SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco’s outgoing mayor is touting a drop in crime on her last full day in office. As the city prepares to transition from one mayor to another, crime is front and center.

The latest data shows crime is on the decline in San Francisco. The mayor and chief of police said property crime is down 31% from 2023, and violent crime is down 14%.

On her final full day in office, Mayor London Breed said it’s the result of hard work on several fronts. The mayor said a strong district attorney, new state and local laws and the adoption of new technology, have all contributed to the lowest crime rate since 2001. 

“We have what we need to be a successful city and I feel strongly and proud that I laid the groundwork for what happened in 2024,” said Mayor Breed. “It’s only going to get better.”

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a privacy watchdog in the digital and technological space, warned that “There is no magic “tipping point” the SFPD can hit in which more and more surveillance will suddenly be the primary reason for safer streets—the opposite is true. The more surveillance there is, the more vulnerable communities will feel the negative impacts of heavy-handed policing.”

San Francisco’s Police Chief Bill Scott said a focused approach to catching and convicting repeat offenders and adopting new technology played roles in reducing the crime rate. “Once we got that equipment in our arsenal of tools, drones and helicopters, they became even more effective,” said Chief Scott. “We’re seeing more arrests, we’re seeing more arrests on people that are prolific.”

The latest data comes as the city prepares for a new mayor to lead the city. Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie met with officers in Chinatown to listen to their concerns. He acknowledged the decrease in crime, but said there is still work to be done. “It’s incredibly hopeful,” said Lurie. “We have to continue to do our work. I’ve commended them on those crime stats going down, want to continue to see improvements there.”

Specifically, the mayor-elect said he wanted to see increased focus on the fentanyl epidemic and maintain the focus on public safety and said he will share more details on his plans on Wednesday. 

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell shared some positive news for Seattle law enforcement.

According to a news release from Harrell on Tuesday, the Seattle Police Department received the highest number of applications in 10 years — more than 4,300 in 2024.

The city hired 84 cops last year and for the first time since 2020, the number of officers hired outpaced the number leaving. In 2024, 83 officers left the department but 84 were hired. The year before, 97 officers left the department and only 61 were hired. SPD reported 4,115 entry-level and 216 lateral applications in 2024, with the average total number of applications per day more than doubling.

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Harrell credited new recruiting approaches and higher pay for the boost in officers. According to the release, the department introduced electronic pre-employment background testing to keep applications moving. It also hired additional examination support staff, allowed candidates to take the agility test from home and improved candidate tracking and outreach.

The department noted there are seven steps for entry-level candidates to apply including submitting an application, completing a written test, taking a physical agility test, passing a background investigation, completing a medical evaluation and completing a polygraph assessment.

“We continue making strides towards creating the best police department to work for period,” Interim Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr stated. “With those improvements, we are just starting to see the results, with more than 20 new officers waiting to go to the academy and hundreds more just beginning the process.”

In April, MyNorthwest investigated what officers had to say as they were leaving the department. Of the more than a dozen SPD exit interviews in 2023 acquired by MyNorthwest, 100% were of officers who served more than five years with the department, 82% were from officers who served 11-15 years, 73% from officers who served more than 15 years and 64% came from officers who reached 20 or more years of service.

Four years after CHOP (Capitol Hill Organized Protest) usurped Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, officers were still reeling from the repercussions.

‘SPD is dying’: What Seattle police officers are saying during exit interviews

When presented with the question: What factors had a negative effect on morale in the department, Seattle police officers were nearly united in their responses.

“SPD’s political posture and city management in all categories,” one departing officer, a detective who’s been with Seattle for more than 10 years, said in response. “The morale and retention will never be achieved in the political climate of Seattle. SPD is dying and the command staff is along for the ride — watching it die.”

In total, 73% of obtained exit interviews cited city leadership as a reason for leaving. More than 80% cited staffing issues.

Now that SPD was able to hire more officers will it be able to keep them? Harrell is hopeful, stating in the release, “Since day one of my administration, officer recruitment and retention has been a major priority, and 2024’s net positive staffing — for the first time since 2019 — is a sign of progress, even as we recognize there is much more work to do.”

Contributing: Heather Bosch, KIRO Newsradio and Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.