San Francisco Police Commission Meeting – February 5, 2025
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San Francisco Police Commission Meeting – February 5, 2025
The San Francisco Police Commission met on February 5, 2025, to receive reports from the Police Chief and DPA Director, discuss departmental and DPA budgets for fiscal years 2026-2027, and address public comments. Items 7 (Body Worn Cameras DGO), 10, 11, 12 (Closed Session), and 13 were pulled from the agenda.
Consent Calendar
- The Commission unanimously voted to receive and file the following items:
- DPA's retention policy
- Safe Streets for All fourth quarter 2024 update
- Donation of a horse to SFPD's mounted unit valued at $22,000
- SFPD's annual secondary employment report for 2024
- Semi-annual report on sexual assault evidence kits (July 1 – December 31, 2024)
- Resolution urging the Board of Supervisors to retroactively authorize acceptance of 1,800 units of naloxone (valued at $81,300) for the naloxone distribution project
Public Comments & Testimony
- General Public Comment (Item 1):
- One speaker used a metaphor of a rabbit in a trap to criticize the commission and the mayor, urging the election of the police chief.
- A second speaker honored Nick Grant, a barista who subdued a thief with bear spray, and called for recognition.
- A third speaker, Ms. Brown, expressed disappointment over the impending departure of Vice President Max Carter Oberstone, citing his role in implementing a resolution to encourage tipsters. She asked for his retention and support for unsolved homicides, referencing her son's murder.
- Public Comment on Chief's Report:
- Ms. Brown again spoke, requesting that leaders who help families of homicide victims stay in their positions. She displayed a photo of her son and urged the public to come forward with information on his case.
- Public Comment on DPA Director's Report:
- No public comment.
- Public Comment on Commission Reports:
- No public comment.
- Public Comment on SFPD Budget:
- Ms. Brown asked whether reduced crime levels would free up investigators to work on unsolved homicides. Chief Scott responded that the drop in homicides has allowed more time for cold cases, noting her assigned investigator recently had surgery.
- Public Comment on DPA Budget:
- No public comment.
Discussion Items
Chief's Report (Item 4)
- Chief Scott presented weekly crime trends: total violent crimes down 14%, total property crimes down 39%. Homicides year-to-date: 1 (vs. 3 last year), robberies down 22%, assaults up 2%. Property crime reductions led by car burglaries down 76% (451 vs. 1,100 a year ago). Shootings up 7% (16 victims vs. 15).
- Detailed five non-fatal shootings from January 27 to February 2, including an officer-involved shooting on January 27 at 9th and Mission (victim in stable condition).
- Significant arrests: an underground gambling operation in the Tenderloin with seizure of over $30,000 cash; a DMAC fugitive operation netted 59 arrests in one day.
- Seven blessing scams reported; awareness efforts led to one potential victim recognizing the scam and calling police.
- Commissioner Yi asked about the shooting suspect's criminal history and possible mental health issues; Chief Scott said the investigation is ongoing, including ballistics checks.
- President Lyons asked about ICE rumors. Chief Scott said several false alarms had been verified as inaccurate (e.g., a mistaken claim about ICE on Muni buses). He reiterated SFPD does not participate in immigration enforcement. President Lyons requested an update at the next meeting on the department's policy regarding interactions with federal agents given the sanctuary city status.
DPA Director's Report (Item 5)
- Executive Director Paul Henderson reported: 44 new cases opened, 29 closed. Top allegation: neglect of duty. Nineteen investigations open for more than 270 days, 16 of which are
Meeting Transcript
President Lyons like to take roll? Please. Commissioner Clay. President. Commissioner Benedicto. Present. Commissioner Yanyez. President. Commissioner Yi. Here. Vice President Carter Oberstone. Present. President Lyons, you have a quorum. 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. Thank you. Can you please call the neck the first item? One announcement before we go, we are pulling line item seven, as well as line item 12A from tonight's agenda. And one correction on line item three. It states for the meeting of January 15, 2024. It is actually for the meeting of January 15, 2025. The packet online is correct with the correct date. Line item one, general public comment. At this time, the public is now welcome to address the commission for up to two minutes on items that do not appear on tonight's agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the police commission. Under police commission rules of order during public comment, neither police or DPA personnel nor commissioners are required to respond to questions by the public, but may provide a brief response. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in either of the following ways. Email the Secretary of the Police Commission at SAPD.commission at sfgov.org or written statements may be sent via U.S. Postal Service to the public safety building located at 1245 Third Street, San Francisco, California, 94158. If you would like to make public comment, please approach the podium. You're good. I know it's shifts you don't like me, I know that it's uh it's going to change. No, no, yeah, I know, but it's fine. Okay, first thing I have to say is uh you, SFGov TV here. You are out of sync with what I said at the Board of Supervisors on January the 28th, when I declare officially a pen the revolution, the Budge Revolution. You are out of sync. So you rectify it, otherwise you demonstrate again your incompetence. Either way, you do it. You okay, so I'm gonna use first the metaphor. When you fall in a trap, you don't expect the trapper to save you. To get you out of it. Right? Make sense. No, I'm gonna use an allegory. You are a rabbit. You got cut in a trap. What you do is that the rabbits, you you try to get out of the trap, right? First, natural. You don't expect to get out alive from the trapper. The trapper puts the trap to kill you. The only hope you can have is that some save you up on the trap before you die. I am this person.
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