San Francisco Police Commission Meeting - June 4, 2025: Farewell to Chief Scott, Donations, and Officer Recognition
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San Francisco Police Commission Meeting - June 4, 2025
The San Francisco Police Commission met on June 4, 2025, at 2:00 PM to discuss a range of topics including a farewell to outgoing Chief William Scott, acceptance of two significant donations from the San Francisco Police Community Foundation and Ripple Labs, officer recognition, and updates on crime trends and department activities. All votes were unanimous (6-0) with Commissioners Scott, Leoung, Clay, Benedicto, Yee, and President Elias present.
Consent Calendar
- Item 5: Received and filed the SFPD and DPA document protocol report for Q1 2025 and the Q1 2025 audit of electronic communication devices for bias. Approved unanimously.
- Item 6: Adopted the minutes from the meetings of May 14 and May 21, 2025. Approved unanimously.
Officer Recognition & PAL Cadet Presentation
- Item 1: Officers Edward Ochoa (soon-to-be Sergeant) and Michael Ellis from major crimes were recognized as Officers of the Week for solving a series of homicides from over 20 years ago, resulting in two arrests for four homicides. Commissioners and the public praised their work, with Commissioner Scott, a mother of a homicide victim, expressing hope for other unsolved cases.
- Item 3: The San Francisco Police Activities League (PAL) presented medals to approximately 30 cadets who participated in the annual Kids' Games on May 4, 2025, serving 700 children. Commissioners thanked the program for its long-standing community engagement.
Farewell to Chief William Scott
- Commissioners delivered heartfelt speeches thanking Chief Scott for his nearly decade of service, noting crime reduction to historic lows, completion of reforms, and improved community relations. Chief Scott received a plaque and challenge coins, expressing gratitude to the commission, staff, and community. Public comment included praise from the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, mothers of homicide victims, and others. Some speakers raised concerns about surveillance technology and accountability.
Public Comments & Testimony
- General Public Comment (Item 4): Speakers included Chris Workline (active duty Marine), who alleged misuse of public safety systems and referenced an FBI report; a speaker opposing 5G towers; and mothers of homicide victims urging continued support for cold cases. A representative from the Chinese community thanked Chief Scott for his support.
- Item 10 & 11 Public Comment: No public comment was made on the donation items.
- Item 13: No public comment on closed session matters.
Discussion Items
- Chief’s Report (Item 7): Chief Scott reported that overall Part I crime is down 27% (4,200 fewer crimes) compared to last year, with property crime down 29% and violent crime down 18%. Homicides decreased 23% (from 13 to 10 year-to-date), and the clearance rate is approximately 150% due to solving cold cases. Car burglaries are down 47% from last year. The Chief also updated on unsolved homicide family meetings, noting that the cold case unit (1 sergeant, 5 investigators) now maintains better contact with families. Commissioner Scott requested biannual meetings for families.
- DPA Director’s Report (Item 8): Executive Director Paul Henderson reported 50 new cases in the past two weeks, with year-to-date case input significantly higher than last year. Top allegations are conduct unbecoming. Two cases are over 270 days but under 300 days. The use-of-force audit is ongoing, and the controller’s office is following up on 31 recommendations from DPA’s 2023 audit.
- Donation for Real Time Investigation Center (Item 10): The commission discussed and approved acceptance of $9,381,571 in gifts from the San Francisco Police Community Foundation ($7.3 million) and Ripple Labs ($2.1 million in-kind lease for office space) to support the Real Time Investigation Center (RTIC). Funds will purchase 12 drone docks, 12 drones, software, and services. The lease expires December 2026; the department is seeking a permanent location. The drones will expand the Drone as First Responder (DFR) program citywide, with 58 trained pilots. The department retains control of footage, which is retained for 30 days unless part of an ongoing investigation. A policy will be brought to the commission. Approved unanimously.
- Donation for District Stations (Item 11): The commission approved a $866,500 donation from the San Francisco Police Community Foundation to be distributed to the 10 district stations for officer wellness and community engagement events (e.g., National Night Out, Crime Victims’ Rights Week). The foundation will disclose donors over $100. Approved unanimously.
- Revised Department General Order 6.07 “Dog Complaints” (Item 12): The commission adopted the revised order. Approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Votes: All agenda items requiring action passed unanimously (6-0).
- Next Steps: The department will proceed with the Board of Supervisors to approve the donations. The RTIC move is expected by fall 2025. The commission will hold officer elections at the next meeting (June 11, 2025).
- Closed Session (Item 15): The commission voted to go into closed session and later voted not to disclose any discussion. No further details were provided.
Meeting Transcript
And justice to all. President Alliance likes to take roll. Commissioner Scott. Here. Commissioner Leoung is in route. Commissioner Clay. Commissioner Benedicto. Present. Commissioner Yi. Here. President Alliance, you have a quorum. Also with us tonight are Chief Scott from the San Francisco Police Department and Executive Director Paul Henderson from the Department of Police Accountability. Great. Call the first item. Hello, welcome everyone to our June 4th meeting. Go ahead, Sergeant. One line to note is we are going to take one item out of order. We are going to move line item three after line item one, and then we'll have number two right after. Line item one, weekly officer recognition certificate. Presentation of an officer who has gone above and beyond in the performance of their duties. Officer Edward Ochoa, star number 1317, and Michael Ellis, star number 1994 from major crimes. Good evening, Chief Scott and members of the Commission. I'm honored to be standing here before you tonight, presenting this award to two officers I've had the honor of working with over the course of my career. Officer Mike Ellis is a 23-year veteran of the SFPD. He entered the department in 2002 as a member of the 204th Academy of class. He has served with distinction at Narcotics, Ingleside, Southern, and Bayview Station. But Mike's impact has mo has been most felt as a long-standing member of the ceasefire unit at Baby Station following the murder of Isaac Espinoza. And he's also known for his dedication as a four-boy assigned to traffic company for the past 12 years. Officer Edward Ochoa, soon to be Sergeant Ochoa, entered the SFPD in 2007 as a member of the 116th Academy class. He quickly ascended through FTO probation and was ultimately assigned to Bayview Station. Through hard work and honing his craft, he too ultimately joined Baby Cease Fire alongside alongside Officer Ellis and a small fraternity of incredible cops who had the honor to serve in this legendary plainclothes unit. In 2021, Officer Ochoa joined the community violence reduction team where he is currently assigned. Over the course of their careers, there are far too many incidents to list where these officers have gone above and beyond the call of duty to keep the citizens of San Francisco safe and make this department proud. So in the interest of time, I'd like to recognize Officer Ellis and Ochoa for a recent ground shaking investigation and arrests that I feel will have reverberations through the baby community in San Francisco as a whole for years to come. Alongside our trusted partners at the San Francisco DA's office, Mike and Ed recently took on the almost impossible task of investigating a series of homicides that occurred over 20 years ago. Through their countless hours, sleepless nights, and weekends away from their families, the investigation ultimately resulted in the arrest of two subjects for four separate homicides, with charges not only including murder, but several additional special circumstance allegations. The baby has been crippled over the years by gun violence, and with these arrests, we hope to restore some of the trust and commitment felt between the SFPD, the baby community, and most importantly, the victims of these homicides. Typically, officers that work in specialized units are reluctant to stand up and be acknowledged for their achievements. And believe me, these two are no different. And I and I say this is be and I say this because the concept of being a team is so important, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This case is no different. This case was a team, this was a team effort between CVRT, the D uh, the SFPD and several other units, the DA's office, and countless other agencies and officers. But today, Officer Ellis and Ochoa should be commended, and the City of San Francisco owes them a debt of gratitude for their incredible police work. And so with that, I'd like to present Officer soon to be Sergeant Edward O'Cho with the Officer of the Week here. And uh Officer Mike Ellis, Officer of the Week. Thank you very much. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Come on up. Don't don't think, don't leave too fast. Please.
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