Feeling safer? You’re not alone. Car break-ins down 61%.

Car break-ins in SF have plummeted — from a pandemic high of 21,800 in 2022 to just 8,500 in 2024. The reason? SFPD is using drones, bait cars, and surveillance to take down the organized crime rings driving it.

The Facts

Auto break-ins are down 61% since 2022 (and 72% since 2017!), hitting just 8,500 in 2024. SFPD credits this drop to new tactics that go beyond street-level enforcement. Using high-tech tools like drones and bait cars, officers are tracking stolen goods to fencing rings in LA, Miami, and even overseas.

The Context

San Francisco's significant reduction in car break-ins can largely be attributed to strategic initiatives implemented under former Mayor London Breed and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, and continued under Mayor Daniel Lurie. In fall 2023, Mayor Breed, alongside Police Chief Bill Scott and DA Jenkins, expanded operations to combat auto burglaries. These efforts included the use of bait cars, deployment of plainclothes officers, and aggressive prosecutions, contributing to a 50% reduction in car break-ins over the subsequent three months.

In October 2023, Mayor Breed collaborated with State Senator Scott Wiener to propose legislation aimed at closing a legal loophole that hindered the prosecution of car break-ins. This law, which passed in August 2024, eliminated the requirement for prosecutors to prove that a vehicle was locked during a break-in. Since this law only just took effect, it can’t be credited for 2024’s decline, but could help drive down the number of break-ins in coming years.

The GrowSF Take

This is what progress looks like. Smart policing, focused on results, is making our city safer. Let’s keep going: target the ringleaders, bust the street-level bipping gangs, hold them accountable, and make clear that San Francisco won’t tolerate organized theft.