S.F. supervisors press SFPD on rising auto burglaries as department outlines plain‑clothes operations and bait‑car rollout

San Francisco elected officials on Thursday questioned police and city agencies about the scale and effectiveness of efforts to stem a sustained increase in auto burglaries that officials say has left thousands of residents and visitors victimized each year.

Commander Derek Jackson of the San Francisco Police Department’s field operations bureau told the Government Audit & Oversight Committee that SFPD’s multi‑pronged ParkSmart campaign, plain‑clothes enforcement and new bait‑car deployments are part of a broader strategy the department has used since 2014. "If you love it, don't leave it," Jackson said, summarizing ParkSmart's prevention message. He also said plain‑clothes operations for January through May 2023 produced 21 successful operations, 37 arrests and 14 firearms recovered.

Why it matters: Supervisors framed the hearing as an attempt to move beyond announcements and understand what is working, what is not, and how the city measures success. Committee Chair Supervisor Dean Preston said the goal was a coordinated, transparent citywide response that includes consistent data and measurable goals.

Key facts and claims: Jackson said the city saw an overall decline in auto burglaries between 2017 and 2020, with a sharp dip during the pandemic and increases after 2020. Lieutenant Steven Jonas, who oversees plain‑clothes operations, told the committee most seized firearms have been handguns ("about 90%"), many with extended magazines, and that roughly 10% of seized weapons were assault weapons. Jackson and Jonas described trends investigators see in the field: multi‑person crews, daylight operations in tourist areas, use of stolen vehicles or swapped plates and counter‑surveillance tactics.

On bait cars and evaluation: Jackson said the bait‑car program was rolled out immediately after Chief Bill Scott’s press conference and is being used to target street‑level auto burglars; he declined to provide operational detail citing officer safety. When supervisors asked how the department evaluates tactics, Jackson said officers review operations during debriefs and track arrests, seizures and recovered property as measures of effectiveness.

Data and follow‑up requests: Supervisors flagged a data discrepancy between SFPD slides showing roughly 15,000 year‑to‑date incidents (through Sept. 18) and a full‑year 2022 total widely reported as about 22,000. SFPD clarified that some slides were year‑to‑date, while its 2022 full‑year number is about 22,000; supervisors asked SFPD to reconcile public datasets and update the committee record. Committee members also requested follow‑up on the disposition of the 37 arrests (charges filed, detention/monitoring, case outcomes) and a fuller explanation for the low clearance rate reported in external trackers (about 1–2% by some counts).

Community input and prevention: Officials and members of the public emphasized prevention and victim supports. Rob Malone of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said MTA added ParkSmart text to meter screens and pay‑by‑phone prompts and is open to redesigning graphics with the police and community. OEWD deputy director Chris Korgas described community‑based ambassador programs that have handed out ParkSmart materials in tourist areas.

Public comment: Dozens of residents, merchants and volunteers described personal attacks and urged more foot patrols, improved victim assistance and technology solutions (for example, vehicle tracking or geofenced warnings for visitors). Several speakers urged focus on fences and markets that buy stolen goods as well as on frontline enforcement.

Next steps: The committee voted unanimously to continue the item to the call of the chair so departments can return with reconciled data, additional prosecution/clearance information and proposals for sustained interdepartmental coordination.

Ending: Committee Chair Preston said the city needs "an all‑of‑the‑above" approach, combining enforcement, prevention, data‑driven metrics and better victim support, and signaled the committee would reconvene to evaluate follow‑up materials and progress.