San Francisco Police Commission Meeting – April 6, 2022

This regular meeting of the San Francisco Police Commission was held on the evening of April 6, 2022, with Acting President Elias presiding. Commissioners Byrne, Carter-Oberstone, Yannis, Yi, and Hamasaki (joined later) were present. The meeting included public comment, reports from the Chief of Police and the Department of Police Accountability (DPA), a quarterly presentation from the Internal Affairs Division, a discussion of the Crime Lab quality assurance database, and closed session items.

Consent Calendar

• The commission unanimously approved the minutes from the meetings of February 2, 9, 16, and March 2, 9, 16, 2022.
• A motion to accept a $50 gift card donation to the Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic was approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mary Bow (mother of a homicide victim) spoke about the lack of communication from SFPD regarding her son's unsolved murder from 15 years ago. She requested a point of contact and updates. Chief Scott stated he had spoken with her and that the case was being reviewed. Commissioner Byrne requested that the matter be agendized for a three-month update.
• Savan Bucksman, David Aronson, Jean Bridges, and another caller, all representing the organization "Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community," read statements from founder Felicia Jones. They condemned SFPD's ongoing racial disparities as shown in the department's own quarterly data: Black San Franciscans are 6 times more likely to be subject to a traffic stop, 10.5 times more likely to be arrested, and nearly 16 times more likely to experience use of force compared to white San Franciscans. They criticized the Hillard Heintze DOJ reform report as overly optimistic and failing to address systemic racism. They urged the commission to take urgent action.

Discussion Items

• Chief’s Report: Chief William Scott reported that while shootings are down double-digit percentages year-to-date, three homicides occurred in the past week, including a quadruple shooting at Alice Trauma Playground that left two dead. He described strategies including increased intervention efforts (22 interventions year-to-date compared to 11 all of last year), partnership with California Partnerships for a $6 million violence intervention grant, and deployment adjustments. He noted 64 ghost guns confiscated this year. Commissioner Burns raised concerns about evening conditions in the Tenderloin, and the Chief acknowledged inconsistent foot patrols due to deployment challenges. Commissioner Yi asked about summer violence prevention; the Chief outlined youth programming and targeted enforcement.
• DPA Director’s Report: Acting Director Sarah Hawkins presented monthly statistics for January and February 2022. In January, 54 cases were received (37% involved officer behavior/language; 30% failure to take required action). In February, 49 cases were received (22% failure to take required action). She announced the start of a DGO 810 audit for 2021 and the launch of a civic bridge program for online complaint tracking. Outreach to the LGBTQ+ community was also highlighted.
• Commission Reports: Commissioner Carter-Oberstone reported progress on a policy to address racial disparities in stop and search data, aiming for a public presentation at the first meeting in May. Commissioner Yannis requested that a conversation about policing disparities and community response be agendized for April 20. Commissioner Byrne requested an update on homicide victim services and protocols. The commission also discussed agendizing an update on the California Partnership for Safe Communities (CPE) interventions.
• Internal Affairs Division Quarterly Report (Q3 & Q4 2021): Commander Paul Yep presented a detailed data-driven report. Key findings: In Q3 2021, 109 cases were opened, 15 closed within the quarter; 111 cases were closed in total. The most common allegation was neglect of duty (65 cases). In Q4 2021, 262 cases were opened (largely due to vaccination mandate enforcement), 5 closed in the quarter. Disciplinary outcomes included suspensions, admonishments, retirements, and resignations. Commissioner Yannis questioned the high number of "insufficient evidence" findings; Commander Yep explained that many cases involve uncooperative complainants or lack of evidence. Commissioner Yannis requested a comparative analysis of cases that IAD did not substantiate but DPA later substantiated, to identify process gaps.
• Crime Lab Quality Assurance Database: A presentation on the database used to monitor potential contamination. The lab now only tracks evidence samples for 60 days (no reference samples), and matches are only reported through CODIS. Commander Yep noted that pending state and local legislation may require changes, which the department will follow.

Key Outcomes

• The commission voted unanimously to adopt the minutes and approve the consent calendar.
• The commission voted unanimously to go into closed session (Item 10) and later voted unanimously not to disclose any discussion from closed session (Item 12).
• Agendized items for future meetings:
  • Update on SFPD’s protocols for communicating with homicide victim families (in three months).
  • Update on the California Partnership for Safe Communities (CPE) interventions.
  • Conversation on policing disparities and community response (targeted for April 20, 2022).
  • Presentation of a policy to address racial disparities in stop and search data (first meeting in May 2022).
• The commission directed the Chief to provide a breakdown of Internal Affairs cases by source (officer-initiated vs. public complaints) to better explain insufficient evidence findings.