San Francisco Police Commission Meeting – April 20, 2022

On Wednesday, April 20, 2022, the San Francisco Police Commission convened for its regular meeting. The agenda included the Chief's report on recent officer arrests, the annual Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) report, a discussion on departmental clearance rates, and several public comment periods. Commissioners also heard farewell remarks from outgoing Commissioner John Hamasaki.

Consent Calendar

• The commission unanimously (6-0) approved the consent calendar, which included the Family Code 628 Incident Report Release, Quarterly Report (First Quarter 2022), SFPD and DPA SB 1421/SB16 monthly reports, the monthly Collaborative Reform Initiative (CRI) update, and the Police Commission Disciplinary Actions Report (First Quarter 2022).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Rita Lark urged the commission to support AB 1837 (“No Place Like Home”), which died in Sacramento, regarding locating high-risk parolees.
• David Elliott Lewis, a longtime volunteer on the CIT mental health working group, praised the program's progress in de-escalation and reduced use of force, and thanked the commission for its support.
• John Pro criticized the department's culture following the arrest of three SFPD officers, arguing that the department treats each incident as isolated and fails to address systemic issues.
• Susan Buckman, David Aronson, and Gene Bridges (volunteers with Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community) read statements from founder Felicia Jones, decrying anti-blackness in SFPD’s use of force, arrests, and traffic stops. They cited data showing Black San Franciscans are 6 times more likely to be subject to traffic stops, 10.5 times more likely to be arrested, and nearly 16 times more likely to experience use of force compared to white residents. They called for urgent accountability.
• Francisco de Conste requested the commission investigate the redistricting task force and address quality-of-life issues in public housing areas.

Chief’s Report

• Chief William Scott reported on the arrests of three officers (including retired officer Mark Williams) for alleged criminal misconduct, including unlawful possession of a machine gun, possession of a silencer, embezzlement, and destruction of evidence. He emphasized that internal investigations led to the charges and that the department is committed to accountability.
• Crime updates: Three shootings occurred during the reporting period (April 13–15), one resulting in a homicide. Four suspects were arrested for organized retail theft at two Walgreens. A robbery series involving a firearm led to the arrest of four suspects connected to multiple auto burglaries.
• Violent crime overall was up 3% compared to the prior year.
• Commissioner Hamasaki questioned the department’s culture and the timing of the arrests, leading to a discussion about accountability and policy changes. Chief Scott defended the department’s progress, noting that policy revisions, body-worn cameras, and the forthcoming General Order 2.01 are helping to change culture.

DPA Director’s Report

• Diana Rosenstein (Chief Attorney, DPA) reported that DPA has opened 186 cases and closed 184 so far this year, with 277 cases pending. Ten cases have been sustained. She highlighted weekly trends: 15% of new allegations involved unbecoming conduct, 7% each for invalid orders, failure to write reports, failure to investigate, and improper search/seizure.
• DPA is conducting a charter-mandated audit of SFPD’s handling of misconduct investigations and is developing an online case-tracking system for complainants.

Commission Reports

• Commissioner Byrne and Commissioner Yee reported on a meeting with UC Hastings and Urban Alchemy, praising daytime improvements in the Tenderloin but raising concerns about nighttime safety. They requested agendizing the Tenderloin situation for the June 1 meeting.
• Commissioner Hamasaki gave farewell remarks, thanking staff, the city attorney, DPA, and community partners. He expressed pride in policy work on domestic violence, use of force, and CIT, but noted frustration that the department’s culture has not fully changed.
• Commissioner Yannis thanked Hamasaki and requested agendizing items on community policing (DGO) and the CART (Compassionate Alternative Response Team) program to address homelessness-related calls.

Presentation of the Annual CIT End of Year Report 2021

• Lieutenant Mario Molina presented the 2021 CIT report. Key statistics: 67% of SFPD officers are CIT-trained (national best practice is 20%). Officers responded to 47,242 calls for service involving persons in crisis; only 44 incidents required use of force (0.09%). The program includes 40-hour training, a field unit, a liaison program, and a working group with the Department of Public Health.
• Use of force incidents involved 75 officers; 23 of those were not CIT-trained. Commissioner Yannis noted that 38 of the 75 were white officers, but Lieutenant Molina attributed this to the department’s demographic makeup.
• The department has partnered with DPH clinicians who assist in crisis negotiations and provide information (via government code) to improve responses.
• Commissioner Yannis asked about full compliance (100% training); Lieutenant Molina said staffing shortages make it difficult to predict, but they continue training via a mix of Zoom and in-person sessions.

Discussion on Clearance Rates

• Acting Deputy Chief Raj Vaswani and Chief Scott led a discussion on the department’s clearance rates. In 2020, the overall arrest rate was 8.1% of reported crimes – the lowest in 10 years. For most crime categories (robbery, aggravated assault, larceny, burglary, rape, motor vehicle theft), San Francisco’s clearance rates were below the national average; only homicide exceeded it (77% in 2021 vs. national average ~61%).
• Chief Scott cited property crime dominance, staffing shortages (200 fewer full-duty officers since 2020), and the complexity of repeat offenders as key factors. He noted that the department has reorganized investigations, created a retail theft unit, and is working to improve technology and analytics.
• Commissioner Elias and Commissioner Yannis pressed for concrete solutions, including auditing calls to ensure proper follow-up and improving training. Commissioner Yannis proposed a quality assurance approach to supervision.
• Commissioner Carter-Oberstone questioned whether the low clearance rates reflect a cultural problem with investigation quality, based on his experience as a former public defender. Deputy Chief Vaswani defended the work of investigators, noting recent successes with complex cases.

Key Outcomes

• The consent calendar was approved unanimously (6-0).
• The commission voted unanimously (6-0) to hold Item 10 in closed session.
• After closed session, the commission voted unanimously (6-0) not to disclose any discussion from closed session.
• The commission agreed to agendize the Tenderloin nighttime safety situation for the June 1, 2022 meeting.
• Commissioner Yannis’s requests to agendize community policing and CART were noted for future meetings.
• The department committed to continuing CIT training, working toward staffing improvements, and exploring audits of investigative practices.