SFPD on track to graduate more recruits than any year since pandemic began

After years of struggling to get enough candidates, recruiting at the San Francisco Police Department is now reaching pre-pandemic levels.

The numbers come as departments around the Bay Area say they’re in need of more good candidates. 

There are now 60 recruits in three police academy classes, putting SFPD on track to graduate more recruits this year than any year since the pandemic began. 

But everyone involved, including the police union, says while this is a good start, more needs to be done. 

“I love the enthusiasm from the mayor and the chief, I’m more realistic. We know in reality that we have people that do wash out of the academy because this is not the job for them,” said Lieutenant Tracy McCray, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association.

The city itself says it needs 500 more officers. 

San Francisco residents will also be able to vote in March on whether to create a higher minimum staffing level in the police department, which would trigger a hiring blitz over five years.

“Having that number is that tangible goal saying ‘we want to rise to this level’ because then we can focus on having foot beats, having officers on bicycles, etc.,” said McCray. 

Mayor London Breed says recruiting strategies are working as pay has increased and they’re cutting time in between police academies. 

San Francisco isn’t the only place in need. Cities around the country have struggled to fill vacancies. 

In San Jose, the department is budgeted for almost 1,200 -- but only has 1,060 sworn officers currently. 

The police officer’s association says it’s been hard to recruit, saying the profession has been vilified over the past few years. 

Cost of living is another major factor. And the San Jose police union says the city also continues to lose officers and recruits to other agencies because of pension issues. 

“Because we want to go to all the calls. We want to be able to, [look at] the issues with catalytic converters being stolen, or just being able to sit outside of a school and making sure people aren’t running through stop signs,” said Sargeant Cat Alvarez of the San Jose Police Officers Association.

In Oakland, there’s a different problem.

The city has 715 sworn officers – and it's budgeted for 712. But according to its union, that’s the lowest budgeted number of officers Oakland has had since 2014. 

Back in San Francisco, the police union president says he's seeing progress with some crimes trending down and more criminals being prosecuted. But also says it's one piece of a bigger staffing puzzle. 

“It’s a start but I think more critically right now, until we get the numbers we need, we have to retain the people that we have now,” said McCray.

SFPD says its, “staffing analysis recommends 2,074 sworn staff. The current citywide baseline staffing for sworn officers is 1,568.”