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SFPD reports early-year crime declines but warns budget cuts could pause academy classes
Summary
Deputy Chief Kevin Cashman reported 2012 year‑to‑date drops in violent and property crime; the department presented a $483 million baseline and said targeted mayoral cuts of about $5.8 million would likely force no academy classes next year unless alternative staffing plans are adopted. The commission approved a $4,000 donation to the Police Wilderness Program on the consent calendar.
San Francisco’s Police Department reported early-year crime reductions and described budget and staffing scenarios that could slow hiring and training for new officers.
Deputy Chief Kevin Cashman said the department’s ComStat numbers for the first 28 days of 2012 showed violent crime down about 10% and property crimes down about 18% from the same period in 2011; the homicide total was three so far in 2012 compared with eight at the same point a year earlier. Cashman also described a Jan. 25 fugitive-recovery operation that led to more than 70 arrests, including about 20 parolees.
At the same time, Captain Goldberg presented a budget briefing that showed a baseline department budget of $483,000,000 and a mayoral office target of roughly $5.8 million in cuts. "If cuts are going to come, they're going to come from personnel," he said, and warned that implementing the targeted cuts could mean "essentially no academy classes next year." The department showed multiple staffing scenarios: an aggressive hiring plan (five classes next year, three the following year) aimed at returning to a historic ‘‘1971’’ full-duty staffing level, and less aggressive options that would achieve the target farther into the future.
Commissioners pressed the department on non-sworn staffing (civilian positions), telecommunications costs and the reliance on overtime when staffing levels fall. Captain Goldberg noted the department’s current civilian staffing was substantially below PERF targets.
Votes at a glance: On the consent calendar the commission approved a request by the chief to accept a $4,000 donation from supporters of the SFPD Wilderness Program for youth camping trips; the motion was moved, seconded and approved unanimously on voice vote.
Why it matters: Department staffing levels shape patrol capacity and overtime costs; the commission and department framed hiring strategy as a tradeoff between short-term budget pressures and longer-term community-safety goals. Commissioners and the public urged creative outreach and stronger, steady hiring patterns to avoid the historic "roller coaster" of hiring.
Next steps: The department said it would continue discussions with the mayor's budget office and evaluate hiring patterns and costs; OCC and commissioners scheduled additional reports and the department expected to present more detailed fiscal materials at future meetings.
Ending: The commission closed public comment and moved on to OCC and language-access items; the meeting later adjourned.
