07/08/2022
The San Francisco Police Department released 2021 crime data, showing an increase from 2020 but lower rates than pre-pandemic.
According to San Francisco police's Compstat data, property crimes rose 11% in 2021 and violent crimes rose 1%. Compstat is a program police use to track and analyze crime statistics.
Overall, crime was lower in 2019 and previous years. 2014-2019 saw 56,000-63,000 violent and property crimes. 2021 saw 49,685 crimes.
7,217 burglaries were reported in 2021, just a few hundred fewer than in 2020 but more than 40% higher than in 2019. Given the Louis Vuitton smash-and-grab last year, that number is notable.
Theft from vehicles is up 39% from 2020, and larceny theft is up 21%. This year's numbers are lower. San Francisco police recorded 42,022 thefts in 2019 vs. 31,139 in 2018. Property theft is one of the city's most underreported crimes, especially among business owners who say it's not worth reporting.
Homicides continue to rise from pre-pandemic levels. In 2017, 56 homicides were reported, eight more than in 2020 and 15 more than in 2019.
R**e and robberies are down since 2014, the last year of publicly available Compstat data on the San Francisco Police Department's website.
The Mission has the most crimes overall in 2021. All violent and property crimes increased in the district, except s*x trafficking. These numbers are lower than 2019's.
San Francisco police also released hate crime data this week, with 60 victims in 2021, up from nine the year before.
Mayor London Breed plans to get more overtime funding for police and fire departments. Breed has increased crime-fighting efforts in recent months. She launched a "emergency intervention plan" in the Tenderloin, changed the city's surveillance ordinance, and increased police funding in December 2021.
Without emergency funding, she warned, police will face staff shortages and delayed academy classes.