San Francisco Police Commission Meeting - January 15, 2025
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San Francisco Police Commission Meeting - January 15, 2025
The San Francisco Police Commission met on January 15, 2025, at 1:45 PM. Commissioners present: Clay, Benedicto, Yanyez, Yi, Vice President Carter Oberstone, and President Elias (arrived later). Chief Scott and DPA Executive Director Henderson also attended. The meeting covered officer recognition, adoption of revised Department General Orders (DGO 6.14 and 8.03), the Chief’s report on 2024 crime trends, an update on the Early Intervention System (EIS), a presentation on federal partnerships, and DPA’s audit of stop data completeness and accuracy. Several items were approved unanimously.
Consent Calendar
- Received and filed: SFPD’s 2024 Limited English Proficiency Report, Police Commission Reports of Disciplinary Actions for Q4 2024, donations to the Toy Drive (toys/books valued at $200–$300 and $9,000 from the SF Police Community Foundation), SFPD and DPA’s Q3 2024 Document Protocol Reports, and SB 1421 monthly reports for November and December 2024. Motion carried 6-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- David Elliott Lewis (CIT working group, Mental Health Association of San Francisco): Praised Officer Sostaro’s courage and urged the commission to support Mayor Lurie’s proposed police-friendly mental health drop-off center.
- Mother of Abre Abrakasa (unsolved homicide victim): Asked for continued help solving her son’s 2006 murder, thanked the commission for implementing a tipster reward system, and requested that photos of victims be displayed at all district stations.
- Other speakers: Commented on the LA wildfires, self-control, and religious themes; one speaker criticized the department’s handling of the Mario Woods case.
Discussion Items
Weekly Officer Recognition (Item 1)
- Officer Christina Sostaro (Taraval Station) was honored for her bravery on October 18, 2024. While responding alone to a threat at Phil’s Coffee, she was assaulted by a suspect who punched her approximately 30 times in the head. She fought for six minutes until backup arrived, using OC spray and baton; the suspect was apprehended. Commissioners and Chief Scott commended her professionalism and humility. Public comment echoed praise.
Revised DGO 6.14 – Psychological Evaluation for Adults (Item 12)
- Lieutenant Anderson presented the revised order, emphasizing decriminalization of mental health crises, de-escalation, diversion, and collaboration with non-law enforcement agencies. The update incorporates SB 43 definitions and adds guidelines for search warrants and gun violence restraining orders.
- Commissioner Yanyez proposed a friendly amendment to replace “psychiatric evaluation” with “mental health assessment” in Section E2, citing that officers are not qualified to conduct clinical evaluations. The department agreed. The DGO was approved 6-0.
Chief’s Report (Item 5)
- Chief Scott reported on the JP Morgan Health Care Conference (8,000+ attendees, positive feedback), preparation for the NBA All-Star Game and Chinese New Year parade, and a recent vehicle pursuit resulting in arrests and two injured officers (non-life-threatening).
- 2024 Crime Trends: Homicides hit a historic low of 35 (lowest since 1960); car break-ins down 56% (31,000 in 2017 to 9,000 in 2024); robbery and assault decreased; homicide clearance rate 90%. The department was found in substantial compliance with 96.7% of CRI recommendations.
- 2025 early data: Overall serious crime down 51% year-to-date; car break-ins down 71% from same period last year.
- Blessing scams: Losses of $375,000 reported; department coordinating with DA and media to raise awareness.
- Vehicle fatality: An officer struck and killed a pedestrian crossing outside a crosswalk in Bayview; investigation ongoing.
- ALPR cameras: ~350 of 400 installed; within two months all will be active, contributing to stolen vehicle recoveries.
Early Intervention System (EIS) Q3 2024 (Item 8)
- Sergeant Darren presented: A data gap from May 2024 due to a missing pipeline between Benchmark Analytics and the AIM database caused use-of-force and pursuit incidents not to be incorporated. Approximately two-thirds of EIS alerts rely on use-of-force data.
- Pilot program at Northern and Tenderloin stations encountered technical issues; fixes expected by end of week. Retroactive data will be restored. Department-wide rollout anticipated Q2 2025.
- Q3 data: DPA complaints down 2.3%; IAD complaints down 64.5%; Tenderloin station had the most alerts (15) and indicator points (37).
Federal Government Partnerships (Item 9)
- Commanders O’Brien and Lew presented an overview of SFPD’s federal partnerships, including task forces, MOUs, and grants (over $19 million). Discussion focused on the incoming Trump administration’s threats to sanctuary cities and potential impact on funding and cooperation.
- Chief Scott stated the department has not initiated re-engagement with the Joint Terrorism Task Force but acknowledged the need for timely intelligence sharing. MOUs require compliance with local policies; officers can disengage from activities violating sanctuary city laws. Commissioners requested that any discussions about rejoining JTTF be reported.
DPA Audit of Stop Data (Item 10)
- Director Flaherty presented the final audit, finding three main issues: (1) SFPD’s audits do not ensure completeness or accuracy; (2) training and guidance can be strengthened; (3) system transitions caused a 33% error rate in 2023 stop data submitted to Cal DOJ (validation errors, missing narratives, invalid data combinations).
- Specific examples: 36% of stops in dispatch were not recorded in stop data; 111 individuals in 2022 had all seven racial categories selected (28% of multi-race stops); zero-stop days increased significantly in some districts.
- 15 recommendations included supervisory review (SFPD currently does not require it, unlike comparable departments), linking stop data to dispatch records, and creating a data governance unit.
- Chief Scott acknowledged the decision to forgo supervisory review in 2018 due to staffing shortages but agreed to revisit. He committed to working with Vice President Carter Oberstone on a manageable quarterly audit package. The department will reassess feasibility of supervisory review within the year. A data governance unit is proposed but currently under a hiring freeze.
- Commissioner Clay urged action; Commissioner Benedicto requested a data collection DGO be prioritized. The audit was received with appreciation for its thoroughness.
Revised DGO 8.03 – Crowd Control (Item 11)
- The DGO was adopted unanimously with a 45 business day implementation delay as requested by the Chief.
Key Outcomes
- DGO 6.14 (Psychological Evaluation): Approved 6-0 with friendly amendment changing “psychiatric evaluation” to “mental health assessment.”
- DGO 8.03 (Crowd Control): Approved 6-0; implementation in 45 business days.
- Consent Calendar: Adopted 6-0.
- Minutes of December 4, 2024: Adopted 6-0.
- Closed Session: Vote not to disclose discussions (6-0).
- Directives: Chief to work with Vice President on quarterly stop data audit framework; department to reassess supervisory review for stop data; priority given to data collection DGO; future updates on federal partnership discussions and EIS pilot progress scheduled.
- Next meeting: Items identified for future agendas include language access DGO follow-up, commission reports on 7.01, 10.11, and pre-booking diversion program updates.
Meeting Transcript
Commissioner Clay. Present. Commissioner Benedicto. Commissioner Yanyez. President. Commissioner Ye. Here. Vice President Carter Overstone, you have a quorum. President Alliance is in route. Also with us tonight, we have Chief Scott from the San Francisco Police Department and Executive Director Paul Henderson from the Department of Police Accountability. And under consent calendar, the donation of funds from the Community Foundation for the Community Police Academy has been removed from the agenda for tonight. Line item one. Weekly officer recognition certificate. Presentation of an officer who has gone above and beyond in the performance of their duties. Officer Christina Sostaro, star number 2154, Terravel Station. Good evening, Commissioner Chief, distinguished visitors, distinguished guests, also the family of Christina Sostaro, her two sons and sister and friends and colleague from the Concord Police Department. My name is Captain Brian Who, I'm the commanding officer of Terraville Station. Today we honor Officer Christina Sistaro for her extraordinary courage and dedication to duty. On October 18th, 2024, while on uniform patrol in the Terrible District, Officer Sistaro responded to a threat report at Phil's Coffee at 1100 Ocean Avenue. This location has been plagued by a suspect who persistently harassed the workers for several weeks. Officer Sostaro, always committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of her community, responded to the call as a single-person unit. Upon our arrival while interviewing the Barasta, the suspect arrived. Without hesitation, Officer Sistaro attempted to detain the suspect, but was met with fierce resistance. The suspect brutally punched Officer Sistaro numerous times in the back of the head. Despite being outnumbered and outmatched, she utilized her OC spray and baton and showing incredible resilience and determination. For over six grueling minutes, she fought bravely until backup arrived on the scene. Officer Sistaro sustaining numerous contusions and a significant laceration to the back of her head from approximately 30 punches. It is important to note that due to a dispatch error, she had to endure this intense struggle alone. Despite these formidable challenges, Officer Sistaro's unwavering bravery and quick thinking ensure that the suspect was apprehended, bringing a sense of security back to the Phil's coffee workers and the surrounding community. Her actions on that day are a testimony testament to her exceptional dedication and the high standards she upholds as a member of our department. Officer Sistaro is not just a dedicated officer, but a pillar of strength and a beacon of hope for our community. Her commitment to her duty and her community is unparalleled, making her a true credit to our department. Please join me in applauding the Officer Sostaro for her incredible bravery and steadfast dedication to serving to protect our community. She amplifies the best of what it means to be an officer, and we are proud, profoundly grateful for her service. The citation states, San Francisco Police Department recognizes Officer Christina Sostaro, star number 2154, terrible station, in recognition of your dedication and professionalism demonstrated through outstanding community policing practices and inspiring greatness by exempling the ideals of the police officers as guardians of our community. Such an example of dedication is worthy of the highest esteem by the City and County of San Francisco and the San Francisco Police Department. Presented on the 15th day of January 2025 by Chief Scott, Chief of Police. Hello. And Commissioner Yanyez from Zoom. And also I just want to end to Commissioner Elias, who is still in route, and Commissioner Walker, who I think may have been around during perhaps the beginning of what started this process tonight. And Chief Scott, hello. I really appreciate this recognition. I appreciate the award. I appreciate that the police commission takes time to cast what I feel is deserved highlight upon the San Francisco police department. I feel that this is less about really that day or me. And I first want to acknowledge that to me this really highlights a lot of other people. This highlights my captain, Brian Who, who is an incredible leader at our station and who has dedicated himself to this department, and my station, my sergeants, some of whom are here. I don't exist in a vacuum. This incident isn't that unique. The San Francisco Police Department has so many different members, teams, plainclothes teams, investigative units, special victims units, crime gun investigation centers, drug market agency coordination centers, community violence reduction teams, uh play everything.
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