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SFPD reports crime declines but flags DNA backlog and outsourcing plan
Summary
San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon reported week-to-week declines in violent and property crime and outlined steps to reduce a DNA testing backlog: hiring three criminalists, preparing outsourcing specifications and coordinating with the controller's office. Commissioners pressed for a concrete timeline.
San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon told the Police Commission on July 7 that the department had seen recent declines in reported crime while continuing work to clear a forensic backlog.
"We had the 13% reduction in violent crimes, 14% in property crimes," Gascon said, placing the four-week and year-to-date numbers in context and crediting new strategies and community engagement for the trend.
Captain Donald Meixner, who oversees forensic services, told commissioners the crime lab had "closed 10 cases" in the last week (including two homicides and seven sexual assaults) but that a backlog remained: 19 homicide cases and 102 sexual-assault cases awaiting processing. Meixner said the department was seeking to hire three additional criminalists, was preparing technical specifications for limited outsourcing, and was coordinating purchase orders and audits with the controller's office.
Commissioners repeatedly pressed for firm deadlines. "If there are 12 new ones coming in, the backlog only gets worse," said Commissioner Allen, asking for a clear game plan and target timeline. Meixner said he would provide intake numbers and work with lab leadership to estimate throughput and outsourcing capacity.
On policy, department representatives reported progress toward finalizing a revised Brady policy after further meetings with the city attorney's office, the POA and the district attorney's office; the department expected to circulate a finalized draft once the internal discussions conclude.
The commission asked staff to return with a concrete plan for cleaning up the DNA backlog, including projected timelines for hiring, outsourcing and public reporting so the commission can consider policy or budget recommendations at a future meeting.
