San Francisco Seals Deal With Police Union Today

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed legislation today to seal a new four-year labor agreement with the San Francisco Police Officers Association.

The deal sets pay raises, staffing incentives, and recruitment tools aimed at strengthening the city’s police force and emergency response capacity, according to the mayor's office.

City officials said the memorandum of understanding runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030, and locks in annual wage increases of 3 percent for the first three years and 5 percent in the final year, along with service-based raises and hiring bonuses designed to attract officers from other jurisdictions.

Under the new agreement, police officers are also eligible for an additional 2 percent pay increase at eight years of service and an additional 1 percent increase at 10 years of service, building on the city’s ongoing efforts to retain mid-career police officers serving San Francisco.

Lurie advanced the deal alongside cosponsors Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman and Supervisors Alan Wong, Matt Dorsey, and Stephen Sherrill, framing the agreement as part of a broader effort to rebuild staffing across the SFPD.

Police leaders said the contract supports recruitment momentum already underway, following the mayor’s “Rebuilding the Ranks” initiative, which has helped drive the largest hiring surge in six years and brought in the biggest recruit class since 2017, according to a press release from the mayor's office.

City data cited by officials indicates crime has dropped nearly 30 percent over the past year, a trend leaders tied in part to increased staffing and enforcement capacity as the department works to reduce reliance on overtime and stabilize patrol coverage.

Mayor Lurie said officers “drive down crime and boost economic recovery every day,” and argued the agreement strengthens public safety investment while keeping recruitment and retention competitive in a tight labor market.

Union leadership, including POA President Louis Wong, said in the press release that the deal recognizes officer workload and sacrifice, while emphasizing the need to support personnel who work nights, weekends, and holidays across the city.

San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew said the agreement will help the department attract new recruits, retain experienced officers, and improve training capacity for incoming classes as staffing gaps remain a central operational challenge.

Supervisors supporting the measure said the contract helps reduce chronic understaffing pressures, improves field training pay, and adds flexibility for staffing major events such as upcoming international tournaments, while limiting overtime costs, according to the statement.

The agreement also includes a $25,000 signing bonus for lateral hires from other agencies, backed by a $2 million grant, and adds service-based pay increases at eight and ten years to improve mid-career retention.

City leaders said the combined changes aim to stabilize police staffing levels, close a nearly 500-officer deficit, and support long-term public safety goals as San Francisco continues to rebuild its workforce and reduce crime.

The agreement also included measures to allow SFPD to staff the city’s major special events, such as the upcoming FIFA World Cup, to avoid overtime costs. In addition, the deal includes pay for field training officers to ensure there are enough seasoned officers to train new police recruits, Lurie's office reported.

The agreement comes on the heels of bargaining with other San Francisco public safety agencies. On Friday, Lurie signed off on new labor agreements with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 798 covering firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians.