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SFPD unveils anonymous reward posters and links program to five‑year violence prevention plan
Summary
The San Francisco Police Department announced an anonymous rewards program and multilingual posters to encourage surrender of illegal guns, offering $5,500 for surrendered assault weapons and $1,000 when a firearm leads to an arrest; commissioners requested a presentation tying the effort to the new five‑year Violence Prevention Plan.
Chief Fong told the Police Commission that the department will roll out multilingual posters and 3x5 cards as part of a program to reduce guns on city streets. "It's a $5,500 reward for an illegal assault weapon that is turned into the police department," she said, and added that if a firearm used in a crime leads to an arrest, the reward is $1,000.
Commissioners asked where the program funding would come from; Chief Fong said money has been set aside for the program and confirmed it is included in the department's current budget. Lieutenant (speaker 3) described distribution plans: station captains will receive printed materials, the mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services and the district attorney's office will have copies, and community groups will be provided PDFs to circulate to members.
Commissioners urged additional personal outreach beyond posters to build trust and encourage reporting in communities that may be reluctant to contact law enforcement. Commissioner Marshall recommended linking the poster campaign to the administration's Violence Prevention Plan; Chief Fong said that plan — prepared with city agencies and community organizations — was distributed at a recent event and that a formal presentation by the Director of Violence Prevention is being scheduled for early August.
The department said the program aims to combine suppression and prevention strategies: short‑term rewards to remove weapons from circulation and longer‑term community interventions under the Violence Prevention Plan. Commissioners asked for follow‑up materials in PDF form and for the department to report back at a future meeting on outreach metrics and program results.
