie. "I'm grateful to the men and women of the SFPD and all of our partners who are delivering real results for San Franciscans, even while operating short-staffed."

Police Chief Derrick Lew, appointed last month at the time of the announcement, credited the department's rank and file directly. "Our officers have been doing a tremendous job fighting crime and keeping San Francisco safe," Lew said. "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 department acknowledged it is operating hundreds of members below full strength. Lurie signed an executive directive in May to accelerate hiring, and in October the department reported the largest surge of recruits in years. The 2025 totals push San Francisco toward its lowest year-to-date crime figures recorded since at least 2017, marking the third consecutive annual decline following the city's brief post-pandemic crime surge.