San Francisco Police Commission Meeting: February 12, 2025

The San Francisco Police Commission met on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 1:45 PM UTC (evening session) to discuss and take action on several items, including the approval of revised Department General Orders (DGOs) on body-worn cameras and diplomatic immunity, a second presentation on the SFPD's budget for Fiscal Years 2026-2027, and the approval of the Community Policy Working Groups proposal for Calendar Year 2025. The meeting also included a weekly officer recognition, the Chief's Report on crime trends and a notable vehicle pursuit, and a closed session. All votes were unanimous (6-0 for items with a full commission present; 5-0 for the budget motion; 4-0 for later items when some commissioners were absent).

Consent Calendar

• Motion to receive and file the following items passed unanimously (6-0):
  • SFPD and DPA's Document Protocol Report for Q4 2024.
  • SFPD's 2025 Traffic Enforcement Plan.
  • SB 1421 and SB 16 Monthly Report for January 2025.

Public Comments & Testimony

• On Officer Recognition: A public commenter praised the airport detail and suggested using foot patrols more, noting that airport officers have more public contact.
• General Public Comment:
  • A speaker addressed the potential removal of Commissioner Carter-Oberstone and mentioned an application for a press pass.
  • A mother of a homicide victim spoke about her ongoing fight for justice and expressed support for a resolution introduced by Commissioner Carter-Oberstone.
• On Chief's Report: One commenter advocated for giving the Chief more power and expanding foot patrols and drones. Another commenter spoke about the unsolved homicide of her son and provided names of individuals she believes were involved, urging the commission to help solve the case.
• On DGO 10.11 (Body-Worn Cameras): Brian Cox from the Public Defender's Office and Julie Tron from the Bar Association expressed gratitude for the collaborative policy process. Ms. Tron also discussed legal mechanisms for protecting sensitive information in BWC footage.
• On Budget: Several public commenters spoke in support of the Sojourn training program, with one participant saying it had a deep impact and was important for officers to understand community perspectives.
• On Closed Session: No public comment was made.

Discussion Items

• Officer Recognition: Officer Sher Khan from the Airport Bureau was recognized for 18 years of service and his work connecting homeless individuals with resources.
• Chief's Report: Chief Scott reported on crime trends: overall Part One crimes down 36%, property crimes down 39%, violent crimes down 13%. Homicides are down from 3 to 1 year-to-date. He also noted a 67% reduction in homicide victims killed by gunfire. He highlighted a police pursuit that ended in a collision at 24th and Van Ness Avenue on February 9, injuring six people, including two with serious injuries. The pursuit began after a Flock camera alert for a vehicle wanted for felony grand theft; the driver fled and hit a parklet. Chief Scott emphasized that the driver caused the collision, not officers, and noted the department is reviewing the incident to ensure compliance with policy. He also confirmed the department is piloting StarChase technology (GPS tracking devices) and has only basic drones that cannot keep up with high-speed chases.
• DPA Director's Report: Executive Director Paul Henderson announced that DPA will present at the Association of Local Government Auditors' 2025 conference. He reported 14 new cases opened and 15 closed, with 19 investigations open for more than 270 days (16 of which are tolled), 103 pending with the Chief's office, and 4 pending with the Commission.
• Commission Reports: Commissioners provided updates on workgroups, including DGO 6.16 (sexual assaults) and DGO 7.01, and the pre-booking diversion program.
• DGO 10.11 (Body-Worn Cameras): The Commission discussed revisions to the policy, including adding a 15th circumstance requiring activation, narrowing exemptions for deactivation during major/critical incidents (e.g., riot, active attacker, hostage situation) to discussions of sensitive tactical information away from the public, and revising language on officer statements after incidents. The policy also includes a new section on Airport Bureau operations, and an agreement with TSA. The Commission approved the revised DGO for meet-and-confer (unanimous 6-0).
• SFPD Budget FY2026-2027: CFO Kimi Wu presented the department's budget request. The general fund base budget totals $737 million (excluding airport Bureau), with 85% allocated to personnel. The department received 180 budget requests totaling $31 million. Significant issues: 52% of vehicles are at least 10 years old, with average fleet age at 13 years; vehicle maintenance costs increased 21%. The department terminated a contract with Central Square for a new records management system due to 48 issues (18 critical) and is now developing a technology ecosystem to replace the legacy system. Commissioner Carter-Oberstone questioned the projected overtime increases and referenced a recent Budget and Legislative Analyst audit on overtime abuse. Chief Scott disputed the characterizations of abuse and noted ongoing improvements. Commissioner Yanyez raised concerns about training costs, particularly the Sojourn program. The Commission voted to forward the proposed budget to the Mayor's Office (5-0).
• Community Policy Working Groups: Hitesh (SFPD) presented the department's proposal for Calendar Year 2025, recommending DGO 6.09 (Domestic Violence) and DGO 5.23 (Interactions with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals). The Commission approved the proposal (4-0).
• DGO 5.13 (Diplomatic Immunity): Lieutenant Bassiobot presented updates to the policy, including a requirement to contact the Special Investigations Division (SID) at the scene)Skip to main contentRewrite the text with the same meeting start time