Crime in San Francisco

Last updated

San Francisco
Crime rates* (2019)
Violent crimes
Homicide 4.5
Rape 36.6
Robbery 344.8
Aggravated assault 283.7
Total violent crime 669.6
Property crimes
Burglary 524.1
Larceny-theft 4,501.8
Motor vehicle theft 479.6
Arson 31
Total property crime 5,505.6
Notes

*Number of reported crimes per 100,000 population.

San Francisco currently has lower-than-average rates of violent crime when compared with other major U.S. cities, while property crimes, such as theft and burglary, are higher than the national average. [1]

Contents

In 2011, 50 murders were reported, which is 6.1 per 100,000 people. This coincided with a period when California's homicide rate fell to a 44-year low. [2] There were about 134 rapes, 3,142 robberies, and about 2,139 assaults. There were about 4,469 burglaries, 25,100 thefts, and 4,210 motor vehicle thefts. [3] The Tenderloin area has the highest crime rate in San Francisco: 70% of the city's violent crimes, and around one-fourth of the city's murders, occur in this neighborhood. The Tenderloin also sees high rates of drug abuse, gang violence, and prostitution. [4] Another area with high crime rates is the Bayview-Hunters Point area. In the first six months of 2015 there were 25 murders compared to 14 in the first six months of 2014. However, the murder rate is still much lower than in past decades. [5] That rate, though, did rise again by the close of 2016. According to the San Francisco Police Department, there were 59 murders in the city in 2016, an annual total that marked a 13.5% increase in the number of homicides (52) from 2015. [6]

In November 2021, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s office stated that about 2% of auto burglaries in San Francisco result in an arrest. [7]

As of August 2022, the SFPD was mired in a critical understaffing crisis, with 300 less officers than what it should have. [8]

In September 2022, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a poll of 1,653 city residents found that over the past five years, 45% of San Francisco residents had been the victim of theft and 24% had either been threatened with violence or had been the victim of a violent crime. [9] Over the next two years, the crime rate skyrocketed in San Francisco's traditionally safer western neighborhoods, including the Sunset District [10] and the Richmond District. [11]

As of 2023, the city's crime issues were beginning to affect its major league sports franchises. In December 2023, after the Los Angeles Dodgers won out over the San Francisco Giants to become Shohei Ohtani's next baseball team, Buster Posey told The Athletic that "reservation[s]" among Ohtani's people about "the state of the city right now" were apparently among the factors that swayed Ohtani towards choosing to stay in Southern California. [12] Posey also noted that more generally, concerns about crime and drugs have been an issue when pursuing free agents. [12] Posey stressed that Ohtani had not said or done anything himself to imply that his safety was a factor, and it was the people around him who were concerned. [12] Farhan Zaidi explained that the Giants had matched every financial demand from Ohtani's side, meaning that Ohtani's final decision came down to other factors besides money. [12] On August 31, 2024, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery just east of Union Square. [13] Pearsall was admitted to San Francisco General Hospital, treated, and released the following afternoon. [14] The 49ers placed Pearsall on the reserve/NFI list, meaning that he would be ineligible to play for the first four weeks of the 2024 NFL season. [15]

By August 2024, the San Francisco County Superior Court was so overwhelmed with criminal cases that it had no choice but to dismiss 70 misdemeanor cases due to the unavailability of judges and courtrooms to hold speedy trials. [16] [17] One of the cases thus dismissed was a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter case arising from a May 2022 crash which killed two Florida tourists. [16] [17]

Gangs

Several street gangs have operated in the city over the decades, including MS-13, [18] the Sureños and Norteños in the Mission District. [19] In 2008, a MS-13 member killed three family members as they were arriving home in the city's Excelsior District. His victims had no relationship with him, nor did they have any known gang or street crime involvement.

African-American street gangs familiar in other cities, including the Bloods, Crips and their sets, have struggled to establish footholds in San Francisco, [20] while police and prosecutors have been accused of liberally labeling young African-American males as gang members. [21] However, gangs founded in San Francisco with majority Black memberships have made their presence in the city. The gang Westmob, associated with Oakdale Mob and Sunnydale housing project gangs from the southeast area of the city, was involved in a gang war with Hunters Point-based Big Block from 1999 to the 2000s. [22] They claim territory from West Point to Middle Point in the Hunters Point projects. [23] In 2004, a Westmob member fatally shot a SFPD officer and wounded his partner; he was sentenced to life without parole in 2007. [24]

Criminal gangs with shot callers in China, including Triad groups such as the Wo Hop To, have been reported active in San Francisco. [25] In 1977, an ongoing rivalry between two Chinese gangs led to a shooting attack at the Golden Dragon restaurant in Chinatown, which left 5 people dead and 11 wounded. None of the victims in this attack were gang members. Five members of the Joe Boys gang were arrested and convicted of the crime. [26] In 1990, a gang-related shooting killed one man and wounded six others outside a nightclub near Chinatown. [27] In 1998, six teenagers were shot and wounded at the Chinese Playground; a 16-year-old boy was subsequently arrested. [28]

Shoplifting

As of 2024, San Francisco has received significant attention for shoplifting incidents, with videos of such occurrences gaining widespread attention on social media. [29] [30] Some reports suggest that shoplifting has contributed to store closures in the city. [31] [32]

The rise in shoplifting has been linked by some to a 2014 ballot initiative that reclassified thefts under $950 from a felony to a misdemeanor. [33] However, others argue that the extent of shoplifting in San Francisco has been overstated, attributing the issue to broader economic inequality. [34]

Related Research Articles

Like many other communities, the older Chinatowns face certain social problems. Although Chinatowns are now generally viewed and valued as tourist attractions, their earlier reputation was that of dangerous or dilapidated ghettos and slums, sites of brothels, opium dens, and gambling halls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Square, San Francisco</span> Neighborhood of San Francisco in California, United States

Union Square is a 2.6-acre (1.1-hectare) public plaza bordered by Geary, Powell, Post, and Stockton Streets in downtown San Francisco, California. "Union Square" also refers to the central shopping, hotel, and theater district surrounding the plaza for several blocks. The area got its name because it was once used for Thomas Starr King rallies and support for the Union Army during the American Civil War, earning its designation as a California Historical Landmark. Despite its declining profile, Union Square in San Francisco is still a major retail hub for the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Dragon massacre</span> 1977 shooting in San Francisco, California, U.S.

The Golden Dragon massacre was a gang-related mass shooting that took place on September 4, 1977, inside the Golden Dragon Restaurant at 822 Washington Street in Chinatown, San Francisco, California, United States. The five perpetrators, members of the Joe Boys, a Chinese youth gang, were attempting to kill leaders of the Wah Ching, a rival Chinatown gang. The attack left five people dead and 11 others injured, none of whom were gang members. Seven perpetrators were later convicted and sentenced in connection with the murders. The massacre led to the establishment of the San Francisco Police Department's Asian Gang Task Force, credited with ending gang-related violence in Chinatown by 1983. The restaurant itself closed in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Police Department</span> Municipal police department in San Francisco, California

The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) is the municipal law enforcement agency of the City and County of San Francisco, as well as the San Francisco International Airport in San Mateo County. In 2000, the SFPD was the 11th largest police department in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wah Ching</span> Chinese American gang

Wah Ching is a Chinese American criminal organization and street gang that was founded in San Francisco, California in 1964. The Wah Ching has been involved in crimes including narcotic sales, racketeering, and gambling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Lau</span>

Fred Harry Lau is a former Chief of Police for San Francisco, having served from 1996–2002. He was the first Asian American to ever hold that position, and has been called the first Chinese-American to lead the police in any major American city. In 2013, he became the TSA Federal Security Director of the San Francisco International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in the United States</span>

Crime has been recorded in the United States since its founding and has fluctuated significantly over time. Most available data underestimate crime before the 1930s, giving the false impression that crime was low in the early 1900s and had a sharp rise after. Instead, violent crime during the colonial period was likely three times higher than the highest modern rates in the data we have, and crime had been on the decline since colonial times. Within the better data for crime reporting and recording available starting in the 1930s, crime reached its broad, bulging modern peak between the 1970s and early 1990s. After 1992, crime rates have generally trended downwards each year, with the exceptions of a slight increase in property crimes in 2001 and increases in violent crimes in 2005–2006, 2014–2016 and 2020–2021. As of July 1, 2024 violent crime was down and homicides were on pace to drop to 2015 levels by the end of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenderloin, San Francisco</span> Neighborhood in California, U.S.

The Tenderloin is a neighborhood in downtown San Francisco, in the flatlands on the southern slope of Nob Hill, situated between the Union Square shopping district to the northeast and the Civic Center office district to the southwest. Encompassing about 50 square blocks, it is historically bounded on the north by Geary Street, on the east by Mason Street, on the south by Market Street and on the west by Van Ness Avenue. The northern boundary with Lower Nob Hill has historically been set at Geary Boulevard.

The San Francisco Police Department began operations on August 13, 1849 during the California Gold Rush in San Francisco, California, under the command of Captain Malachi Fallon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesa Boudin</span> 29th District Attorney of San Francisco (2020–2022, recalled)

Chesa Boudin is an American lawyer who served as the 29th District Attorney of San Francisco from January 8, 2020, to July 8, 2022. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Kevin J. Mullen was an American crime writer.

Crime in California refers to crime occurring within the U.S. state of California.

The Jackson Boyz, JBZ or Jackson Street Boys, JSB are or were a San Francisco, California based Asian American street gang and criminal organization The gang, composed of Cantonese and Vietnamese members, has been centered in San Francisco's Chinatown, and was named for Jackson Street. The Jackson Street Boys also have a presence in other U.S. cities.

Crime in Oakland, California began to rise during the late 1960s after the King assassination riots, and by the end of the 1970s Oakland's per capita murder rate had risen to twice that of San Francisco or New York City. In 1983, the National Journal referred to Oakland as the "1983 crime capital" of the San Francisco Bay Area. Crime continued to escalate during the 1980s and 1990s, and during the first decade of the 21st century Oakland has consistently been listed as one of the most dangerous large cities in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department</span> Government agency in San Francisco, California

The San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department is the city agency responsible for governing and maintaining all city-owned parks and recreational facilities in San Francisco, as well as Sharp Park Golf Course in Pacifica and Camp Mather in Tuolumne County. Current facilities include 4,113 acres (1,664 ha) of total recreational and open space with 3,400 acres (1,376 ha) of that land within San Francisco. The department runs 179 playgrounds and play areas, 82 recreation centers and clubhouses, nine swimming pools, five golf courses, 151 tennis courts, 72 basketball courts, 59 soccer fields, numerous baseball diamonds, and other sports venues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 California Proposition 47</span> Reduction of some crimes to misdemeanours

Proposition 47, also known by its ballot title Criminal Sentences. Misdemeanor Penalties. Initiative Statute, was a referendum passed by voters in the state of California on November 4, 2014. The measure was also referred to by its supporters as the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act. It recategorized some nonviolent offenses as misdemeanors, rather than felonies, as they had previously been categorized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillary Ronen</span> American politician

Hillary Ronen is an American politician and attorney serving as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from District 9, which includes the neighborhoods of Mission District, Bernal Heights, and Portola.

African Americans in San Francisco, California, composed just under 6% of the city's total population as of 2019 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, down from 13.4% in 1970. There are about 55,000 people of full or partial black ancestry living within the city. The community began with workers and entrepreneurs of the California Gold Rush in the 19th century, and in the early-to-mid 20th century, grew to include migrant workers with origins in the Southern United States, who worked as railroad workers or service people at shipyards. In the mid-20th century, the African American community in the Fillmore District earned the neighborhood the nickname the "Harlem of the West," referring to New York City's Harlem neighborhood, which is associated with African American culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Devil Horns</span>

Operation Devil Horns was a four-year-long criminal investigation run by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), culminating in the arrests and convictions of more than three dozen members of the MS-13 gang in San Francisco. It is one of the largest such cases of its kind in U.S. history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 San Francisco District Attorney recall election</span>

The 2022 San Francisco District Attorney recall election was a successful special recall election to remove San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin from office. It was held on June 7, 2022, concurrent with the 2022 statewide primary elections.

References

  1. ↑ "Key facts about crime in San Francisco". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Demian Bulwa (January 5, 2012). "Through hard times, S.F. killings at historic lows". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  3. ↑ "San Francisco crime rates and statistics". NeighborhoodScout. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  4. ↑ "The Tenderloin". FoundSF. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  5. ↑ Vivian Ho (July 4, 2015). "Bay Area homicide rates remain low". San Francisco Chronicle.
  6. ↑ Bodley, Michael (January 4, 2017). "SF cops say they notch 2 arrests in last 2 homicides of 2016." SFGate. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  7. ↑ San Francisco DA Says Few Auto Smash-and-Grab Burglaries End With An Arrest Betty Yu, CBS, November 10, 2021
  8. ↑ Miguel, Ken; Matier, Phil (August 3, 2022). "SFPD chief worries about loss of hundreds of officers amid staffing shortage". ABC7. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  9. ↑ Swan, Rachel (September 13, 2022). "Here's how many San Franciscans say they've been the victim of a crime, according to new poll". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  10. ↑ Lindqwister, Liz (February 27, 2023). "'Worse than it's ever been': Crime rising in San Francisco's sleepy Sunset District". The San Francisco Standard. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  11. ↑ Mishanec, Nora (March 14, 2024). "SF's Richmond residents 'traumatized' by rising crime, break-ins". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Baggarly, Andrew (December 12, 2023). "Shohei Ohtani turned down Giants' $700M offer. Buster Posey reflects on team's 'free-agent slump'". The Athletic. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  13. ↑ DiFeliciantonio, Chase; Vaziri, Aidin; Leonard, Christian; Toledo, Aldo (2024-08-31). "49ers' Ricky Pearsall shot in chest during S.F. Union Square robbery". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  14. ↑ Barrows, Matt; Puleo, Mark (September 1, 2024). "49ers' Ricky Pearsall released from hospital after being shot, did not require surgery: Source". The Athletic (The New York Times). Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  15. ↑ Maiocco, Matt (September 2, 2024). "49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall placed on NFI list, out first four weeks". NBC Los Angeles.
  16. 1 2 Kelly, George (August 15, 2024). "'I have been failed': Victims slam court as domestic violence, deadly driving cases tossed". The San Francisco Standard. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  17. 1 2 Cassidy, Megan; Wilson, Elizabeth; Egelko, Bob (August 15, 2024). "Dozens of SF misdemeanors dismissed for taking too long". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  18. ↑ "La Mara Salvatrucha Street Gang – San Francisco". Sfweekly.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  19. ↑ Bulwa, Demian (May 27, 2005). "SAN FRANCISCO / Sureño gang's threat growing in Bay Area / Widow's apartment is at heart of group's Mission District turf". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  20. ↑ Albert Samaha (September 26, 2012). "Crip-less: S.F.'s Dislike of Franchises Extends to Street Gangs – Page 1 – News – San Francisco". SF Weekly. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  21. ↑ Chris Roberts (December 2015). "Mario Woods and Gang Injunctions". SF Weekly. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Straight Outta Hunter's Point DVD". Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  23. ↑ Sward, Susan (December 16, 2001). "THE KILLING STREETS / A Cycle of Vengeance / BLOOD FEUD / In Bayview-Hunters Point, a series of unsolved homicides has devastated one of S.F.'s most close-knit communities". SFGATE.
  24. ↑ Van Derbeken, Jaxon; Lagos, Marisa; Buchanan, Wyatt (April 20, 2007). "AK-47 cop killer gets life". San Francisco Chronicle.
  25. ↑ Mary Spicuzza (August 1, 2007). "Enter The Dragon". SF Weekly. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  26. ↑ Vanessa Hua (October 7, 2006). "Golden Dragon Closes and owes a million". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  27. ↑ Jim Herron Zamora (May 15, 1990). "S.F. Chinatown Shootings May Be Tied to Gang". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  28. ↑ Vanessa Hua (June 20, 1998). "Boy, 16, Arrested in S.F. Chinatown Shooting Rampage / Suspect was at scene but didn't fire gun, cops say". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  29. ↑ Fuller, Thomas (May 21, 2021). "San Francisco's Shoplifting Surge". The New York Times.
  30. ↑ "After San Francisco shoplifting video goes viral, officials argue thefts aren't rampant". NBC News. 2021-07-14. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  31. ↑ "Macy's Union Square workers blame rampant shoplifting for closure". The San Francisco Standard. 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  32. ↑ "Walgreens To Close Another Downtown San Francisco Location". The San Francisco Standard. 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  33. ↑ "Here's Why San Francisco is Experiencing a Shoplifting Surge That's Putting Some Stores Out of Business". fee.org. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  34. ↑ Neilson, Susie (June 26, 2021). "A viral video has everyone talking about San Francisco's 'shoplifting surge.' But is it real?". The San Francisco Chronicle.

See also

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