San Francisco is living through a crime paradox. Police data shows many common offenses are dropping fast this year, yet deadly violence is edging up, with 14 people killed so far in 2026 and nine of those deaths involving firearms. The split has residents unsettled, watching thefts and car break-ins fade while a small but troubling cluster of homicides cuts across several neighborhoods. City officials say the surge appears concentrated and are scrambling to figure out whether it is a short-term blip or the start of a longer trend.
Most crimes are down across the city
The San Francisco Police Department’s weekly trend notes show Part I crimes are down roughly 35% year-to-date, with burglary, motor-vehicle theft and larceny each off by about a third and robberies and assaults running well below last year’s levels, according to the San Francisco Police Department. Those declines build on a broader improvement last year that left the city with historically low totals, a shift previously covered when record-low crime rates were reported.
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