By Amelia Anderson The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) is the municipal law-enforcement agency serving the City and County of San Francisco, California. Its responsibilities include patrol response, criminal investigations, traffic and transit enforcement, airport policing, community policing, records services, property and evidence functions, specialized operations and other public-safety services within its jurisdiction.
For a life-threatening emergency, a crime in progress or an immediate danger, call 911. For police assistance that is not an emergency, call 415-553-0123. San Francisco also uses 311 for many city-service matters and for assistance with certain non-emergency reporting needs.
SFPD currently operates through five major bureaus: Airport, Administration, Field Operations, Investigations and Special Operations. The department also maintains 10 district police stations across San Francisco, while Police Headquarters and Records Management are located at the Public Safety Building in Mission Bay.
San Francisco Police Department Quick Information
| Information | Details |
| Official name | San Francisco Police Department |
| Common abbreviation | SFPD |
| Headquarters | 1245 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94158 |
| Emergency number | 911 |
| Non-emergency police | 415-553-0123 |
| City services and questions | 311 |
| Headquarters main number | 415-837-7000 |
| Records Management | 415-575-7232 |
| Anonymous tip line | 415-575-4444 |
| Property Control | 415-553-1377 |
| Department of Police Accountability | 415-241-7711 |
| Main bureaus | Five |
| District police stations | 10 |
| Online police reporting | Available for qualifying incidents |
| County | City and County of San Francisco |
| County jail intake | 425 7th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 |
Police Headquarters is generally open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays. Emergency response, the non-emergency police line and district-station police services are not limited to those headquarters business hours.
San Francisco Police Department Address
The main San Francisco Police Department headquarters is located at:
- San Francisco Police Department Headquarters
- 1245 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Main number: 415-837-7000
The headquarters building houses police administration and a number of department functions. The Crime Information Services Unit / Records Management public window is on the first floor and processes requests for police incident reports during normal business hours.
Residents may contact SFPD for matters such as:
- Reporting a crime or requesting an officer
- Filing an eligible non-emergency report online
- Requesting a copy of a police incident report
- Contacting the appropriate district station
- Providing information about criminal activity
- Asking about property held by police
- Filing a complaint or commendation
- Seeking information about victim-support resources
Southern Station is located next to Police Headquarters at 1251 3rd Street and remains available for district police services around the clock.
San Francisco Police Department Organization
SFPD uses a five-bureau command structure designed to separate major operational and support responsibilities. The current bureau structure includes:
- Airport Bureau
- Administration Bureau
- Field Operations Bureau
- Investigations Bureau
- Special Operations Bureau
The bureaus cover city patrol, district-station operations, investigations, specialized enforcement, airport policing, training, records, property, support services and other administrative functions. Unit assignments can be reorganized over time, so members of the public should use the department directory or general contact numbers when they are unsure which unit handles a particular matter.
Field Operations Bureau
The Field Operations Bureau is responsible for much of SFPD’s front-line neighborhood policing. It coordinates patrol operations through the city’s district stations and provides police response to emergency and routine calls for service.
Typical field responsibilities include:
- Patrol response to 911 and non-emergency calls
- Preliminary criminal investigations
- Crime-scene protection until specialized personnel arrive
- Neighborhood problem-solving and community policing
- Arrests and enforcement of criminal laws
- Initial victim and witness interviews
- Public-safety response at major events
- Coordination among district stations
San Francisco’s district-station system is especially important because residents can contact the station responsible for their neighborhood for local concerns, follow-up information and community-policing matters.
Investigations Bureau
The Investigations Bureau handles serious, complex and longer-term criminal investigations that require specialized detectives or centralized investigative resources. Investigators work with district stations and other agencies when a case extends beyond the initial patrol response.
Investigative functions include areas such as:
- Homicide and other serious violent crime
- Robbery and burglary
- Domestic violence and sexual assault
- Fraud and financial crime
- Elder abuse and special-victim cases
- Narcotics investigations
- Hate-crime and arson investigations
- Missing-person investigations
- Crime-gun and strategic investigations
Not every report automatically receives the same level of detective follow-up. Case assignment can depend on the seriousness of the offense, available evidence, suspect information, forensic leads and other investigative factors.
Special Operations and Airport Policing
SFPD maintains specialized resources for incidents that require capabilities beyond ordinary patrol. Special Operations supports functions connected with traffic, transit, homeland-security preparedness and other high-risk or specialized assignments. The department also has an Airport Bureau responsible for police operations at San Francisco International Airport.
Specialized capabilities and assignments may include:
- Traffic enforcement and major traffic operations
- Muni and transit policing
- Tactical response
- K-9 services
- Mounted patrol
- Air-support and drone-related operations where authorized
- Event security and emergency preparedness
- Airport patrol and airport-related police services
San Francisco Police District Stations
SFPD operates 10 district stations. Residents can use the department’s station finder to identify the station responsible for a particular address. The principal station contacts are:
| Station | Address | Phone |
| Bayview | 201 Williams Avenue | 415-671-2300 |
| Central | 766 Vallejo Street | 415-315-2400 |
| Ingleside | 1 Sgt. John V. Young Lane | 415-404-4000 |
| Mission | 630 Valencia Street | 415-558-5400 |
| Northern | 1125 Fillmore Street | 415-614-3400 |
| Park | 1899 Waller Street | 415-242-3000 |
| Richmond | 461 6th Avenue | 415-666-8000 |
| Southern | 1251 3rd Street | 415-575-6000 |
| Taraval | 2345 24th Avenue | 415-759-3100 |
| Tenderloin | 301 Eddy Street | 415-345-7300 |
District stations handle neighborhood police services, but requests for copies of incident reports are processed through Crime Information Services / Records Management at Police Headquarters rather than through the individual district stations.
What County Is San Francisco Police Department In?
The San Francisco Police Department serves the City and County of San Francisco, California. San Francisco is a consolidated city and county, so the city and county governments are combined rather than operating as a typical separate city inside a larger county.
SFPD is the primary municipal police agency for most of San Francisco, but some locations have separate law-enforcement jurisdiction. For example, federal lands and BART property may be served by other police agencies. The exact location of an incident determines which agency should receive the report.
The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office is separate from SFPD. The Sheriff’s Office operates the county jail system, provides court and custody services and performs other sheriff functions. After an arrested person enters county custody, jail-status and visitation questions should generally be directed to the Sheriff’s Office.
Filing a San Francisco Police Report
Call 911 when there is an immediate threat to life or safety, a crime is in progress, a weapon is involved or the suspect is still present or can be located immediately. For a non-emergency police matter, call 415-553-0123.
SFPD also accepts online reports for selected incidents. The online system is intended for qualifying situations that do not require an immediate officer response. Examples currently listed for online reporting include:
- Harassing phone calls
- Lost property
- Vandalism or graffiti
- Vehicle burglary or vehicle tampering
- Certain thefts
- Credit-card fraud
- Shoplifting
- Identity or cryptocurrency theft
- Mail or package theft
- Phone or electronic scams
- Trespassing
Some incidents cannot be filed through the general online system. Examples include residential burglary, robbery, traffic collisions and hit-and-runs, stolen vehicles, stolen license plates and certain stolen passports or electric bicycles. For those situations, follow SFPD instructions and contact police or the appropriate district station.
Obtaining a San Francisco Police Report
Copies of San Francisco police incident reports are processed by the Crime Information Services Unit / Records Management. Requests can be submitted through the department’s incident-report request portal or made in person at Police Headquarters.
- Crime Information Services Unit / Records Management
- 1245 3rd Street, 1st Floor, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Customer service: 415-575-7232
In-person incident-report requests are generally handled Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays. SFPD states that copies of incident reports are provided without a report-copy fee. A valid form of identification may be required depending on the request and the requester’s relationship to the incident.
Useful information for locating the correct report includes:
- Incident or case number
- Date and approximate time of the incident
- Incident location
- Names of involved persons
- Type of incident or report
- Requester identification and contact information when required
Requests for other public records, such as certain body-camera materials, photographs, statements, data or other incident-related documentation, use the department’s public-records process rather than the ordinary incident-report copy request.
Property and Evidence
SFPD Property Control manages property booked into police custody, including evidence, found property and items held for safekeeping. The general Property Control telephone number is 415-553-1377.
Property in police custody can include:
- Crime-scene evidence
- Found property
- Recovered stolen property
- Property held for safekeeping
- Firearms and other regulated items
- Electronic devices or other items connected to an investigation
A person seeking the return of property should contact Property Control before going in person. Evidence connected to an active investigation or court case may remain in police custody until release is authorized. When property has been approved for release, the lawful owner or authorized recipient may be required to present valid photo identification and other documentation.
Victim Services
Crime victims in San Francisco can receive assistance through the San Francisco District Attorney’s Victim Services Division. Services may include crisis support, information about the criminal-justice process, referrals, help understanding victim rights and information about possible crime-related financial assistance.
- Victim Services Division
- 350 Rhode Island Street, 400N, San Francisco, CA 94103
- Phone: 628-652-4100
Victims should call 911 if they are in immediate danger. For an existing SFPD case, the investigating officer or unit may also provide case-specific information when legally permitted.
Complaints About San Francisco Police Employees
Complaints involving SFPD officers can be filed with the independent San Francisco Department of Police Accountability (DPA). A complaint can also be made through an SFPD supervisor at a district station. SFPD states that its stations are available to receive complaints and that personnel must assist members of the public with the complaint process.
- Department of Police Accountability
- 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 8th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
- Phone: 415-241-7711
A complaint is easier to review when it includes specific information such as:
- Date and time of the incident
- Exact location
- Officer or employee identification if known
- Police case or citation number if available
- Names and contact information of witnesses
- Photographs, video or other supporting material
- A clear description of what occurred
San Francisco County Jail Information
The San Francisco Police Department does not operate the county jail system. Jail intake, housing, visitation and release functions are handled by the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office.
- Intake and Release Center
- 425 7th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
The Intake and Release Center is the booking and release point for people entering or leaving the San Francisco County Jail system. The Sheriff’s Office also operates housing facilities, including County Jail #2 in San Francisco and County Jail #3 in San Bruno.
The Sheriff’s Office provides an online “Find a Person in Jail” service for checking whether a person is currently in custody. Jail visitation is scheduled separately through the Sheriff’s Office. Once a person has entered county custody, questions about inmate location, visiting, housing or release should be directed to the Sheriff’s Office rather than SFPD Records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the San Francisco Police non-emergency number?
A: Call 415-553-0123 for police assistance when the situation is not an emergency. Call 911 for emergencies, crimes in progress or immediate threats to life or safety.
Q: Where is San Francisco Police Headquarters?
A: SFPD Headquarters is at 1245 3rd Street, San Francisco, California 94158. The Records Management public counter is located on the first floor.
Q: Can I file a San Francisco police report online?
A: Yes. SFPD provides online reporting for selected non-emergency incident types. Serious or in-progress crimes and several excluded report categories must be reported directly to police or at a district station.
Q: How do I get a copy of a San Francisco police report?
A: Incident-report copies are handled by the Crime Information Services Unit / Records Management. Requests can be made through the online incident-report portal or in person at Police Headquarters during normal business hours.
Q: How many SFPD district stations are there?
A: SFPD operates 10 district police stations: Bayview, Central, Ingleside, Mission, Northern, Park, Richmond, Southern, Taraval and Tenderloin.
Q: What county is the San Francisco Police Department in?
A: SFPD serves the City and County of San Francisco. San Francisco is a consolidated city and county, and the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office separately operates the county jail system.