San Francisco Police Commission Meeting - July 6, 2022

The San Francisco Police Commission met on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, at 5:30 PM in City Hall Room 400. The meeting included public comment, adoption of minutes, reports from the Chief and DPA Director, commission reports, and a vote to adopt revised Department General Order (DGO) 8.02 on hostage and barricaded suspect procedures. The commission also went into closed session to discuss personnel and disciplinary matters. Key topics included crime trends, pretext stops reform, and community concerns.

Consent Calendar

• Adoption of Minutes (June 1, 8, and 15, 2022): Unanimously approved (5-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Public Comment: Several callers addressed the commission on items not on the agenda. A caller urged the commission to call a commander involved with emergency services for a needs assessment. Samina Usman (Council on American-Islamic Relations) called for urgency in ending pretext stops, citing racial disparities: 5% of San Francisco's population is African American yet approximately 27% of stops involve African Americans, and she cited the case of Jayland Walker (60 shots). David Aronson (Wealth and Disparities in the Black Community) read a statement from founder Felicia Jones calling out anti-blackness in SFPD use of force, arrests, and traffic stops, noting that racial disparities have worsened since 2016 and that routine traffic stops make up about two-thirds of all stops. Rev. Amos Brown (San Francisco NAACP) urged a holistic approach to crime and homelessness, emphasizing working together. Avi Fry (ACLU of Northern California) requested a greater sense of urgency for pretext stop reform, stating empirical science shows no safety justification. Zach Dylan (Public Defender's Office) echoed that call and noted that public comments on the general order had disappeared from the commission website. Wesley Saver (Glide) asked for a clear timeline for working groups on DGO 9.01, referring to a report that San Francisco ranks worst in the state for police-caused hospitalization rates for black residents. A mother (Ms. Brown) pleaded for justice for her son's unsolved 2006 murder.
• Public Comment on Chief's Report: A caller urged support for the Walgreens on San Bruno Avenue, saying it serves seniors and needs security to remain open.
• Public Comment on DPA Report: None.
• Public Comment on Commission Reports: Two callers: Mary Nfami (Council on American-Islamic Relations) emphasized the need to move quickly on pretext stops proposed since February 2022, and another caller spoke in favor of restorative justice, citing its implementation in Bayview Hunters Point.
• Public Comment on DGO 8.02: None.

Discussion Items

• Chief's Report (Chief William Scott): Reported weekly crime trends: violent crime up 6%, homicides down 4%, property crime up 7%, burglaries down 25%, auto burglaries up 8% (10,001 compared to 9,264), gun violence down 15% (103 incidents vs. 121), ghost guns constitute 91 of 519 total guns seized (about 18%). Homicide clearance rate is 64% year-to-date. Significant incidents included two homicides (July 1 and 3), a shooting at Ingalls and Underwood on July 4, a stabbing at a Walgreens, and a series of burglaries leading to arrests. A fatal boat collision occurred on June 30. The department seized approximately 40 vehicles as part of stunt driving enforcement. Deployment strategies in Bayview and Ingleside stations were adjusted over the July 4 weekend to address shots-fired incidents; no additional shootings occurred in Bayview that weekend.
• DPA Director's Report (Acting Director Sarah Hawkins): Reported 336 cases opened, 362 closed, 237 pending, 38 sustained (vs. 28 last year). 11 cases mediated. 20 cases beyond nine-month investigation period. 12 pending with commission, 1 with chief. Top allegations (past three weeks): 38% failing to take required action (mostly failure to write reports), 14% inappropriate conduct. Mission station had a surge. DPA held a know-your-rights presentation and participated in community meetings. An audit of DGO 8.10 compliance started. Comparison with Internal Affairs numbers still pending.
• Commission Reports: Commissioner Benedicto updated on DGO 9.01 (pretext stops): partnering with Human Rights Commission, three outreach methods (community events starting August, listening sessions week of August 22, working groups in August). Specific dates to be provided. He also attended police graduation (15 cadets, 6 bilingual) and DPA mediation conference. Commissioner Byrne reported outreach to Northern Station about defacing and drug dealing on Van Ness, and confirmed increased evening deployment in Tenderloin will continue beyond August.
• Discussion and possible action to adopt revised DGO 8.02 "Hostage and Barricaded Suspect": Captain John Jamarena presented the refresh of the 1994 policy, developed with DPA and SMEs. No questions from commissioners.

Key Outcomes

• Vote on Revised DGO 8.02: Unanimously adopted (5-0).
• Vote to Hold Closed Session (Item 9): Unanimously approved (5-0).
• Closed Session: The commission entered closed session to discuss personnel exceptions, including evidentiary stipulations, findings of fact in non-disciplinary cases, assignment of commissioners for evidence taking in disciplinary cases (IAD 2022-0074 and IAD 2021-0089), and status of pending cases.
• Motion Not to Disclose Closed Session Discussions: Unanimously approved (5-0).
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned without objection at approximately 7:30 PM.

Note: The date of the meeting is July 6, 2022, as specified in the agenda and confirmed in the transcript. The transcript includes a long segment after closed session that appears to be from a different event (fire department, art commission, Juneteenth celebration) and is not part of the Police Commission meeting.