San Francisco Police Department increases foot and vehicle patrols for Lunar New Year in celebration areas to ensure safety

SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor Daniel Lurie joined representatives from public safety agencies to announce that more officers would be deployed for foot and vehicle patrols in celebration areas across the city during the Lunar New Year.

The announcement was made on February 10 at the annual Lunar New Year crime prevention press conference at the Chinatown Gate, just two days after the Super Bowl 60 game was held in the San Francisco Bay Area.

"Last week, San Francisco successfully hosted one of the largest events in the world," said Lurie. According to the data Lurie released, the citywide crime rate was down 35% in 2026, violent crime was down 37% during the Super Bowl 60 week, and property crime was down 35%.

On the economy side, 1.2 million passengers went through the San Francisco International Airport. Hotel revenues were up 230%. Nearly $170 million was spent on Visa Cards at local businesses (up almost 20%). Visitors to the Hospitality Zone in San Francisco Downtown were up 70%. Pier 39 attendance was up 70%, and Ferry Building foot traffic was up 24%.

"We hosted more than 300 events across our city and our public safety teams were prepared and coordinated," said Lurie. "We demonstrated what San Francisco can do when our public safety teams are fully staffed and plan ahead. Now we are going to build on that momentum and I am confident that we will carry that same level of public safety into the Lunar New Year festivities and beyond."

Lurie said all public safety agencies—the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), Sheriff's Office, Department of Emergency Management, and Fire Department—across the city have been working closely together to ensure the Lunar New Year celebrations remain safe and well supported.

Community members will see increased public safety, staffing and presence during the month-long celebrations citywide. Lurie said the SFPD would deploy additional foot and vehicle patrols in celebration areas. Plainclothes officers have been deployed throughout the city to support. The Sheriff deputies also have joined the patrols with additional foot beats and patrol vehicles. The Department of Emergency Management will have street ambassadors to serve in Asian neighborhoods across the city.

Police Chief Derrick Lew reminded community members to report crime and suspicious activities to the police. "This is also a time when we recommit ourselves to keeping one another safe," said Lew.

Lew said the SFPD has added additional patrol officers and community ambassadors to the Chinatown area. The community will see an increase in high-visibility deployments to both deter and respond to crime. The Real-Time Investigation Center equipped with advanced technology will join and assist police officers on the ground level to stop crime.

Lew highlighted the importance of reporting crimes, which is critical for keeping the city safe. He indicated that the SFPD's current language capability has reached over 300 languages through the language access phone line.

Additionally, over 500 SFPD personnel are bilingual or multilingual, speaking nearly 40 languages combined.

Every one of the City’s 10 police stations has a language support telephone line connecting to interpreters who speak over 300 languages including Cantonese and Mandarin, Lew said.

"I just want to remind the public of a few things. We still have some ongoing issues. "Scams are ongoing, such as romance scams, investment opportunity scams, and blessing scams," said Central Police Station Captain Christopher Del Gandio. "Please be vigilant and aware of these scams, and report if you are a victim. Come to Central Station. As the chief said, we have language access for Cantonese, Mandarin, and any other language you may speak but please report it. This is very important."