SFPD reports lower overall crime but flags Bayview shooting and rise in gun incidents

San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott told the Police Commission on April 2 that overall Part I crime is down for the year but that gun violence remains a concern after a March 30 shooting in the Bayview that wounded four people.

In his weekly report the chief said the city is tracking a 32% reduction in Part I crimes year to date, with violent crime down about 15% and property crime down about 34%. He said gun violence, by contrast, is up roughly 7% compared with 2024. The week’s major incident was a March 30 multi‑victim shooting in the 100 block of Acacia Avenue in the Bayview: multiple shooters fired and four victims were injured, three of whom self-transported to San Francisco General Hospital; all victims were reported in stable, non-life-threatening condition and the investigation is ongoing.

Chief Scott said the department’s homicide count stood at four for the year; he said the department’s overall homicide clearance rate is above the national average because some older cases were solved this year, a point he tied to the department’s increased evidence and technology use.

Technology and staffing

The chief told commissioners that cameras and drone technology have been a ‘game changer’ for investigations, improving the department’s ability to identify suspects and solve cases that may otherwise have remained unsolved. He and commissioners discussed staffing shortages; the chief said specialized units (for example, organized retail crime and burglary units) are understaffed and the department continues to rely on overtime to cover gaps while academy applications improve.

Notable incidents listed in the report included an aggravated assault on an officer on March 26, a hot prowl residential burglary with $3,000 in losses, a shot-spotter activation on Giants Drive and Donner Avenue that recovered 44 shell casings and damaged vehicles, and a Market & Guerrero stabbing where the victim reported being stabbed after a suspect entered their tent.

Public comments and community concerns

Several members of the public used the meeting’s public-comment periods to press for more visible patrols and community outreach. Speakers from the Castro urged foot patrols and a public town‑hall on a March 9 attack near the Castro Theatre; one speaker asked the department to hold the public-safety liaison accountable for communications. A mother urged renewed attention to unsolved homicides, and callers urged the commission to use meeting openings to highlight unsolved cases where public help might assist investigations.

Commissioner follow-ups

Commissioners asked for further information about the March 30 Bayview shooting and about whether recovered guns were “ghost guns.” Chief Scott said that in 2025 the department had seized 266 guns to date, 13 of which were ghost guns; he compared that to 234 total guns seized in the same period in 2024 with 12 ghost guns. Commissioners asked for outreach and trauma‑informed services for shooting victims; the chief said outreach was being handled locally by Bayview command staff and that a number of community non‑profits are part of the department’s violence‑reduction strategies.

The commission agreed to agendize a follow-up presentation on large-scale crowd-control operations after commissioners raised questions about a March 19 operation at Market and Van Ness that produced arrests but few subsequent charges. The chief and commissioners said they would add that matter to a May–June agenda to examine tactics and the interface with the District Attorney’s office.

Ending

Chief Scott emphasized the department’s reliance on both personnel and technology to continue the positive trends while addressing isolated spikes in gun violence. Commissioners asked the department to return with additional briefings on strike‑force operations, clearance‑rate trends and the March 30 Bayview investigation.