Mayor Lurie Announces New Headquarters for SFPD Real-Time Investigation Center to Continue Work to Improve Safety, Reduce Crime

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today announced that the San Francisco Police Department’s (SFPD) Real-Time Investigation Center (RTIC) will move to a new headquarters in downtown San Francisco thanks to a $9.4 million donation. The new space, donated in-kind by Ripple, will allow the SFPD to expand the RTIC technology hub with modern crime-fighting tools and will include funding for equipment upgrades made possible by donations from San Francisco Police Community Foundation and Crankstart to continue driving down crime.

With overall crime down nearly 30% under Mayor Lurie’s tenure, the improved RTIC equipment and space will build on Mayor Lurie’s work to make San Francisco safer and cleaner by strengthening SFPD’s technology hub. In his proposed budget last week, Mayor Lurie prioritized maintaining public safety service levels with no cuts to sworn police officers. Last month, Mayor Lurie announced his “Rebuilding the Ranks” plan, a roadmap to fully staff the SFPD and Sheriff’s Office, providing law enforcement agencies with the resources necessary to keep San Francisco’s streets safe. In February, Mayor Lurie established the SFPD Hospitality Zone Task Force to improve public safety downtown 365 days a year.

“The Real-Time Investigation Center has supported our understaffed Police Department and helped keep our neighborhoods safe,” said Mayor Lurie. “RTIC has already supported hundreds of arrests, with crime down 30% citywide, and with this new facility, the SFPD will have the tools and the technology it needs to take this work to the next level and help our officers keep our streets safe. I want to thank Chris Larsen for his continued dedication to our police officers and the safety of all San Franciscans.”

“San Francisco should be the shining example of how to leverage state-of-the-art, coordinated public safety technology and with the right pragmatic safeguards in place,” said Chris Larsen, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Ripple, Inc. “We are proud to help usher in a new era of accountability with the launch of an enhanced Real-Time Investigation Center for SFPD and law enforcement partners that matches San Francisco's reputation as the innovation capital of the world.”

“The San Francisco Police Community Foundation works to support police officers, strengthen connectivity with the people they serve, and provide innovative public safety tools to support the SFPD,” said Derick Brown, Board President of the San Francisco Police Community Foundation. "The technology deployed at SFPD’s new Real-Time Investigation Center will help officers get their critical work done, and we’re thrilled to support them with this investment.”

In 2024, officers in the RTIC assisted in more than 500 arrests and helped prevent numerous police pursuits by following suspects at a distance and making strategic arrests that reduce risks to the public. In the one-year period since the RTIC’s launch, auto theft has decreased by 41% in San Francisco while arrests for auto theft cases have increased by 46%. In the last week, officers in the RTIC have assisted in 32 arrests.

“This is the beginning of a new era of policing in San Francisco,” said SFPD Chief Bill Scott. “Our hard-working officers can continue to drive crime down by identifying and arresting offenders as quickly as possible. I want to thank Mayor Daniel Lurie for his vision to support this effort. I also want to thank Chris Larsen and the Police Community Foundation for this generous donation.”

“The Real-Time Investigation Center shows how strategic investments in technology can improve public safety. By providing our officers with real-time data and analytics, we're enhancing their ability to respond swiftly and effectively, freeing up staff resources and ensuring safer neighborhoods for all San Franciscans,” said Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman. “Thank you to Chris Larsen and the San Francisco Police Community Foundation for their continued investment in public safety.”

“This new Real-Time Investigation Center reflects the future of smart, accountable, and results-driven policing,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “Harnessing technology is essential to making our department more effective—especially as we work to address chronic understaffing and reduce property crime across the city.”

Voters in March 2024 passed Proposition E, allowing the Police Department to expand its use of technology to enhance public safety, combat crime, and be more efficient amid ongoing staffing shortages. Shortly thereafter, SFPD launched the RTIC in March 2024 at its current location at the Hall of Justice. 

The current location is equipped with technology including drones, Flock Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR), public safety cameras, and other tools simultaneously to assist officers in the field. These technologies allow officers to rapidly respond to crimes and make arrests in real time, but they operate with outdated wiring and other infrastructure challenges that will be improved with the new location and updated equipment.

With the new space and technology funded by the Police Community Foundation, the SFPD will advance its use of modern policing tools with additional resources and state-of-the-art facilities.