San Francisco Police Commission Meeting - October 11, 2023
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San Francisco Police Commission Meeting - October 11, 2023
The San Francisco Police Commission convened on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 1:30 PM. The meeting included an officer recognition, public comment, reports from the Chief and the Department of Police Accountability (DPA), commissioner reports, and a vote to approve a revised foot pursuit policy. The commission also entered closed session.
Officer Recognition Certificate
- Sergeant Kevin Quadro (Star #1253) of the Robbery Detail was recognized for outstanding investigative work, including a five-month investigation that led to the arrest of suspects in an April 2023 street robbery where the victim was shot. Sergeant Quadro also noted the upcoming six-year anniversary of Officer Elliottankel’s critical injury and called for continued support.
Consent Calendar
- The commission received and filed the Family Code 6228 incident report release quarterly report (2023 Q2) and the SFPD/DPA SB 1421 and SB16 monthly report. The motion passed unanimously (6-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Dr. Miller (disabled community advocate) raised concerns about ongoing ADA violations on city sidewalks, particularly in the Lower Polk Street area, stating that police response has been inadequate and that sidewalk clearance requirements (4-foot passage) are not being enforced.
- Yolanda Williams (mother of murder victim Abre Abacasa) thanked District Attorney Brooke Jenkins for funding her son’s headstone but urged the commission to fund tip rewards and assign investigators to unsolved homicides. She noted that zero dollars have been paid out for unsolved homicides in nearly a decade.
- Yolanda Williams (Vice President, San Francisco NAACP) relayed a warning from the NAACP president that black churches may be targeted for crimes during Sunday morning services. She requested that the chief meet with NAACP leadership and that officers visit churches during their tours.
- Yolanda Williams (President, Officers for Justice) criticized the POA president for bullying commissioners and called for accountability regarding fraudulent data entries by officers. She emphasized the need for transparency and proper oversight.
- A speaker (the same Yolanda Williams, mother of victim) also complained that digital homicide posters at police stations are not functioning, impeding efforts to solve cases.
Discussion Items
Chief’s Report (Chief Bill Scott)
- Crime trends: Violent crime up 3% year-to-date; homicides increased by 2 (42 vs. 40); gun violence down 3% (162 shootings vs. 167); property crimes down 6%; car break-ins down 7%; burglaries also down. Gun seizures: 851 (up from 814); ghost gun seizures: 158 (vs. 160). Homicide clearance rate: 75%.
- Significant incidents: A homicide on October 7 (200 block of Mission) – active investigation, no arrest. A shooting on October 8 (Mission & Cesar Chavez) – victim self-transported with non-life-threatening injuries. An aggravated assault of an 80-year-old victim (October 5) – suspect arrested same day. Retail theft operation at San Francisco Centre led to 9 arrests and recovery of stolen property, funded by a $15.3M organized retail crime grant. An armed robbery series (Sept 26–Oct 4) in the Mission District resulted in the arrest of two suspects; evidence including firearms recovered.
- A fatal fall during Fleet Week: a woman fell to her death from a rooftop party on October 7. The chief warned against unsafe rooftop gatherings.
- Swatting calls: The department has seen an uptick in fake emergency calls; an investigation is underway.
- Drug market enforcement: 44 arrests and 2100 grams of illegal narcotics recovered that week.
- Officer-involved shooting at the Chinese consulate on October 7: A suspect drove a car into the consulate; officers responded and an OIS occurred. A town hall will be scheduled.
- In response to commissioner questions: The department is investigating a data breach involving unauthorized release of an officer's name from disciplinary documents. The investigation began the prior week. No notifications have been sent to others potentially affected. The chief also confirmed that street vending enforcement is led by Public Works, with police support to prevent assaults on workers.
DPA Director’s Report (Acting Director Sarah Hawkins)
- Year-to-date statistics: 617 cases opened (up from 514), 574 closed, 296 pending (22 past 270 days, 19 held for legal reasons). 7 cases pending with the commission, 85 with the chief.
- Mediation: 31 cases mediated so far this year (double last year). A community connect event on October 3 addressed mediation; 25 attendees.
- DPA investigators and attorneys will train using the firearms training system simulator (FATS) coordinated with SFPD.
Commission Reports
- Vice President Carter Oberstone: Attended a closed-door town hall with ~25 officers to solicit feedback on the vehicle chase policy; described as productive. Responded to the POA president’s allegation of leaking confidential information by noting that his public letter and all correspondence are on the commission website.
- Commissioner Yi: Reported on community celebrations for Asian command staff promotions (including new Central Station Captain Jahan Kim) and the Italian Heritage Festival parade. Thanked the department for a safe Fleet Week.
- Commissioner Walker: Discussed follow-up on the patrol special program; planning to work with attorneys and community benefit districts for a pilot. Raised concerns about commission communication rules and urged careful representation.
- Commissioner Benedicto: Thanked for the pursuit policy town hall; announced the SFPD Pink Brunch fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. Also noted an executive order from the mayor on SFMTA/SFPD coordination regarding stolen vehicle information and parking tickets, and requested future agendization.
- Commissioner Yanez: Acknowledged Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Requested an update on the Hill Bomb incident, including overtime costs (1,293 hours, $151,281 at avg $17/hr) and regular staffing hours. Also requested a report on skateboarding enforcement. Called for agendizing the juvenile DGO 7.01 and language access DGO. Read a coalition letter accusing the POA of obstructing implementation of DGO 907 (biased stops) and criticized the POA president for a combative approach.
Item 7: Revised Department General Order 5.25 – Foot Pursuits (Discussion and Vote)
- Presentation by Captain Sean Perdomo, Lieutenant Meehan, and Sergeant Bugarin from the Field Tactics and Force Options Unit (FTFO). The policy provides guidelines for officers initiating foot pursuits, focusing on officer safety, balancing public safety, and discretion. It is consistent with California POST training (Learning Domain 21) and is more permissive than many other departments’ policies – it does not prohibit foot pursuits for any specific offense.
- DPA Policy Director Janelle Kaywood noted the policy is the result of years of collaboration; it will guide officers without being overly restrictive. DPA provided a binder of 37 foot pursuit policies from other jurisdictions for comparison.
- Chief Scott expressed support for the policy but reiterated his preference that tactical guidelines be issued outside the DGO process (e.g., via bulletins) for easier updating.
- Commissioner Byrne questioned how an officer could be disciplined under the policy, since many provisions use “should” rather than “shall.” DPA responded that the reasonableness standard (“shall act reasonably”) provides a basis for discipline in egregious cases.
- Commissioner Walker suggested separating general orders from tactical manuals.
- The commission voted unanimously (6-0) to approve Resolution 23-30, authorizing the department to use DGO 5.25 in meet-and-confer with bargaining units.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Received and filed (6-0).
- Foot Pursuit Policy (DGO 5.25): Approved for use in labor negotiations (Resolution 23-30; 6-0).
- Closed Session: The commission voted to enter closed session (6-0) and afterward voted not to disclose any discussion (6-0).
- The meeting adjourned at approximately 4:30 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Vice President Carter Overstone, if I could take roll. Please. Commissioner Walker. Commissioner Benedicto. Present. Commissioner Yanez. President. Commissioner Byrne. Here. Commissioner Yi is in route. Vice President Carter Overstone, you have a quorum. Also with us tonight, we have Chief Scott from the San Francisco Police Department and Acting Director Sarah Hawkins from the Department of Police Accountability. Sergeant, could you please call the first item? Line item one, weekly officer recognition certificate. Presentation of an officer who has gone above and beyond in the performance of their duties. Sergeant Kevin Quadro, star number 1253 from the robbery unit. Hi. Good evening, Commissioners, Chief Scott, and Director Hawkins. I am Captain Marcota of the Major Crimes Unit, and I'm honored to be here tonight to present to you Kevin Sergeant Kevin Cadro Quadro of the Robbery Detail. Sergeant Quadro is an 11-year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department, having joined the department in 2012. Sergeant Quadro is the grandson of retired SFPD Sergeant Elmer Quadro, with whom Sergeant Quadro shares the same star number, number 1253. Sergeant Quadro began began his career at Ten One Station and then was assigned to the mid-market footbeat. Sergeant Quadro was promoted to Sergeant in 2018 and was assigned to patrol at Mission Station. Sergeant Quadro transferred to the robbery detail and has been an outstanding member of the robbery detail since 2019. Sergeant Quadro is a dedicated, hardworking investigator. The running joke in the robbery detail is that he spends as much time helping his co-workers on their cases as he spends working on his own cases. While not entirely true, it does show his dedication to helping his colleagues and the residents of San Francisco. Sergeant Quadro has also fostered and maintained numerous relationships with fellow officers throughout the department and is constantly collaborating with fellow members of the department, both in the robbery detail and members assigned to other department units. Sergeant Quadro also works well with law enforcement members from other jurisdictions, as well as successfully collaborating with members of the district attorney's office. These relationships and collaboration are invaluable to the robbery detail, especially when the detail requests assistance from other units, and conversely, when those other units request assistance from the robbery detail. Just as important, Sergeant Quadro treats all victims of crimes who he's committed to helping with empathy and compassion. As stated before, Sergeant Quadro is quick to offer his help to every one of his coworkers and share his experience when asked. Sergeant Quadro is respectful and eager to assist when called upon by his supervisors for specific tasks and is always quick to recognize obstacles and potential challenges that his supervisors may need to be made aware of. Sergeant Quadro will always answer the call from his co-workers and supervisors on duty or off-duty at and at any time of day or night. Sergeant Quadro is very well respected and liked throughout the entire San Francisco Police Department and the community. Recently, Sergeant Quadro investigated an incident that occurred in April of this year, where a straight a street robbery occurred, and during the course of the robbery, the victim was shot by one of the suspects. The victim was seriously injured and has endured numerous surgeries. Sergeant Quadro dedicated all of his energies to this case. A painstaking five-month-long investigation by Sergeant Quadro led to the identification of the involved suspects and their locations. Multiple arrest warrants and search warrants were obtained. Sergeant Quadro coordinated with outside units and jurisdictions of the on the execution of the warrants, all of which occurred outside of San Francisco, including one that occurred in a differing state. All suspects involved in this violent robbery were arrested. The arrests and search warrants also led to additional unrelated charges and additional evidence from the incident that will be very useful in the successful prosecution of the suspects. Most importantly, I I think as you can see, uh Sergeant Quadro is a dedicated husband and father to three young children. I present to you and I'm honored to present to you, Sergeant Kevin Quadro. Sergeant, uh, thank you so much for your service and um for your uh incredible work in that one case that was highlighted by Captain Coda. Uh absolutely no pressure, but I would invite you to say a few words if um if you're so moved. Sure. Uh obviously want to thank my uh my family for coming out. Means a lot.
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