The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) is the municipal law enforcement agency of the City and County of San Francisco, as well as San Francisco International Airport in San Mateo County. In 2000, the SFPD was the 11th largest police department in the United States.
The SFPD (along with the San Francisco Fire Department and the San Francisco Sheriff's Department) serves an estimated population of 1.2 million, including the daytime-commuter population and thousands of other tourists and visitors.
The department's motto is the same as that of the city and county: Oro en paz, fierro en guerra, Spanish for Gold in peace, iron in war.
History
Early years
The SFPD began operations on August 13, 1849, during the California gold rush under the command of Captain Malachi Fallon. At the time, Chief Fallon had a force of one deputy captain, three sergeants and 30 officers.
In 1850 they took part in a parade celebrating Californias admission as a state. The department carried a flag that was described as: "...a blue banner, surmounted with a golden eagle and inscribed—" San Francisco Police Department. Organized Oct. 12, 1849.”
In 1851, Albert Bernard de Russailh wrote about the nascent San Francisco police force:
As for the police, I have only one thing to say. The police force is largely made up of ex-bandits, and naturally the members are interested above all in saving their old friends from punishment. Policemen here are quite as much to be feared as the robbers; if they know you have money, they will be the first to knock you on the head. You pay them well to watch over your house, and they set it on fire. In short, I think that all the people concerned with justice or the police are in league with the criminals. The city is in a hopeless chaos, and many years must pass before order can be established. In a country where so many races are mingled, a severe and inflexible justice is desirable, which would govern with an iron hand.(De Russailh, Albert Bernard) Crane, Clarkson. Last Adventure- San Francisco in 1851. Translated from the Original Journal of Albert Bernard de Russailh by Clarkson Crane. San Francisco. The Westgate Press. 1931
On October 28, 1853, the Board of Aldermen passed Ordinance No. 466, which provided for the reorganization of the police department. Sections one and two provided as follows:
In July 1856, the "Consolidation Act" went into effect. This act abolished the office of City Marshal and created in its stead the office of Chief of Police. The first Chief of Police elected in 1856 was James F. Curtis a former member of the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance.
On September 6, 1856, the centennial anniversary of the birthday of Lafayette was being held in the city, with a huge parade going through the streets. The members of the department were led by James F. Curtis and carried a new flag, that was similar to the first. It was described as: "...a magnificent banner of blue and scarlet satin, Inscribed " The Police Department of the City of San Francisco," in gold..."
The SFPD is one of the pioneering forces for modern law enforcement, beginning in the early 1900s.
1975 strike In early August 1975, the SFPD went on strike over a pay dispute, violating a California law prohibiting police from striking.Comment, Emergency Mayoral Power: An Exercise in Charter Interpretation, 65 Cal. L. Rev. 686. The city quickly obtained a court order declaring the strike illegal and enjoining the SFPD back to work. The court messenger delivering the order was met with violence and the SFPD continued to strike. Only managers and African-American officers remained on duty, with 45 officers and three fire trucks responsible for a city population of 700,000.Comment, Emergency Mayoral Power: An Exercise in Charter Interpretation, 65 Cal. L. Rev. 686. citing San Francisco Chronicle, August 20, 1875, at 1, col. 2. Supervisor Dianne Feinstein pleaded Mayor Joseph Alioto to ask Governor Jerry Brown to call out the National Guard to patrol the streets but Alioto refused. When enraged civilians confronted SFPD officers at the picket lines, the officers arrested them. Heavy drinking on the picket line became common. After striking SFPD officers started shooting out streetlights, the ACLU obtained a court order prohibiting strikers from carrying their service revolvers. Again, the SFPD ignored the court order. On August 20, a bomb detonated at the Mayor's Presidio Terrace home with a sign reading "Don't Threaten Us" left on his lawn. On August 21 Mayor Alioto advised the San Francisco Board of Supervisors that they should concede to the strikers' demands. The Supervisors unanimously refused. Mayor Alioto immediately declared a state of emergency, assumed legislative powers, and granted the strikers' demands. City Supervisors and residents sued but the court found that a contract obtained through an illegal strike is still legally enforceable.
Recent times In 1997, the San Francisco International Airport Police merged with SFPD, becoming the SFPD Airport Bureau.
SFPD was one of the last large agencies in California to adopt semi-automatic pistols. Starting in the early 1990s, officers stopped being issued .38 Special 6-shot revolvers. Instead, they were issued the .40 S&W Beretta Model 96GT (G standing for decocker only and T standing for Trijicon night sights), a variant of the Beretta 92 semi-automatic pistol. More recently, SIG Sauer pistols have replaced Beretta 96GTs as the standard SFPD service weapon.
As of September 8, 2011, ground was broken for San Francisco's new Public Safety Building (PSB) in Mission Bay. A replacement facility for the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Headquarters and Southern District Police Station, the PSB also contains a fire station to serve the burgeoning neighborhood.
In 2014, the San Francisco Police Academy graduated its first publicly reported transgender police officer, Mikayla Connell.
A 2016 report by the Department of Justice concluded that there was significant racial bias in SFPD treatment of African Americans.
A new study conducted by the California Policy Lab and researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that after the San Francisco Police Department doubled its foot patrols in late 2017, it resulted in a reduction by about 16% in larceny theft and 19% in assaults across the city and 10 police station districts.
In August 2022, the SFPD was understaffed by 300 officers.
As of April 2024, the SFPD was operating in a "reactive" mode (that is, reacting to 911 emergency calls)—meaning that it was no longer able to pursue violations of most traffic laws (especially infractions). From 2016 to 2023, the annual number of traffic tickets issued by SFPD fell by 96 percent, from 129,597 to 5,080. That month, a Walgreens pharmacy in Civic Center was "ransacked" for a lengthy period of time by at least seven people in front of a KPIX-TV television producer and other "stunned" bystanders. SFPD officers did not respond to the scene until four hours later, by which time the store had closed and no one was present to make a report about the incident.
Organization
The San Francisco Police Department is led by a Chief of Police who is appointed by the Mayor of San Francisco. The chief works with two assistant chiefs and five deputy chiefs directing the six bureaus: Administration, Airport, Chief of Staff, Field Operations, Professional Standards and Principled Policing and Special Operations, as well as the Municipal Transportation Authority, and the Public Utilities Commission. There are commanders appointed to assist the Deputy Chief with the day-to-day operation of the bureaus.
Bureaus The department is divided into six bureaus which are either led by an Assistant Chief or Deputy Chief.
Bureau Commander Description Divisions Administration Bureau Chief of Administration The Administration Bureau provides a variety of services in the areas of budget management, information technology, legal research and counsel, personnel service, and logistical support. The bureau has 6 divisions under it such as the Forensic Services and Training and Education. Airport Bureau Chief of Airport The Airport Bureau provides law enforcement, traffic control, and security to the San Francisco International Airport. N/A Chief of Staff Chief of Staff The Office of the Chief of Staff is responsible for providing administrative support to the Chief of Police, while effectively managing Media Relations, Risk Management Office (Internal Affairs, Legal Division, Professional Standards, and EEO). The Chief of Staff oversees 6 divisions including Risk Management Unit and Internal Affairs Division. Field Operations Bureau Chief of Field Operations The Field Operations Bureau manages the Patrol Division and Investigations Bureau of the Police Department. Patrol divisions are broken down into two divisions: Golden Gate Division and Metro Division which are each led by San Francisco Police Commanders. Professional Standards and Principled Policing Bureau Chief of Professional Standards and Principled Policing The Professional Standards and Principled Policing Bureau was established in February 2016, to oversee the proposed use of force reforms, as well as to coordinate efforts of the Police Department with the United States Department of Justice Collaborative Reform Initiative. N/A Special Operations Bureau Chief of Special Operations The Special Operations Bureau supports the other units of the department by providing specialized expertise and equipment when needed. Divisions under Special Operations includes Homeland Security Unit, Municipal Transportation, and Tactical Company which comprises the SWAT team, Bomb Squad, Honda Unit, Mounted Unit, Canine Unit, and the Hostage Negotiation Team
Equipment As of 2026, SFPD started to issue the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 with lights and optics as its standard issued service pistol. Which will replace the legacy SIG Sauer P226 and SIG Sauer P229 chambered in .40 S&W. Sixty officers assigned to the San Francisco International Airport are issued Glock 9mm pistols, which replace SIG P-226R pistols. Officers also carry batons (straight wood/straight expandable), pepper spray, a portable radio and handcuffs, and certified officers are authorized to carry AR-15 platform rifles chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO on patrol.
Vehicles
The SFPD has several types of vehicles in use; among them are Trek Bicycle Corporation bicycles, the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, Chevrolet Tahoe, and more recently the 2013 Ford Taurus and 2013 Ford Explorer. Like most police agencies throughout California, SFPD patrol units are painted in black clearcoat with the roof, doors, and pillars painted white from the factory. The front doors of their motor vehicles bear a blue seven-pointed star with the letters "S.F.P.D." printed in gold. This decal is also printed on the trunk, either near the center of the decklid (on sedans) or near the right taillight (on SUVs). The car's 'shop number' (used to identify all vehicles operated by the city) is printed on the front doors below the A-pillars, on the trunk near the left rear taillight, and on the roof to help air units visually identify cars. On the rear side panels on both sides of the car is a sticker reading "EMERGENCY DIAL 911".
Uniform
The standard uniform is composed of a dark blue shirt and pants, with black braid, brass buttons which are stamped with the city seal and "SF POLICE." The black braid down the length of the pant increases in width as one advances up the ranks. Mounted police have a gold stripe going down the uniform pants Traffic Company have the "winged wheel" patch on the right sleeve of any long sleeve garment The Peaked cap of the officers has an 8-point design unlike the "air force smooth cap" design of the LAPD or SFFD. The hat is adorned with a brass hat piece depicting the Arms of San Francisco.