San Francisco Sun

Today, San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed and Police Chief William Scott announced the induction of the largest police academy class since 2018 into the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). This marks a significant increase in recruitment and hiring as part of a new staffing plan by Mayor Breed and the SFPD.

The 284th class, consisting of 50 recruits, began training alongside the previous class, which started in May. This development puts SFPD on track to have more recruits this year than any time since the pandemic in 2020. The demographic composition of the new class is diverse, with 22% women and 78% men. Racially, it includes 34% white, 32% Asian, 26% Hispanic, and 4% Black individuals, with another 4% identifying as "other."

Mayor Breed's staffing plan aims for full staffing by 2026. To achieve this goal, she has prioritized officer recruitment through investments in new contracts and reforms that have expedited the hiring process. Last year’s contract negotiations resulted in one of the highest starting salaries for SFPD officers nationwide at $112,398 annually. This has increased applications to levels seen in 2018 and attracted transfers from other jurisdictions.

Mayor Breed has implemented several measures to streamline the hiring process:

- Directed assistance from the Department of Human Resources (DHR) and Controller

- Reinstated retired officers to conduct background checks

- Contracted a private firm for faster background checks

- Reorganized SFPD’s structure for efficiency

Additionally, lateral transfers from other law enforcement departments continue to join SFPD. Between three to six laterals are expected this month, bringing total transfers this year to at least twenty.

“Our work to fully staff our Police Department is on track thanks to the significant investments we are making and the reforms to our hiring process,” said Mayor London Breed. “Having more officers in the community and responding quickly when crime does occur is essential to making everyone in our city feel safe... I’m grateful for these newest additions to our police force.”

Chief Scott expressed enthusiasm about new recruits joining: “I'm excited to see so much interest from new recruits wanting to serve their community... I want to thank Mayor Breed for making police staffing a top priority.”

Tracy McCray, President of the San Francisco Police Officers Association added: "The significant investments Mayor Breed has made in compensation and benefits... Her commitment to public safety is clearly attracting the next wave of young officers."

The new police contract includes several enhancements:

- A salary increase totaling 10.75% over three years

- Retention incentives adding increases at specific service milestones

- Advancement opportunities for recruits from outside jurisdictions

- A pilot program offering emergency childcare reimbursement