San Francisco's ongoing drive for police reform has marked a significant chapter as the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) reaches a pivotal point in its improvement process. Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that after years of committed efforts in restructuring its practices, the SFPD has implemented most of the reforms suggested by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2016. According to the Office of the Attorney General, the SFPD is now in "substantial compliance," having enacted 263 of the 272 reforms, with the remaining nine underway. This progress is expected to be realized over time.

The reforms, which were overseen by the California Department of Justice (Cal DOJ) since 2018, have led to the decrease in use-of-force incidents and the number of police shootings. This period of reform has seen a nearly 50% reduction in the yearly average of shootings compared with data from 2011 to 2017, indicating a shift towards a more accountable and transparent policing culture. As per the San Francisco Police Department, SFPD Chief William Scott emphasized, "Crime has reached historic lows thanks to our hard-working officers and our work to build community relationships through our reform efforts." The community's role in pushing for these changes has also been recognized as a critical component of the success.

While the overall use-of-force statistics have shown improvements across all racial groups, the data still reflects racial disparities. Nonetheless, the rate of force used against Black individuals has seen a notable decline, more so than the rates of force involving other races. Mayor London Breed highlighted the dual achievement of transformative reforms and commitment to community safety, as crime rates have dropped to levels not seen in over twenty years, according to the narrative from the SFPD's announcement.