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Chief reports lower violent crime overall but higher homicides; SFPD outlines auto‑theft response
Summary
Chief Godown told the commission violent crime is down 10% year‑to‑date but homicides have risen to 19 YTD; homicide investigators reported higher clearance rates than last year. Commander David Lazar outlined strategies to address a rise in auto theft and vehicle burglaries, including bait cars, automated license‑plate readers and public education.
At the April 6 meeting the SFPD chief reported a mixed set of trends: violent crime was down 10% year‑to‑date, but homicides were higher than the same period last year. Commander and investigative leaders detailed steps to sustain homicide clearances and to counter a recent increase in auto thefts and vehicle burglaries.
Chief Jeff Godown said the department recorded 1,662 violent crimes so far this year compared with 1,848 at the same point in 2010; he also reported 19 homicides year‑to‑date versus 13 in 2010. Lieutenant Lee Militello, who oversees homicide investigations, reported that investigators have cleared nine 2011 cases by arrest and have suspects identified in six additional cases, an apparent clearance performance that the department placed at about 65% for the period (compared with roughly 42% last year), when including out‑of‑jurisdiction determinations.
Commander David Lazar presented detailed property‑crime data and said auto theft was up about 14% year‑to‑date and auto burglary up about 20%. He noted San Francisco has approximately 485,000 registered vehicles and an additional large daily inflow, and that many crimes against vehicles are preventable. Proposed and ongoing tactics include bait‑car operations, targeted enforcement and saturation patrols, automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) deployments, surveillance and plain‑clothes operations, expanded vehicle fingerprinting at scenes, public education in multiple languages, and partnerships with rental car firms and community advisory boards.
Commander Lazar emphasized that recovering vehicles is only part of the picture: so far in 2011 the department reported a roughly 92% recovery rate for stolen vehicles, but arrests year‑to‑date for those incidents were substantially lower (84 arrests for about 1,031 auto thefts reported year‑to‑date at the time of the briefing). Commissioners praised the homicide investigation unit’s work and asked for ongoing data on suspect identification, gang‑related cases and long‑term follow through for identified suspects.
The commission requested continued updates on homicide clearance metrics and on the effectiveness of property‑crime tactics as the department refines its enforcement and public‑education approach.
