This story was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle on March 5, 2026.
After an order from Mayor Daniel Lurie this week to rein in overtime spending as the city eyes cuts to 500 positions citywide, the San Francisco Police Department imposed immediate overtime restrictions in an effort to cut costs.
The department ordered a 22% cut to overtime hours at police stations citywide, a belt-tightening measure tied to the city’s deficit, according to an internal department email obtained by the Chronicle.
SFPD spokesperson Evan Sernoffsky confirmed that the department planned to reduce its “overtime expenditure for the remainder of the fiscal year to ensure we’re being fiscally responsible,” said Sernoffsky, who declined to provide specifics about the plan.
Lurie’s office declined to comment. The fiscal constraints put Lurie in a dilemma as he tries to confront deficits while pledging to bolster public safety.
The move represented a notable reduction for a department that is about 500 officers short — a gap it relies on overtime to bridge.
The overtime cut came after Lurie’s budget director told departments the city needs to slash $100 million in salary and benefits to close deficits, putting 500 positions on the chopping block. The budget director told departments in an email Monday that the city planned to explore various measures, including reductions in overtime “reliance.”
While it was unclear how the overtime reduction could impact overtime-led policing efforts, such as foot patrols or burglary abatement, Sernoffsky said the department did not anticipate impacts on public safety.
“We will have adequate staffing and resources to respond to any emergencies and other calls for service,” he said.
He said the department routinely makes changes to rein in overtime spending.
According to the latest available data, SFPD’s overtime spending surged from $52.9 million in 2018 to $108.4 million in 2023. Other cities, including Oakland and San Jose, were in similar situations, facing rising police overtime costs and staffing shortages.
It was unclear Thursday how much SFPD has spent on overtime this fiscal year.
