San Francisco police leaders promised Thursday to change how the department investigates sexual assault, after a packed three-hour City Hall hearing on why so few rape cases get solved.
The hearing was a joint session of the Board of Supervisors' Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee and the Commission on the Status of Women, called by Supervisor Myrna Melgar. It followed a July investigation by The San Francisco Standard, which found that the department cleared just 14% of rape cases last year, about half the national rate. CBS San Francisco reported that SFPD classified 78% of its 2025 rape cases as "inactive," meaning they stay open but no one is actively working them.
What police say will change
Capt. William Toomey, who leads the Special Victims Unit, said the changes cover four areas: how cases are investigated, how workloads are managed, how survivors are kept informed, and accountability, according to the Bay Area Reporter.
By January, investigators will have to complete a standardized checklist of investigative steps before a case can be marked inactive or closed, Mission Local reported. By December, supervisors will review every active case monthly, and the unit will review its inactive cases each month to find ones that need more work. Patrol officers, who are often the first to take a report, will get updated training on trauma-informed response, starting in January. The unit has 31 investigators and is working toward full staffing.
"Trust is not built in one hearing. It is built by what we do after it," Toomey said, according to Mission Local.
What advocates still want
Ivy Lee, director of the Mayor's Office for Victims' Rights, presented her own recommendations. They include a yearly independent review of closed, inactive and unfounded cases by trained outside advocates, and a shift toward investigations focused on testing a suspect's account rather than the victim's. Police agreed to let outside reviewers see files only if the city decides it would not violate privacy laws, Mission Local reported.
Supervisor Danny Sauter said he was not satisfied with the department's explanation for the low solve rate, CBS reported. Several supervisors asked why more cases aren't sent to the District Attorney.
Next steps
Melgar said she is drafting a resolution listing the changes SFPD agreed to and plans to introduce it Oct. 27, The Standard reported. The full board would vote in November and send it to the Police Commission, which has the power to set department policy.