San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and other officials said they are maintaining public safety by working with state and federal enforcement, and the situation in the city is under control.
Their stance came in part as a response to Salesforce CEO and co-founder Marc Benioff’s saying he likes the idea of sending the National Guard to the city. “We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it,” he said in a New York Times report.
The mayor, however, had his own take on the situation.
“I am clear-eyed about the challenges that we have; we have a lot of work to do, but I trust our local law enforcement,” Lurie said on Oct. 15 at the San Francisco Police Department’s Academy in Diamond Heights.
Hours later, President Donald Trump reasserted his aim to send National Guard assistance to San Francisco.
“I’m going to be strongly recommending at the request of government officials, which is always nice, that you start looking at San Francisco,” the President said at a White House press conference. “I think we can make San Francisco, one of our great cities 10 years ago, 15 years ago, and now it’s a mess.”
“And we have great support in San Francisco, so I’d like to recommend that for inclusion, maybe in your next group,” Trump said.
Lurie said public safety has been the top priority from the day he was sworn in as mayor of San Francisco.
He said the crime rate in Union Square is down 40 percent, citywide crime is down 30 percent, homicide is at a 70-year low, and car break–ins are at a 22-year low.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said these statistics are the result of partnerships with state and federal law enforcement, citing their “all hands on deck” approach.
The “All Hands on Deck” initiative, launched in late 2023 by the Department of Justice, refers to a multi-agency task force that includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the DEA, the FBI, and the DA’s office, and other local law enforcement agencies, to combat open drug trafficking in San Francisco, which was fueled by illegal immigrants and also cartel members.
“There is no question that when we need the addition of state or federal resources, that we have no problem seeking the assistance that we need,” Jenkins said. “But, we have this issue under control.”
The DA called off a rally, “No federal troops in SF,” that was to be held in front of the City Hall the same day.
In an X post on Oct. 10, Jenkins said she “will not hesitate” to hold accountable Department of Homeland Security agents who came to San Francisco and crossed the line.
However, in the Oct. 15 press conference, Jenkins clarified her previous comments: “What I said was I will hold any law enforcement officer accountable, including ICE and anyone else, if they cross the bounds of the law.”
San Francisco still has a shortage of 500 sworn officers, according to the city’s police department, but it has made progress.
“We have more office space being leased than vacated for the first time in seven or eight years,” Lurie said.
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has 3,375 applications, an increase of over 40 percent compared to 2024, and the graduation rates rose 20 percent from the last few classes, SFPD data shows.
The SFPD attributes the boost to an aggressive hiring strategy and competitive pay and benefits that are bringing in more high-quality applicants as well as officers from other jurisdictions.
An Oct. 15 statement from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said that in San Francisco, there has been a 45 percent decrease in homicides and a 40 percent decrease in robberies, when comparing crime rates in the city before the COVID-induced crime surge between 2019 and 2025.
California Highway Patrol has 200 extra officers for the annual Dreamforce convention in Moscone Center in San Francisco, the governor’s office said.
“We have optimism in our city,” Lurie said at the press conference.
“This message here today is for the people of San Francisco, and those that want to come enjoy what I believe is the greatest city in the world.”
Crystal Lu contributed to this report.
