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Chief reports uptick in shootings while violent crime overall is down
Summary
Interim Chief Tony Chaplin reported that homicides rose slightly to 42 year-to-date and shootings increased modestly versus 2015, while violent crime and robberies are down; he cited recent shooting incidents across multiple districts and described deployments for Fleet Week and Dreamforce.
Interim Chief of Police Tony Chaplin told the Police Commission on Oct. 12 that the department's homicide tally stood at 42 year-to-date and that shootings were up modestly compared with 2015, while violent crime overall remained down for the reporting period.
"Our homicide rate is at 42," Chaplin said, adding that 16 of those homicides had been cleared by arrest so far this year. He said shootings were "up 7% compared to 2015" and reported that the department had seized more than 800 firearms year-to-date.
Chaplin described the department's event deployments (Fleet Week, Dreamforce and playoff games) and credited officers and allied agencies for their work. He walked commissioners through a series of recent incidents across several police districts, noting that many shootings in the reporting period occurred in late-night hours and that several investigations were ongoing.
Commissioners asked whether the cluster of shootings related to event deployments; Chaplin said shootings occurred across eight districts and that only some incidents appear linked. He said in one case officers were able to arrest a suspect after a vehicle pursuit tied to a shot-spotter activation.
Commissioners pressed for more detail and community engagement in affected districts; the chief and command staff said they were coordinating town-hall meetings and additional community outreach where appropriate.
What happens next: the commission will continue to receive monthly crime and deployment updates and asked staff to include additional contextual data and town-hall briefings for neighborhoods with recent spikes.
