Retired Officers Are Welcome Sight in Sunset During Police Shortage
By Supervisor Joel Engardio
Bringing the retired police officer program to the Sunset was a priority when I became supervisor. It’s finally here. These officers are a welcome sight! They will help fill the gap as we recruit and hire enough new officers to address San Francisco’s severe police shortage.
The mayor and police chief joined me at the Sunset Super grocery on Irving Street to announce the arrival of the retired officers.
Then we did a merchant walk to point out the challenges on the corridor.
Photo credit: Sing Tao Daily
Small businesses and restaurants are frequently being hit in the Sunset. This is why residents say they feel more unsafe than they have in the past 20 years.
Burglary on Noriega Street.
Murder is low in San Francisco but we have to stay focused on all the other crime that is happening: open air drug dealing, property crime, catalytic converter thefts, and assaults on elders and youth.
We can’t ignore the recent Controller’s Office report that says San Franciscans are “feeling less safe and believe their local government is doing a worse job of providing services compared to any other point over more than two decades.”
Residents and businesses have long asked for more police presence. We need the retired officers to help because foot patrols are a luxury given how few full time officers we have.
The retired officers will walk beats armed with radios to call for full time officers when needed. They will work until 8pm including weekends.
We still need to hire more police officers for both the daytime and overnight shift. I’m also working on installing more security cameras on Sunset merchant corridors that police can access to catch burglars and graffiti taggers.
Why we have a police shortage
The police station serving the Sunset has lost half of its officers since 2020. On any given night, only seven officers are patrolling an area that has a population of 130,000. Those seven officers cover a huge geographic area from Twin Peaks to the ocean and Golden Gate Park to Daly City.
We will never have the level of police visibility we need when we are short 500 officers. And we will never hire enough officers if they don’t feel supported by city leaders. A number of city supervisors have called for defunding or even disbanding the San Francisco police department in recent years. This has made police officers feel unwelcome.
Few want to be a police officer in San Francisco anymore. Many officers are choosing early retirement. Some take jobs in other cities where they feel more supported. Others are simply leaving the profession.
Applications to SFPD are anemic. The last police academy only graduated 12 new officers. Years ago, the typical class was 50 — and there were multiple classes a year. The current academy only has eight cadets.
Solutions to hiring more police
We need to change the narrative about police in San Francisco. Instead of saying defund and disband, we should recognize their good work. The California Department of Justice praised our police department for implementing more than 90 percent of needed reforms. Nationally, SFPD is a model of reform.
Our officers are diverse. They’re committed to accountability and serving at the highest standard. Let’s acknowledge and praise that, so more people will want to become police officers in San Francisco.
Financial incentives in the new police contract are essential for recruitment. But we will never have enough patrols until people are willing to be police officers in San Francisco. We must let people know SFPD is a leader in reform and that we value and support our officers.
We should invest in our police department while also holding it accountable for serving at the highest standard. We need police to protect the public and we cannot forget about the victims of crime.