SFPD presents six-month 'zone' violence update; commissioners press for fresher Mission District data

SAN FRANCISCO ' The San Francisco Police Department told the Police Commission on Sept. 17 that its six-month enforcement phase of a targeted 'zone' violence reduction strategy corresponds with declines in several measures of violent crime, but commissioners sought more current data for parts of the city, especially the Mission District.

Deputy Chief Cashman said the enforcement phase, operational Feb. 5 and publicly announced March 12, concentrated resources in geographic "zones" that the department's analysis identified as generating a disproportionate share of gun violence. "We defined the 2% of the city by establishing or creating zones," Cashman said, and described support from narcotics units, SWAT, gang task forces, fugitive teams and traffic officers.

The department presented comparative figures for the Feb. 5'Aug. 5 reporting period: an 11% decline in citywide homicides and a 35% decline in homicides within the targeted zones (from 34 to 22). Cashman also reported a 30% citywide reduction in nonfatal shootings (151 to 107) and a 38% decline in nonfatal shootings inside the zones. He said gun seizures were higher year-to-date, which he characterized both as increased enforcement effectiveness and a sign that more people are carrying firearms.

Dr. Anthony Braga, a senior researcher at the Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice whose work informed the strategy, told the commission the hotspot finding is striking: in his MOCJ-supported analysis, "roughly 2% of the city's geography was generating close to half of all the shootings" in San Francisco. Braga summarized national evidence that focused, place-based policing can reduce crime in those locations and discussed displacement risks and the need for complementary community interventions to sustain gains.

Commissioners pressed the department on two recurring concerns: data currency and perception. Vice President Joe Marshall and Commissioner David Campos noted the presentation covers data only through Aug. 5, while recent weeks had seen incidents that left neighborhoods feeling less safe. "A lot has happened between Aug. 6 and today," Campos said, asking how current numbers would change the analysis. Cashman and Braga acknowledged the lag in reporting but maintained that multi-month trend analyses remain informative. "I think the nonfatal shootings would still be down significantly if the mark in time was today," Cashman said.

Several commissioners asked that future updates be scheduled closer to the period being summarized so figures are fresher for public review; one suggested setting the next presentation a week or two after a reporting cutoff. Commissioners also asked that clearance (solve) rates be included in future analysis to assess whether investigative outcomes influence prevention.

Braga and multiple commissioners emphasized a second phase is required to sustain reductions: community problem solving, services and tailored interventions in targeted neighborhoods. Braga urged development of "a capacity to have these types of teams in these areas," citing national models that pair enforcement with social services and resident engagement.

The department highlighted recent operational examples during the hearing: coordinated arrests tied to street robberies and recovered firearms in separate incidents, and participation in regional exercises such as Urban Shield. The chief and deputies described redeployments and additional patrols in the Mission District in response to recent spikes.

The commission did not take policy votes on the strategy at the meeting. Commissioners asked for updated zone-level numbers, more regular briefings timed to reporting windows, and inclusion of clearance-rate context in future reports. The commission moved on to other agenda items and later entered closed session to consider disciplinary and litigation matters.