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SFO seeks nearly 100 more officers, cites security and curbside congestion as budget drivers
Summary
San Francisco International Airport officials told the Board—s Budget & Finance Committee they plan to expand police staffing to roughly 287 uniformed officers over two years to increase visible presence and respond to growth, and to pursue pricing and operational changes to reduce curbside congestion from app‑based ride services.
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco International Airport officials told the Board of Supervisors— budget committee on May 1 that passenger growth and a multi‑billion‑dollar capital program are driving significant operating increases and new public‑safety investments.
"Last year was another record‑breaking year where we achieved over 54,000,000 passengers," Ivar Sattero told supervisors as he laid out the airport—s two‑year budget, which proposes $1.16 billion for FY18‑19 and about $1.3 billion for FY19‑20. He said the increases largely reflect debt service for a $7.2 billion capital improvement program and costs tied to public‑safety initiatives.
Sattero said a top priority is "visible presence" policing at the airport. "We are proposing to pay for four academy classes over the next two years" to expand staffing, he said during questioning. When pressed on scale, Sattero said the airport plans to grow the uniformed force to roughly 287 officers — "about a 100" more than now — to provide 24‑7 coverage.
SFPD leadership clarified how staffing and training work: recruits trained under general‑fund academy classes are assigned via a seniority list and airport‑designated officers then receive airport‑specific training and badging before deployment. The deputy chief said airport officers also operate more frequently as solo officers versus paired patrols on the city streets.
Supervisors pressed airport leaders on alternatives to adding sworn officers, potential federal homeland‑security support and details about specialized training. The airport also cited operational strains from curbside congestion: "1 out of every 2 vehicles at SFO is an Uber or a Lyft or a Wings vehicle," Sattero said, and the airport is testing premium pricing and incentives to route pickups into centralized staging to ease terminal curbside pressure.
On fees, the airport said TNCs (transportation network companies) pay $3.80 for pick‑up and $3.80 for drop‑off and stage in a 200‑space lot; taxis pay a $5 pickup fee. Airport staff said fees are set on a cost‑recovery basis and that they periodically review whether TNCs contribute appropriately to operating and capital costs tied to curbside management and roadway wear.
Supervisors also asked about local‑hire and internship pipelines; the airport said it will follow up with more data on how many internship participants convert to permanent positions and will explore opportunities to convert some Prop J contracted entry‑level roles to civil‑service slots where feasible.
The airport presentation was an informational hearing and no action was taken. The Budget & Finance Committee continued the hearings to a follow‑up meeting the next week.
