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SFPD commits to overhauling rape investigations after report of low clearance rate

SFPD commits to overhauling rape investigations after report of low clearance rate

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

Checklists, monthly reviews and audits promised in October, as new data shows 78% of this year's cases already inactive

October 21st, 2026: Police Commission receives rape kit report

Overview

Updated Oct 30

San Francisco police leaders promised to overhaul rape investigations at an Oct. 8 City Hall hearing, after reporting showed the department cleared 14% of rape cases in 2025, half the national average. Chief Derrick Lew and Special Victims Unit Captain William Toomey agreed to require checklists before a case is shelved, monthly supervisor reviews and annual audits.

Department data reported by The Standard on Oct. 16 shows how far practice trails those promises: 78% of this year's sexual assault cases were listed as inactive, and the unit has 38 staffers, down from 72 in 2019. Lew said he hopes to add at least five investigators by year's end. Supervisor Myrna Melgar said she would ask the Police Commission on Oct. 27 to write the reforms into policy; the outcome of that step has not been reported.

Why it matters

Whether a rape case gets investigated in San Francisco still depends on a unit that shelved most of this year's cases.

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Key Indicators

14%
Rape cases cleared by SFPD in 2025
Half the national average, lowest among large California counties.
78%
This year's cases listed as inactive
None of the 2026 cases was more than six months old when the department labeled them inactive.
38
Special Victims Unit staff in October 2026
Down from 72 employees at the unit's 2019 peak, according to a public records response.

Voices

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People Involved

DL
Derrick Lew
Chief of Police, San Francisco Police Department
Promised reforms and said the department hopes to add at least five SVU investigators by year's end
WT
William Toomey
Captain, Special Victims Unit
Presenting SFPD reform plan
IL
Ivy Lee
Director, Mayor's Office for Victims' Rights
Proposed reform recommendations; pushing for an independent annual audit
 Myrna Melgar
Myrna Melgar
Supervisor, San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Was scheduled to introduce a resolution on Oct. 27 asking the Police Commission to codify the reforms; outcome not reported

Organizations Involved

San Francisco Police Department
San Francisco Police Department
Police Department
Implementing promised reforms; Special Victims Unit at 38 staffers

The department's Special Victims Unit handles sexual assault cases. It cleared 14% of rape cases in 2025 and had 38 staffers as of October 2026.
SF Standard
SF Standard
News Organization
Exposed the systemic failures

The Standard's July investigation triggered the reforms by documenting SFPD's low clearance rate and systematic failures.
Mayor's Office for Victims' Rights
Mayor's Office for Victims' Rights
City Government Office
Proposed reform recommendations

The office developed reform recommendations drawing on national standards and guidance from legal advocacy groups.
SF
San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women
City Commission
Recommending a citywide oversight panel

The commission co-hosted the Oct. 8 hearing on sexual assault investigations and proposed a standing panel to track cases across city agencies.

Timeline

July 2026 October 2026

6 events Latest: October 21st, 2026 · 3 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Police Commission receives rape kit report

    Latest Oversight

    The commission accepted a semi-annual report on sexual assault evidence kits covering Jan. 1 to June 30, 2026.

  2. New data shows cases stalling and unit shrinking

    Investigation

    The Standard reports 170 rape kits and one rape prosecution in new SFPD data, with 78% of this year's cases listed as inactive and the unit down to 38 staffers.

  3. City Hall hearing on rape investigations

    Hearing

    Nearly 100 people attend a three-hour hearing where Chief Lew and SVU Captain Toomey face questions. Mayor's office and SFPD present competing reform plans.

  4. SFPD announces major reforms

    Policy

    Following the hearing, SFPD commits to standardized checklists, monthly supervisor reviews, and annual independent audits of sexual assault cases.

  5. Women's commission proposes citywide oversight panel

    Policy

    The Commission on the Status of Women recommended a Sexual Violence Justice and Courage Panel to track cases across city agencies, for discussion at its Oct. 28 meeting.

  6. The Standard exposes SFPD rape case failures

    Investigation

    The San Francisco Standard reports SFPD cleared only 14% of rape cases in 2025, half the national average, with 78% of victims left inactive.

Scenarios

1

Reforms codified into SFPD policy

Likely Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: Supervisor Myrna Melgar and the Mayor's Office for Victims' Rights

The Board of Supervisors passes a resolution asking the Police Commission to adopt the recommendations, and the commission does so by early 2027, making checklists, monthly reviews, and independent audits mandatory.

2

Clearance rate rises above 25% in 2027

Possible Resolves by Q1 2028

Discussed by: SFPD leadership

With new procedures in place, the SFPD's clearance rate for rape cases climbs to at least 25% in 2027, up from 14% in 2025, based on annual reporting.

3

Reforms stall without enforcement

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Critics of the police department

The recommendations remain nonbinding and the Police Commission fails to act; the SFPD quietly abandons the promised checklists and reviews after initial implementation.

4

SFPD adds five investigators to the Special Victims Unit

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Chief Derrick Lew

Lew said at the Oct. 8 hearing that the department hopes to add at least five investigators to the unit by the end of the year, which would lift staffing from 38 toward the low 40s. It would still be far below the 72 employees the unit had in 2019.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

January 2002

Boston Globe's Spotlight investigation (2002)

The Boston Globe's Spotlight team published a series exposing decades of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and the church's cover-up. The investigation led to criminal charges, the resignation of Cardinal Law, and sweeping policy changes.

Then

The church implemented new protocols for reporting abuse and removed many priests.

Now

It sparked a worldwide reckoning with clerical abuse and inspired other news organizations to investigate institutions.

Why this matters now

Like The Standard's report, a news investigation revealed systemic failures and forced public officials to confront long-ignored misconduct.

October 2017

#MeToo movement (2017)

After decades of silence, women shared stories of sexual assault and harassment, leading to the downfall of powerful men across industries and a national conversation about accountability.

Then

Many institutions faced public pressure to reform policies and fire abusers.

Now

It changed workplace norms and led to new laws around sexual harassment and arbitration.

Why this matters now

Supervisor Melgar called the SFPD reckoning 'our little Me Too moment,' linking the local reform effort to a broader societal shift in how sexual misconduct is treated.

Sources

(8)
+3
The San Francisco Standard Mission Local CBS San Francisco San Francisco Department on the Status of Women KQED The San Francisco Standard The San Francisco Standard SF.gov