San Francisco Police Reach Tentative 14% Raise Deal

Agreement still needs approval from rank-and-file officers and Board of Supervisors.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 7:11am by Ben Kaplan

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The city of San Francisco and the San Francisco Police Department have reached a tentative 4-year deal that would provide a 14% raise for police officers, equating to a 3.5% annual increase. The deal was unanimously approved by the San Francisco Police Board of Directors and still requires votes from rank-and-file officers and the Board of Supervisors.

Why it matters

The raise aims to help the city recruit and retain police officers, but it could also set a precedent for negotiations with other city employees in the coming year as San Francisco faces a roughly $900 million budget deficit over the next two years.

The details

The tentative deal would provide a 14% raise for San Francisco police officers over the next 4 years. While many are praising the agreement, some are concerned about the potential tradeoffs and impact on the city's overall budget. The deal was unanimously approved by the San Francisco Police Board of Directors and still needs approval from rank-and-file officers and the Board of Supervisors.

  • The tentative deal was reached in March 2026.

The players

San Francisco Police Department

The local law enforcement agency serving the city of San Francisco.

San Francisco Police Board of Directors

The governing body that unanimously approved the tentative 4-year deal with the city.

San Francisco Board of Supervisors

The legislative body that must still approve the tentative deal.

Sam Singer

Spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Officers Association.

Sean Elsbernd

CEO of SPUR, a nonprofit public policy organization in San Francisco.

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What they’re saying

“What's important about this contract is that it honors the officers who are working for the San Francisco Police Department. It shows the respect and the amount of time they put in. And the dedication they have to their jobs. It's also within line of the Mayor's and the city's budget for the coming year.”

— Sam Singer, Spokesperson, San Francisco Police Officers Association

“If it's any bit lower, the deficit will come down. But if it comes down, or if you pay less, you're probably going to have a really tough time recruiting and the number of officers is going to go down. So, if you want to address that, you pay more than CPI. If you pay more than CPI, you'll attract more officers but you're going to increase your debt.”

— Sean Elsbernd, CEO, SPUR

What’s next

The tentative deal is expected to be finalized in early April 2026 after votes by rank-and-file officers and the Board of Supervisors.

The takeaway

This deal highlights the city's efforts to retain and recruit police officers, but it also raises concerns about the potential impact on the city's overall budget and the precedent it may set for negotiations with other city employees facing their own contract renewals.