Mayor Lurie's Statement on Declines in Homicides and Overdose Deaths

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today released the following statement on the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s report showing a decline in the number of accidental overdose deaths in September 2025 and reporting that San Francisco is on track for a 70-year low in homicides:

“From the day I took office, I told San Franciscans my number one priority was keeping our streets safe and clean. I was hearing from residents across the city for years that they were concerned about crime and felt that the city was caught flat-footed by the fentanyl crisis. As soon as I became mayor, we took a new approach.

“We created the SFPD Hospitality Zone Task Force to keep our commercial districts safe and launched our Rebuilding the Ranks plan to get our police department back to full staffing. We passed a Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance and launched our Breaking the Cycle plan to fundamentally transform our response to the behavioral health crisis and get people off the street. And we are coordinating closely with our state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure we strategically deploy all the resources at our disposal to do this work.

“Today, crime is down nearly 30% citywide and at its lowest point in decades. Car break-ins are at 22-year lows, and homicides are at 70-year lows. We are seeing net increases in police officers and sheriff’s deputies for the first time in a decade. We have a record low number of encampments on our streets, and overdose deaths are down 39% from January. We can keep San Francisco safe, and our new approach is beginning to deliver real results.

“Thanks to the work our teams are doing, San Franciscans are feeling optimistic about the direction of our city and the conditions on our streets for the first time in years. And we are going to continue working every single day to build on this progress and keep our city safe 365 days a year. Our local law enforcement, outreach workers, community ambassadors, and I will be relentless to deliver the safe and clean streets that every San Franciscan deserves.”