San Francisco’s police force is now operating with 500 fewer officers than needed while taxpayers foot a staggering $108 million overtime bill due to years of progressive policies that have devastated law enforcement recruitment.
Key Takeaways
- Mayor Daniel Lurie has issued an executive order to address critically low staffing in San Francisco’s police and sheriff’s departments, with SFPD short 500 officers and the sheriff’s office lacking 200 deputies.
- The staffing crisis has led to unsustainable overtime costs, reaching $108 million in 2022-2023, with supervisors approving an additional $91 million for police and sheriff overtime.
- Lurie’s plan includes immediate 100-day actions like allowing retired officers to return without losing pensions, streamlining hiring processes, and police academy reforms.
- The initiative follows an audit revealing violations of overtime limits and potential sick leave abuse, highlighting the depth of mismanagement in the department.
- Longer-term strategies include moving officers from desk jobs to patrol duties, using civilian personnel for administrative tasks, and coordinating with business districts for additional security resources.
San Francisco’s Law Enforcement Staffing Crisis
San Francisco’s police force has reached “historically low” staffing levels, operating with fewer than 1,500 full-duty officers—more than 500 below recommended staffing levels. The Sheriff’s Office is simultaneously struggling with a shortage of nearly 200 deputies. This critical shortfall has emerged after years of anti-police rhetoric and defunding efforts that have made recruitment nearly impossible while driving experienced officers away from the department. Mayor Daniel Lurie’s executive order to address these shortages represents a stark admission that progressive policies have failed to maintain basic public safety infrastructure.
“Right now, San Francisco has fewer than 1,500 full-duty police officers, more than 500 below the recommended staffing level. The Sheriff’s Office is short nearly 200 deputies. That means fewer officers and deputies walking our neighborhoods, slower response times and a growing dependence on costly and unsustainable overtime,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie.
The staffing crisis has resulted in a policing model entirely dependent on overtime, with costs reaching an astronomical $108 million during the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Despite this enormous expenditure, the city continues to struggle with high crime rates, slow response times, and reduced neighborhood police presence. The Board of Supervisors recently approved an additional $91 million for overtime costs, highlighting the financial unsustainability of the current approach as taxpayers continue to pay more for less effective policing.
When public safety is a core function of government and we’re short 500 police officers for a city our size, we must get creative. Relying on overtime is not an option. That’s why I’m supporting Mayor Lurie’s executive directive to address our public safety staffing crisis.
To… pic.twitter.com/NL5LZqNOWI
— Joel Engardio (@JoelEngardio) May 13, 2025
The 100-Day Emergency Plan
Lurie’s initiative outlines specific actions over three timeframes: 100 days, six months, and one year. The 100-day plan focuses on immediate relief measures, including programs allowing retired officers to return to service without losing their pensions, streamlining the hiring process, reforming police academy procedures, and expanding technology use. These emergency measures aim to quickly address the critical staffing shortages while longer-term solutions are developed. The city has already begun implementing some measures, with 55 new recruits entering police academy training.
“All retirees, hear me clearly. You won’t have to give up your pensions. You can come and work, help the safety in this city and still make a little money on the side and help our deployment situation,” stated Former Police Chief William Scott.
The six-month timeline includes a comprehensive review of SFPD’s employment practices, particularly focusing on overtime management and the controversial “10(b)” program that allows officers to work as private security while on the city payroll. This program has come under scrutiny for potentially diverting limited police resources away from public service to private entities. The city also plans to coordinate with community business districts and private companies to better distribute public safety resources across San Francisco.
Addressing Systemic Problems
An audit that preceded Lurie’s initiative revealed troubling practices within the department, including violations of overtime limits and potential abuse of sick leave. These findings have triggered a broader investigation into employment practices that may have contributed to the current crisis. The directive also suggests moving officers from administrative positions back to patrol duties and using civilian personnel for desk jobs—a common-sense approach that prioritizes putting trained officers on the streets where they’re most needed.
“We have been living on overtime, and that is not sustainable. We’re fortunate that we have the overtime and that the Board and the mayor has granted us that funding to fill in the gaps, but we know that’s not a sustainable model,” admitted Former Police Chief William Scott.
Sheriff Paul Miyamoto has expressed optimism about the directive’s potential to reduce overtime expenditures and improve public safety outcomes. However, the plan faces significant challenges, not least of which is overcoming the negative perception of policing that intensified following George Floyd’s death in 2020. The anti-police sentiment that swept through progressive cities like San Francisco has created a recruitment environment where qualified candidates are increasingly reluctant to pursue law enforcement careers, particularly in jurisdictions where political support for police has wavered.
The Financial Reality
The financial implications of San Francisco’s police staffing crisis extend beyond the immediate overtime costs. The city is spending more money for diminished services, creating a lose-lose scenario for taxpayers. With the Board of Supervisors approving $91 million for overtime costs just to maintain current operations, the fiscal sustainability of San Francisco’s law enforcement model is increasingly questionable. Lurie’s plan represents an acknowledgment that rebuilding the ranks of law enforcement is not just a public safety necessity but also a fiscal imperative.
“These shortfalls have significantly strained these departments’ ability to fulfill their core responsibilities,” Mayor Lurie acknowledged.
The one-year goals in Lurie’s plan include passing new laws regarding officer retirement and publishing a comprehensive staffing progress report. These longer-term objectives aim to create sustainable solutions that address both the immediate crisis and establish a framework for maintaining appropriate staffing levels in the future. Whether these measures will be sufficient to overcome the deep-seated recruitment challenges facing San Francisco’s law enforcement agencies remains to be seen, but they represent a step away from the failed policies that created the current crisis.
