A Formula for Falling Homicides

The Chron ran an article over the weekend highlighting the 58% fall in the homicide rate.

"Five months into 2009, the city has recorded 17 homicides compared to 45 at this time last year and 40 at this time in 2007.

There have been nine black male murder victims this year, compared to 23 at this time in 2008 and 16 in 2007. And there have been no murders attributable to black-on-black gang violence this year, which was long pegged as one of the prime drivers in the city's spiking murder rate.

Crime analysts say crime rates usually climb during economic recessions, making this year's homicide drop even more unlikely. Kevin Ryan, the director of the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, credited the new "zone strategy," in which police officers flood the most crime-ridden neighborhoods.

He said a renewed focus on high-risk people on probation and violent gangs is also working. He also praised the District Attorney's office for tougher charging on gang and gun crimes and the Department of Justice for getting involved in the gang cases.

"We have come up with a formula that has stemmed the tide for now, but we must watch the trends and be prepared for new strategies as the situation requires," he said."

Cops Matter. Police Count.

There’s a story on crime reductions in the Los Angeles Times today:

Crime in much of Los Angeles County and elsewhere in Southern California has dropped significantly so far this year, despite an economic meltdown that has pushed unemployment into double digits, imploded the housing market and shuttered countless businesses.

The decline flies in the face of predictions made by many crime experts that the region would probably experience substantial increases in property-related crimes and some types of violence as more people fell into financial hardship (…)

Across the country, however, things are far more uneven. More than 100 large police departments have reported increases in property crimes or robberies this year, according to a survey by a police research group.

San Francisco is one of those cities experiencing a significant drop in crime. Our most recent Citywide Crime Profile showed violent crime down 18% and property crime down 26%. That’s an overall reduction of 25%.

Specifically in violent crime, non-fatal shootings are down 22% compared to 2008 and 37% compared to 2007. Turning to homicides, there have been 11 through the first quarter of the year. This compares to 28 last year and 24 the year before. That’s a reduction of 61% compared to 2008 and of 58% compared to the average of the last two years. Nowhere have these gains been greater than in the Mission District. The Mission sustained 14 homicides through September of last year, but has had only one in the past six months and none thus far in 2009. While we are only three months into 2009, these are significant gains and I know that all our public safety partners are committed to cooperatively furthering them.

These gains are a product of smart and focused policing. The SFPD is now fourteen months into its Zone Strategy, deploying maximum available resources to those areas experiencing a disproportionate amount of crime. Part of this has been a critical focus on community policing – getting out of the cars and working with the community to solve problems.

These gains are also a product of the Department’s focus on rigorously analyzing its strengths and weaknesses. Over the last few years, there have been eight major studies, focused on everything from reducing technology gaps to most efficiently staffing foot patrols to optimally organizing our investigations bureau. These studies have produced over 350 recommendations, many of which are being presently implemented. With more budget cuts ahead of us, using these recommendations as guidelines for efficiency will be even more critical. A large part of this will be how we apply for and utilize those federal stimulus dollars targeted for public safety. Moving forward, we’ll keep you posted on this.

It is important to note that much of this would not be possible without a determined focus on adequately staffing the SFPD – a core commitment of Mayor Newsom.

The above points are part of a larger coordinated criminal justice response. But they highlight a simple point: more police officers, working in more efficient ways, spending more time in the community, can reduce crime. In this, I know that both Mayor Newsom and I agree with Chief Bratton:

"Cops matter. Police count."

K.

ShotSpotter Helps Make Arrests, Recover Firearms, at Western Addition Shooting

While the below update is a few weeks old, I’d like to share it with you, as it illustrates the effectiveness of the ShotSpotter system. ShotSpotter near instantaneously alerts officers on incidents of gunfire, allowing them to arrive minutes faster than by way of citizen reporting (assuming that there is a corresponding 911 call). Because the system dramatically improves response time, it often allows officers, as in the below case, to make critical arrests and recover dangerous weapons. My office, as directed by the Mayor, and in cooperation with the Police Department and Board of Supervisors, has rolled out ShotSpotter in select sections of the Bayview, Western Addition and Mission. We continue to monitor the succesess of this program, with the hopes of expanding coverage to other parts of the city. Of note, ShotSpotter is part of a larger Technology-Informed Policing (TIP) iniative by the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice. Critical to the success of this program to-date, has been the hard work and leadership of Lt. Mikail Ali, who serves as Senior Public Safety Advisor to both Mayor Newsom and my office.

1/08/09, 1:25PM - Police officers detained three suspects in a gang-related shooting at Golden Gate and Fillmore. The shooting occurred following a funeral service for a recent homicide victim. The suspects fired into the procession of mourners as they were leaving the funeral home. The suspects were San Francisco residents, male, ages 21, 21 and 20. The gunfire was immediately detected by the ShotSpotter system and nearby plainclothes units, comprised of members of both Northern Station and Gang Task Force, quickly apprehended the suspects. No one was struck by the gunfire. Police recovered a Tech 9 assault weapon.

KVR

Tenderloin Station Update: Cameras Key to Nabbing Homicide Suspect

Update from Tenderloin Station - Captain Gary Jimenez
Many of our neighbors have heard about the man who was killed on Wednesday morning at 2 AM, at the intersection of Taylor and Turk. What many do not know is that the suspects’ descriptions were limited until two of your Day Watch Foot Beat officers came to work, and hearing of the incident at their lineup, went out to develop a more complete description, including the possible identity of the culprits. Within hours, the Officers located those believed to be responsible for this act and made the arrests. The alleged perpetrators are in custody and face a prosecution where the city cameras at this intersection will be the indisputable witness to what occurred.