Budget and Appropriations Committee Hearing on Street Teams and Police Calls - April 20, 2022
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Budget and Appropriations Committee Hearing on Street Teams and Police Calls - April 20, 2022
The Budget and Appropriations Committee held a hearing on April 20, 2022, to review the city's street response teams and their effectiveness in diverting non-criminal calls from the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). The hearing focused on the Street Crisis Response Team (SCRT) and the Healthy Streets Operations Center (HSOC), as well as other teams. Supervisors, department heads, and analysts discussed progress, data challenges, and next steps.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Joe Adkins (virtual): Expressed distrust in SFPD data, citing historical skewing to support staffing budgets. Called for independent third-party oversight of law enforcement data and decreasing police budgets proportionally as alternative teams scale up.
- Samuel Peoples (virtual, DPW employee): Stated that the Department of Public Works lacks additional funding and equipment to handle increased responsibilities from HSOC call routing. Emphasized the need for a sound needs assessment and racial equity in service teams.
Discussion Items
- Opening Remarks (Supervisor Ronan): Stated the goal of reducing SFPD's role in homelessness and mental health calls. Noted that 10 street teams are funded, 9 operational. SCRT has been running about a year but is not yet fully staffed. Expressed hope for success but called for critical evaluation of impact on police call volume.
- Budget and Legislative Analyst (Fred Brusseau): Presented a report focusing on SCRT and HSOC. Key data:
- SCRT started November 2020; in February 2022, SFPD responded to ~46.6% of 800B calls, SCRT to ~59% (overlap due to dual dispatch). Police response declined from 85% at start.
- HSOC calls redirected to DPW after April 2020 policy change; homelessness-related calls to SFPD have dropped.
- Recommended improving 911 call data tracking for police responses.
- Department Presentations (DEM, Fire, DPH):
- Mary Ellen Carroll (DEM): Overview of five street teams: EMS 6, SCRT, Street Overdose Response Team (SORT), Street Wellness Team (SWT), and HSOC.
- Simon Payne (Fire): Fire department is common thread due to high ambulance transports for homeless (21%) and frequent users (17% of volume from 7% of users). Teams are 911-based for triage safety.
- Angelica Almeida (DPH): SCRT launched Nov 2020 with 6 teams providing citywide 24/7 coverage by July 2021; seventh team not yet deployed. Teams respond to ~4 calls per shift; average 14-15 minute response time. 28% of contacts result in transport to care; 60% remain in community (voluntary). Police assistance requested in only 3.6% of SCRT encounters.
- Robert Smuts (DEM): Explained dispatch process; current dual-code system (800B + 25AO) leads to data overlaps. Planned June 2022 shift to Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) protocols will eliminate police backstop; if SCRT unavailable, an ambulance will respond. Call volume increased 35-50% in recent months, possibly due to latent demand or increased crisis.
- Chief Payne: Presented dispositions: 4,039 encounters from Nov 2020 to Mar 2022. Top 10 repeat clients: 70% connected to intensive case management.
- Discussion by Supervisors:
- President Walton: Questioned need for a dedicated non-911 phone number to improve access. Discussed SCRT capacity: with seventh team, capacity could reach 13,000-20,000 calls/year.
- Supervisor Mar: Asked about outcomes: 28% transport rate is in line with expectations; 66% of clients have follow-up via Office of Coordinated Care. Noted importance of critical case management (not yet started).
- Supervisor Ronan: Expressed concern that despite investment, police call volumes for mental health/homelessness remain steady. Called for measurable impact by next year. Noted DPW capacity strain from shifted calls.
- Supervisor Safai: Questioned data showing 81% of SCRT clients had only one encounter, given anecdotal experience with repeat individuals. Dr. Almeida explained that unidentified clients may be undercounted due to lack of identifiable information.
- Supervisor Chan: Asked about performance metrics: response time (now 14-15 min, target under 30 min) and long-term success indicators (connections to care, reductions in 911 calls, ER overcrowding).
- SFPD Response (Lieutenant Molina): Reported that SFPD responded to 47,242 mental health-related calls in 2021, with force used in only 44 incidents (99.9% de-escalation). Expressed commitment to supporting alternative teams and cited 80 hours of mental health training for officers.
Key Outcomes
- The committee voted unanimously (4-0 with Supervisor Mar absent) to continue the item to the call of the chair, allowing future follow-up.
- Key next steps: Implementation of EMD protocols in June 2022, deployment of seventh SCRT team, expansion of SORT (second team by June 25), and development of alternative access routes (non-911).
- Data tracking improvements recommended: better 911 call recording to measure police response to SCRT-eligible calls; independent evaluations underway (Harder & Company; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation).
- DPW funding and capacity will be a focus during upcoming budget process.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome back to the budget and appropriations meeting. Sorry that we're starting late today, and I want to thank uh the large group of amazing uh city workers who came out to present. I'm so sorry we're starting a bit late. Um we are joined by President Shaman Walton as well as Connie Supervisor Connie Chan, who's uh joining us remotely. Um, even though she's feeling under the weather, thank you so much for joining us. Uh this is the April 20th, 2022 budget and appropriations committee meeting. Um our clerk today is Jeanette Ingleof, and welcome. This is your first meeting, it's my understanding. Welcome to our team at the Board of Supervisors. Um, and then we also have uh our regular clerk Brent Halipa with us. Uh SFGov TV is broadcasting this meeting. Um, sorry. I'm sorry. This has been a day. This has been a complicated day. We have a brand new clerk whose name is not Jeanette Englef, who is uh broadcasting this meeting with SFGov T TV. We have a brand new clerk named Jessica Perkinson. So sorry for that confusion. Welcome, Jessica. We're so we're so happy to have you with us. Um, and I will ask you, Madam Clerk, if you have any announcements. Yes, we do. Um, with our return to the chamber, just a friendly reminder that those in attendance to please make sure you're silent to silence your phones and electronics devices. The Board of Supervisors and its committees are now convening hybrid meetings that allow in-person attendance and public comment while still providing remote access and public comment via telephone. The board recognizes that equitable public access is essential and will be taking public comment as follows. First, public comment will be taken in each on each item on the agenda. This attend those attending in person will be allowed to speak first, and then we will take those who are waiting on the telephone line. For those watching, either channels 2678 or 99 on sfgovtv.org. The public comment call in number is streaming across your screen. The number is 415-655-0001. Again, that's 415 65501. Then enter the meeting number, meeting ID 2487 879 8094. Then pound and pound again. When connected, you will hear the meeting discussions, but you will be muted and in listening mode only. When your item of interest comes up and the public comment comment public comment is called, those joining us in person should go should line up to speak, and those on the telephone should dial star three to also be added to the speaker line. If you are on the telephone, please remember to turn down your TV and all listening devices you may be using. As previously mentioned, we will take public comment for those attending in person first, and then we will go to public comment the public comment telephone line. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing in either of the following ways. Email them to the budget and finance committee clerk at Brent.org. That's B-R-E-N-T.j at SFGO V dot org. If you submit public comment via email, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and also included as part of the official file. You may also send your written comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office in City Hall. One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlit Place, room 244, San Francisco, California, 94102. Madam Chair, that concludes my announcements. Thank you. Can you please read item number one? Item number one is a hearing on the citywide street teams and effectiveness on street conditions, homelessness, and people with mental illness or addiction that are having crisis in the streets reporting.
openpublica.com