San Francisco, CA
How San Francisco is lowering crime rates
San Francisco has boomed in many ways over the past two decades, but while the city has become a hub for tech talent and entrepreneurship, it has also gained a negative reputation for a high crime rate.
That is, until the past year, when the city saw a staggering drop in reported crime, which is continuing in 2025.
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) reported that in 2024, homicides in the city fell by 31.4 percent, rapes fell by 2 percent and robbery fell by 21.8, compared to 2023.
Additionally, assaults fell by 6.3 percent, burglary and larceny theft fell by 9.9 and 35 percent, respectively, and arson fell by 20.6 percent in the same time period.
The start of 2025 also appears to be promising in terms of falling crime. SFPD data shows that homicides between January 1 and April 14, compared to the same time period in 2024, fell by 55.6 percent.
That comparative time period also saw rapes fall by 34.2 percent, robberies by 21.2 percent, assaults by 7.3, burglaries by 42.1 percent, larceny-theft by 30.4 and arson by 29.7 percent.
The statistics cover a smaller period of time, meaning the percentage difference may appear larger than the numerical difference between crimes.
San Francisco District Attorney (DA) Brooke Jenkins spoke with Newsweek about the methods being used by her office and San Francisco law enforcement to reduce crime in the city.
Main: Ringo Chiu/Main: Associated Press, Inset: San Francisco District Attorney’s Office
“When I was appointed district attorney, we had a complete shift in the way that my office was doing the work and in the partnerships that we had,” Jenkins said. “Particularly with the San Francisco Police Department, but also with our other state and federal law enforcement agencies. Those are partnerships that were very strained, if not nonexistent, before I took over, and so that was a big priority for me.”
Jenkins explained that improving the partnerships between the DA’s office and law enforcement has allowed them to improve court accountability, as she had seen a pattern of people being accused of crimes but not being held accountable.
Without “adequate and appropriate consequences” crime would not be deterred in the city, Jenkins said. However, “we can’t prosecute if the ground-level agencies aren’t doing the work and making the arrest,” she said. “We needed to have a strong partnership, really, to motivate and incentivize them to do more. And we’ve been able to really develop that.”
The collaboration between the offices looks like having regular meetings between the DA and the SFPD, making sure that police are aware of the evidence they need to be gathering at a crime scene so they meet the burden of proof at trial, and Jenkins “giving them praise very publicly because they need to feel encouraged and [that] people see the work that they’re doing and how hard they are working.”
Jenkins spoke specifically about drug arrests. She told Newsweek that San Francisco is perceived as having a permissive drug culture, as there are many people who were able to do drugs openly on the street in the city for many years.
Her office, in conjunction with law enforcement, has been increasing arrests for drug dealing, which Jenkins said may be classified as a non-violent crime but “begets violence” in the form of turf wars, robberies and assault.
When it comes to drugs in the city in particular, Jenkins recognized that they cannot be dealt with purely by carceral means.
“I think one of the largest issues that we face in San Francisco is both the unhoused, the homelessness issue,” she said. “Many of those individuals are addicted to drugs, particularly right now, fentanyl.
“And so there is a lot that we are trying to do to get in front of the law enforcement involvement, to try to route these individuals into treatment, to get them incentivized to engage in treatment.”
Jenkins explained that her office has the opportunity to send drug offenders to collaborative, noncriminal, courts to address their mental health, substance abuse or other struggles in order to get them placed in treatment centers as opposed to prison.
“We do really try to make sure that we address the underlying issue that somebody is facing, both before they enter the criminal justice system and have contact with law enforcement,” Jenkins said.
SOPA Images Limited/Alamy Live News via AP
This is an effort that has not gone unnoticed by social justice groups in San Francisco.
GLIDE, a social justice organization in the city dedicated to combating poverty and systemic injustice, spoke with Newsweek about the city’s new strategy toward crime.
“The shifting public safety landscape has brought both opportunities and complexities to our work: fewer reported crimes can create a safer environment for our clients and staff, but higher arrest rates, depending on how they are applied, can also increase the vulnerability of marginalized populations,” GLIDE said. “We remain committed to offering services that focus on stability, healing, reentry and empowerment.”
Speaking about collaborative courts, GLIDE said: “We have indeed seen greater efforts to divert individuals with substance use issues into treatment-focused programs rather than punitive systems.
“Programs like collaborative courts and pretrial diversion are important steps toward recognizing addiction as a health issue, not solely a criminal one.”
They explained that approaches such as collaborative courts align with evidence showing that pathways to recovery in the form of support and harm-reduction resources, as well as access to health care and social services, are more positively impactful than incarceration.
Another method the DA’s office and law enforcement have been using to crack down on crime is increasing surveillance in the city.
“We were a city that prioritized privacy over enforcement,” Jenkins said.
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty
Jenkins said that, ironically, although much surveillance tech is created in San Francisco, it was not used by the city’s law enforcement until a public ballot measure passed in 2024 allowing the police to increase its surveillance methods.
Some of the surveillance tools now being used by police are license plate scanners to track stolen cars, increased filming of “troubled locations,” and drones for assisting police in tracking suspects after fleeing a scene.
Jenkins said they identify “troubled locations” using community feedback, aggregate data from prior arrests and 911 calls.
GLIDE said that although they recognize that surveillance tools with appropriate oversight can be used as public safety tools, “we are also mindful that increased surveillance technologies can sometimes have unintended consequences for already marginalized groups, particularly people of color, people experiencing homelessness, and individuals living with substance use disorder or mental health issues.
“It is critical that any use of surveillance tech comes with strong transparency, community input and strict protections to prevent misuse or over-policing of vulnerable communities. Trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve is vital, and any technology must support—not undermine—that trust.”
When it comes to the future of law enforcement in the city, Jenkins said: “We want to be fair. We want to have due process. We want to route people to the sources of help that they need appropriately. But we cannot abandon rules, and I think, to the extent that we continue to enforce rules, cities across our state in our country will be in better shape.”
Bay Area High School baseball fans are treated to a rare opportunity Saturday (April 18) with three games at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, including the famed Bruce-Mahoney clash between West Catholic Athletic League rivals St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral.
The first pitch of the 20th annual Dante Benedetti Baseball Classic starts at 11 a.m. and pits two more San Francisco private schools as University (9-7), winners of four straight, taking on Riordan (5-11).
That will be followed by the Bruce-Mahoney game at 2:30 between St. Ignatius (12-5, 4-2 WCAL) and the Irish (7-10, 1-5) and finished off with a North Coast Section clash between North Bay’s Marin Catholic (9-7) against Acalanes (7-6-1).
The Benedetti Classic, founded by Dante’s Boys Foundation board member Tom Lounibos and Giants president Larry Baer, benefits the DBF which honors the spirit of Benedetti who for nearly 40 years owned San Francisco’s Mr. Baseball nickname for his kindness and generosity to baseball-playing youth in the area.
Among their philanthropic efforts are glove and baseball equipment drives, field renovations and contributions to scholarships and sponsorships.
After starting the season 0-4 — three of those losses were by one run — University, under head coach Andrew Suvunnachuen, has found its way, winning the last four, all in Bay Counties League play, by a combined 51-6 count over Lick-Wilmerding (16-1 and 11-3) and San Domenico (13-2 and 11-0).
Senior catcher and pitcher Jett Messenger leads the way with a .447 average, while getting on base at a .638 rate. He also leads the team with 20 stolen bases. Junior third baseman Tate Gebhart is hitting .419, while Leo Felder and Behbart share the RBI lead with 15 each.
Junior Matthew Foley is 3-2 on the mound with a 2.38 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 17.2 innings.
Riordan, under second-year head coach Craig Sargent, was 5-5 in nonleague games but lost six straight in the rugged WCAL, losing two tough games this week to Mitty (3-2 and 7-4). Junior third baseman and pitcher Santiono Williams leads the team in batting average (.371), on-base percentage (.488) and stolen bases (nine). He’s also been the team’s top pitcher at 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA.
The teams have split two previous games in their history, with Riordan winning 2-0 in 2023 and University prevailing 5-0 in 2021.
St. Ignatius, led by ninth-year head coach Brian Pollzzie, has already secured the Bruce-Mahoney trophy with four straight wins — one each in football, girls volleyball, boys basketball and girls basketball — but this rivalry is always spirited.
The Wildcats, who are ranked fourth in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle, are coming off a tough 3-0 home loss to No. 2 St. Francis on Friday after beating the host Lancers 10-6 on Tuesday.
The team is led by Stanford-bound Archer Horn, who is hitting .486 with four home runs and a .604 on-base percentage. The shortstop and pitcher also has not allowed an earned run in three pitching appearances while registering one save.
Pitching is a team’s strength with a 2.59 ERA, led by a brigade of strong arms including Leo Rhein (2-0, 2.38), Tycco Giometti (2-1, 2.62), Charlie Stecher 1-1, 0.72) and Chase Gordon (1-0, 2.80). The team is missing standout Finn Demuth, out of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Sacred Heart Cathedral, led by fourth-year head coach Gregg Franceschi, has scored 60 runs on the season and given up 61. The Irish are coming off two losses to eighth-ranked Valley Christian (5-2 and 10-1).
They are led offensively by junior outfielder Brody O’Sullivan (.381) and senior infielder Jacob Vines (.378). Johnny Nepomuceno and Max Nylander are other run-producers. Zach Stallworth (37 strikeouts, 29.2 innings) and Cooper Rogers Lewis (0.25 ERA) have been the team’s top pitchers.
The series has been remarkably close since 2005 with Sacred Heart Cathedral holding a 27-20 edge, though St. Ignatius won both games last season (5-0 and 6-3) after the Irish won 9-7 and 1-0 in 2024.
Marin Catholic hopes to get back to winning after starting the season 9-1, but have since lost six straight, four in Marin County Athletic League play, including 4-2 to Novato on Thursday. Senior outfield Luke Martin is the team’s leading hitter at .478 while senior infielder and pitcher Cooper Mitchell is at .455. Senior infielder Walker Untermann leads the team with 15 RBIs.
Acalanes is at the other end of the spectrum, winners of five of six after a 2-5-1 start. Junior infielder Tyler Winkles, also a highly recruited quarterback in football, leads the team with a .383 average and nine stolen bases. Riley Gates (2-3, 2.49 ERA, 30 strikeouts) is the team’s top pitcher.
The teams have played three times, all since 2022, with Marin Catholic owning a 2-1 lead. Acalanes won last year’s game 8-7.
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Chinatown fatal crash victim ID’d, safety measures proposed
The victim killed in Friday’s Chinatown crash was identified Monday by the medical examiner as Cutberto Zamora-Martinez, 49, of San Joaquin County. At a meeting on Monday, city officials said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
SAN FRANCISCO – A 76-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and speeding following a crash in San Francisco’s Chinatown that killed a man working in the area.
Zhuo Ming Lu, 76, is accused in the March 27 crash that left 49-year-old Cutberto Zamora-Martinez, of San Joaquin County, dead.
Suspect was trying to park
What we know:
Authorities said Lu was attempting to park near Grant Avenue and Jackson Street when his vehicle jumped the sidewalk and crashed into the landmark New Lung Ting Café, also known as the Pork Chop House. The vehicle also struck two pedestrians, including Zamora-Martinez.
Zamora-Martinez died from his injuries.
He had been working in the area, according to a GoFundMe page. A San Francisco Police Department source close to the investigation told KTVU the victims were carpet installers arriving for work.
The fundraising page described Zamora-Martinez as a husband and father who was the sole provider for his family and “a humble man who wanted the best for his family.”
Before his arrest, Lu had been cooperating with investigators. Authorities have not confirmed what caused the crash.
Some residents questioned whether the driver’s age or a possible confusion between the brake and gas pedals may have been factors.
“Maybe if people hit a certain age, you got to get retested for your driver’s license is something I was thinking about,” said Keith Hong, who works next door to the crash site.
Another case involving an elderly driver
Big picture view:
In an unrelated case, Mary Fong Lau, 80, was sentenced to probation after killing a family of four, two parents and their young children. in March 2024. Authorities said Lau struck the victims as they waited at a Muni stop on their way to the zoo.
Lau pleaded no contest to four felony counts of vehicular manslaughter, and a judge accepted the plea. A Superior Court judge cited her age, remorse and lack of criminal history in the sentencing decision.
She was placed on probation for two years, banned from driving for three years and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
The Source: San Francisco Police Department, prior reporting
San Francisco first came to know chefs Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz through their pop-up Istanbul Modern, and later through their breakthrough Presidio restaurant Dalida. The duo’s success is grounded in their take on Eastern Mediterranean food, which they made a conscious decision to champion 10 years ago.
Fast-forward to 2026, and now Laura is taking on a personal project of her own, with Sayat by her side, placing foods from Mexico’s Guerrero and Sinaloa center stage at Maria Isabel. It’s a refreshing menu that combines both Mexican and local ingredients, through the lens of the Ozyilmazes cooking backgrounds.
Reservations are released on OpenTable 30 days in advance, but Laura confirmed that they do take walk-ins depending on space. Smaller parties or solo diners might have better luck sliding in, thanks to the counter in the brighter, “Maria” portion of the restaurant.
The cocktails from consulting bar director Evan Williams are always worth a glimpse, whether at Dalida or at Maria Isabel. They’re well-balanced and have incredible depth and technique behind them. That being said, the team sourced wines from woman-led wine brands such as LOTIS Wines and Amevive Wine, if you’re looking to explore past the usual selections you’ll see elsewhere.
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