Attorney General Bonta: San Francisco Police Department Reaches Milestone in Reform Process, Achieves Substantial Compliance with Recommendations

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the publication of the final report on the San Francisco Police Department’s (SFPD) implementation of 272 reforms recommended by the U.S. Department of Justice (US DOJ). The report finds that SFPD has implemented 96.7% – or 263 of 272 – of the recommended reforms, with the remaining nine reforms in progress and expected to be phased in over time. Additionally, the report finds a strong organizational and cultural commitment to reform within SFPD and an ongoing effort to meet or set the standard for policing best practices. The report, which is accompanied by a letter from the California Department of Justice (CADOJ) to SFPD Chief William Scott, concludes CADOJ’s oversight of SFPD’s implementation of the recommendations, which CADOJ took over in 2018 at the request of the City of San Francisco and SFPD after the first Trump Administration abandoned police reform efforts overseen by US DOJ. 

“This report marks an important milestone in SFPD’s yearslong effort to increase public trust by improving its policing practices, transparency, and accountability,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I credit SFPD for its commitment to significant structural and cultural reform, and for its initiative in seeking continued oversight from our office. I also acknowledge the contributions of San Francisco residents to SFPD’s efforts in reform and their ongoing work to hold SFPD accountable. As we close this chapter, I am optimistic that SFPD will build on these reforms to continue to reduce racial disparities in stops, searches, and the use of force by SFPD officers.”  

In 2018, CADOJ, the City and County of San Francisco, and SFPD entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for CADOJ to provide technical assistance and independent evaluation of SFPD’s reform efforts. The reform process involved three phases, and CADOJ and expert consultant Jensen Hughes issued a report, as well as a letter to the SFPD Chief, assessing SFPD’s progress in implementing US DOJ’s recommendations during the course of each phase. The final report outlines SFPD’s progress with substantially complying with the recommendations. As described in CADOJ’s letter accompanying the report, results include:   

• SFPD’s overall use of force and the use of force involving every racial group has declined between 2017 and 2023.
• The yearly average of shootings is down nearly 50% when comparing the number of shootings in 2018, the year SFPD signed its MOU with CADOJ, through the present, to the number of shootings between 2011 and 2017.
• Analysis of SFPD’s use-of-force statistics continues to show racial disparities, but the rate that force is used against Black individuals has significantly declined more than the rate of force involving all other races.

Attorney General Bonta is committed to strengthening trust between local law enforcement and the communities they serve as one key part of the broader effort to increase public safety for all Californians. Earlier this year, Attorney General Bonta secured a settlement agreement with the city of Vallejo and the Vallejo Police Department requiring reforms to the department's policies and practices. He also launched an investigation into allegations of excessive force at the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Last year, the Attorney General assumed responsibility for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s investigation related to contracts awarded to a local nonprofit. He also opened a pattern or practice investigation into the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. In 2021, the Attorney General launched an independent review of the Torrance Police Department and secured a stipulated judgment against the Bakersfield Police Department requiring an extensive range of actions to promote public safety. 

A copy of the letter and report are available here.