San Francisco Police Commission Meeting - April 1, 2026
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President Clay, like to take roll?
Yes.
Commissioner Techy.
Commissioner Scott is in route.
Commissioner Leong.
Here.
Commissioner Yi.
Here.
Commissioner Lyas is accused.
Excused.
Vice President Benedict.
Here.
President Clay, you have a quorum.
Also with us tonight are Derek Lou, San Francisco Police Department Chief, as well as Paul Henderson, Executive Director of the Department of Police Accountability.
All right.
Good evening, everyone.
Thank you for being here for our April 1st Commission meeting.
At this time, we're going to start our agenda.
Sergeant?
All right, one housekeeping item.
We are removing line item one for tonight's agenda.
We are going to go on line item two, 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 nor 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 on either of the following ways.
Email the Secretary of the Police Commission at SFPD.commission at SFGov.org or written comments 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.
Line item three, consent calendar, receive and file, action.
Safe streets for all, fourth quarter 2025 update, and police commission report of disciplinary actions first quarter 2026.
Alright, is there a motion?
Move to receive and file the safe streets for all fourth quarter report and the police commission report on disciplinary actions for the first quarter of 2026.
Second.
If any member of the public would like to make public comment regarding line item three, please approach the podium.
I object.
There is no public comment.
On the motion, Commissioner Techie, how do you vote?
Yes.
Commissioner Techie is yes.
Commissioner Scott?
Yes.
Commissioner Scott is yes.
Commissioner Leong?
Yes.
Commissioner Leung is yes.
Commissioner Yi?
Yes.
Commissioner Yi is yes.
Vice President Benedicto?
Yes.
Vice President Benedicto is yes.
And President Clay.
Yes.
President Clay is yes.
You have six yeses.
Line item four, adoption of minutes, actions for the meetings of February 4th and 11th, 2026.
Is there a motion?
Motion to adopt the minutes.
Second.
If any member of the public would like to make public comment regarding line item four, please approach the podium.
And there is no public comment.
On the motion, Commissioner Techie, how do you vote?
Yes.
Commissioner Techie is yes.
Commissioner Scott?
Yes.
Commissioner Scott is yes.
Commissioner Leong?
Yes.
Commissioner Leung is yes.
Commissioner Yi?
Yes.
Commissioner Yi is yes.
Vice President Benedicto?
Yes.
Vice President Benedicto is yes.
And President Clay.
Yes.
President Clay is yes.
You have six yeses.
Line item five, Chief's report.
Weekly crime trends and public safety concerns.
Provide an overview of offenses, incidents, or events occurring in San Francisco having an impact on public safety.
Chief Liu.
Good evening.
Good evening, President Clay, Vice President Benedicto, Commissioners, Director Henderson, and members of the community.
I'll start this off with a weekly crime trends.
Overall part one crimes are down 28% year to date compared to 2025.
Total violent crimes are down 19% for the year.
Specifically addressing homicides as of 329-2026.
There are 14 homicides year to date compared to four in 2025.
Looking at gun violence, which is defined as the number of people injured in a shooting incident, added to the number of persons killed by a firearm.
We are up 18% compared to 2025.
Incidents of reported rapes are down 13%.
Assaults for the year, but down 10%, with a decrease of 31% in assaults by firearm.
Robberies are down 33%, with robberies using a firearm declining by 25%.
Total property crimes down 30%.
Burglaries are down 33%.
Larceny theft, which includes vehicle burglaries, are down 29% overall.
And looking specifically at auto burglaries, there's a 33% decrease over 2025.
I'll move into the significant incidents.
During this period, there were four homicides reported.
In March, there's a total of six homicides.
For the year, there are a total of 29 fatal or non-fatal incidents, resulting in 33 victims.
In terms of weapon seizures, we have seized 251 guns.
As of this uh year to date, and of those are uh 24 were ghost guns.
I'll then move on to a summary of the homicides in the Southern District on March 27th, 2026.
Uh officers responded to third and Harrison regarding a shooting.
Officers located an adult male laying on the ground and suffering from a gunshot wound.
Despite the life-saving efforts of uh first responders and medical staff, the victim succumbed to his injuries.
Officers were able to locate and ultimately arrest two suspects in that case.
On March 24th, 2026, there was a homicide in the Ingleside.
Officers responded to the 1800 block of Sunnydale regarding a shooting.
They located a victim suffering from gunshot wounds.
Despite life-saving efforts, the victim was declared deceased.
No arrests have been made at this time.
It's an open investigation.
In the Terravel on March 24th, officers responded to a residence located on the 2200 block of 22nd Avenue regarding a shooting.
Officers located an adult female victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
Despite life-saving efforts, the victim was declared deceased at the hospital.
There was an arrest that was made during this incident.
And the fourth homicide, this was a tenderloin assault.
This originally occurred on 316 on Market and Charles Brenham.
The victim was standing on the sidewalk when pushed to the ground.
The victim struck her head and was transported in critical condition.
On 320, the victim succumbed to her injuries.
There was an arrest made in this incident.
I want to mention a notable arrest.
On March 25th, mission station officers responded to a firearm brandishing incident at 24th and Petrero, where witnesses observed a driver pointing a semi-automatic handgun at another motorist.
They did conduct surveillance of a sub of a suspect who was ultimately detained.
During that arrest, two handguns and numerous boxes of ammunition were seized.
Moving to media or high interest uh events, there was an attempted Bay Bridge takeover on March 28th at uh approximately 11.59 a.m.
The California Highway Patrol alerts SFPD and the real-time investigation center about a large group of bicycles that were suspected of being involved in an attempted take takeover of the Bay Bridge.
At about 252 p.m., the group of bicyclists tried to enter the upper deck of the Bay Bridge via the Harrison Street, 2nd Street Off Ramp, traveling against the flow of traffic.
SFPD and CHP units were successfully able to intervene, preventing the group from accessing the freeway.
A mass arrest was carried out.
The individuals were processed, sighted, and their bikes were confiscated by CHP.
A total of 85 citations were issued and 85 bicycles were seized in connection with the incident.
Really, you know, I I can't underscore the danger factor that was associated with that enough.
Number one, the bikes going against traffic when uh vehicles are coming off the off ramp uh in their direction at a high rate of speed, and then clearly if a shutdown of a major artery uh in the Bay Area had been shut down, there's uh massive consequence for that as well.
So I really want to thank the CHP for their partnership in that.
Move on to some uh some of the major events uh on 328.
There was a let's see at uh at the airport, there was a uh bomb threat at approximately 4.09 p.m.
dispatch received a call from a subject that said that he had hidden a bomb in the garage and was armed with an assault rifle.
A total search of both the international garages as well as the domestic garages were completed by officers, and all clear was given.
Um and that was all during a very busy day already, along with First Amendment activity, a couple different events at the airport, so that was all back to back to back.
Um, and then in the city, there was a significant no king's rally that we facilitated from the embarcadero to Civic Center.
Uh there were plans for upwards of 100,000 people that we planned for, ended up being probably closer to about 25,000, but that was carried out and facilitated without incident.
So it was a successful event for all.
Talk a little bit about the academy class.
Um currently we have 101 recruits in the academy tomorrow night.
I want to invite everyone.
There is a graduation of 41 recruits, so it's the largest graduation graduating class we've had since 2017.
So hopefully see you all there.
And I wanted to talk about one last uh incident, and that's the um SFO incident that occurred on Sunday, March 22nd at approximately 10 p.m.
Um I think that that it would uh do some good if I clarified the incident a little bit and walked through some of the some of the details.
Um I do want to kind of start at a 10,000 foot view, however.
Um, I just wanted to put it out there straight from the chi for the horse's mouth, so to speak, that the SFPD 100% supports and is committed to our immigrant community, and that's the bottom line.
I wanted to make sure that I underscored that.
Uh the other part of this is that we I know we say it all the time in in our releases, but again, wanted uh everyone to hear it from me that we absolutely adhere to state law, city ordinance, and our own DGOs regarding um our approach to immigration enforcement.
Um bottom line is is we do not coordinate with, we don't plan with, we don't um cooperate with ICE uh and any of enforcement activity.
Um we simply don't deviate from that.
And then the last part from this viewpoint is uh, you know, we're we're a little bit just at the mercy of what uh ICE chooses to do.
Uh our officers get called out to these very, very chaotic scenes and are put in uh very difficult situations.
Uh and and you know, they're they're we're forced to be put in these positions that quite frankly, sometimes the optics don't look good.
But um, you know, we we we really do do try to do our best with the best intentions.
And with that, I'll kind of go into just some of the details.
Uh I think it's useful because there is seems to be quite a bit of either misperception or uh misinformation.
Um again, to not to belabor the point, but there was absolutely no pre-planning or pre-coordination uh despite what it may have looked like that night at around 10 o'clock, we received a 911 call from a concerned party that there was uh, and this is at at the airport in the um in our uh terminal three, that there was a asking for a 910, which is our parlance for checking on a well-being of a female who was crying.
So that started a response.
Um, as sometime during that response, officers got a little bit more information that there were a couple of males and this woman that were in some sort of dispute.
So they interpreted that however they did.
Um first officers responded on scene, and they immediately saw a large crowd, and they asked for more units to show up.
So I really wanted to at least go over those details because I think part of that misconception or uh without that context, I've heard people say that uh they just don't understand how it could not have been coordinated with the sheer volume of response.
So I wanted to walk you through kind of the evolution of that call for service.
And number one, they observed SFD officers, two people in plain clothes who were eventually identified as ICE agents, and then additional uniformed officers who were not SFPD.
They were actually CBP officers who were who wear similar uniforms to us.
The other part is that per policy, the lieutenant did make contact uh with the parties, and they were able to ascertain that the plainclothes officers or agents were in fact uh ICE agents carrying out uh uh a lawful activity and that it was in fact an ICE an ICE incident.
So at that point, that was uh it was made clear that we were not cooperating or doing anything beyond that, and that their role in staying there was strictly in a uh public safety capacity, which would include kind of this de-escalation by our mere presence.
And then I think the last point to touch on is I think if if people have made a lot of, I've talked about parts of the video uh where oh I think the other part that I want to add is this this incident took nearly 30 minutes to resolve.
So as you can imagine, emotions and tensions are escalating as time goes by.
And then the last part I want to mention is that uh there is I think social media footage that shows that when the ICE and CBP folks finally get this um person who was detained onto some sort of wheelchair or wheelchair type apparatus and there walked away, that there was some sort of escort by by uniformed officers.
And I just want to make it clear that that was not SFPD.
Um then I think I'll just end by saying that we did not restrain anyone, we did not put handcuffs on anyone, we didn't do any sort of physical manipulation of of anyone.
So our role as as as uh you know, as in terms of an SFPD response was strictly to maintain public safety.
Um ultimately I just wanted to provide those details so that everyone could be clear and working from the same sheet of music on what what happened that night.
Um and you know, I'm thankful for our officers' response and going to a very difficult situation.
Uh and with that, that concludes uh my report.
Well, Chief, thank you uh for explaining the department's consciousness to this very sensitive issue, which uh involving and faces our immigration uh community here in in San Francisco and and Bay area wide.
I know the the department's in a tough position, uh, but this uh it just shows that you in in this department and the members here are very concerned and are going to do what's necessary to protect the community as well as the immigration community, those people who are subject to some of the things that are happening right now in our country.
So we applaud you and your continue following the law as stated for our our city, the rules and engagement uh from our um from the state plus what you've got in our sanctuary city policy.
So thank you very much.
And that being said, Chief, so the number of homicides that that you said uh we you saw there were three of the four that took place in one outstanding.
We've seen, as you said, you know, we talked about this, I think the last time.
You know, we've had a lot of shootings.
We always have a lot of shootings.
The question is is somebody getting killed.
And it seems like now we're in this position where people are getting shot, maybe close by, we don't know, but these bullets are killing people versus not just being injured.
And you know, we got a lot of guns on the street.
And I it's just way too many guns.
And and obviously it's very important whenever you you seize a gun from the street, it helps take off a possibility of somebody else being killed.
But I I want to say and continue that the way the community has reached out to the department in helping to solve these these crimes is really have to be encouraging for everyone in the city.
They're not randomized, but not and when they are, there are people are helping.
Whereas before they didn't want to talk to the police.
You know, I've been having been a judge in the courtroom.
People will not talk.
They won't even testify.
They won't do anything, but now we have people stepping up doing that.
And that's a good sign.
It's a good sign as positive that people have been encouraged and they trust, trust, trust the public safety officers doing their job.
So thank you for your report.
We hope it crime continues to go down.
We hope hopefully we will with the violence stuff that the stuff we get, these guns get them off the street.
But thank you, Chief, for for this.
Okay?
Thank you.
Commissioner Yee.
Thank you very much, sir.
President Clay.
Just want to uh thank the PD, the officers and the CHP on that bicycle roundup at uh the Bay Bridge.
Uh as you look at the video, they were going against traffic.
They were going to come against cars that were coming off the bridge.
You know, 50 to 60 miles an hour, it would have been a disaster.
Uh just want to thank Arctic 2 and your team and your staff, command staff working with CHP, alerting them or working together because I mean that that's a uh total it could have been a total disaster for us in the city to see that happen.
And uh you say I guess save lives possibly and uh you know all this uh roundup too.
By the way, uh they confiscate all the bikes.
Do they know any of those bikes were stolen?
And then if you can do follow-up on there and see whether uh see where the bikes came from and stuff like that, uh return it to the rightful owner.
Regards to the bomb scare and SL.
Uh they have one in Sown Sound too, I believe.
Too.
So the uh I don't know if you can track the calls down and see how far we can get.
But uh maybe put some other kind of tracer on there and ping them back, and maybe the technology will try and get where the call is coming from.
So hopefully we can end that.
Um I guess here in the city.
Uh regards to the No Kings uh protest, I was there.
I just say it was a peaceful march.
It was very uh rewarding.
Good exercise.
So I yeah, good to be out there with the people.
Uh regards to the TSA, I mean the ICE uh plain clothes or in a uniform officers.
When they come into the city airport, are they notifying the police department or is walking in unannounced on there?
We were not alerted.
Okay.
So somebody walks in, they will, you know, these they're they're carrying firearms.
So we're there's going to be a conflict.
Uh how do the San Francisco police protect themselves saying, who are you?
It could be imposter big feet or disaster.
I think uh maybe we have to clarify that in the higher level in the higher pay grade and than us.
But I can see that as a problem.
And uh thank you for clarifying that uh the officers in uniform were not SLPDs.
That that we need to get that out there and stop the media.
Uh again, uh like President say we have a high rate of homicides that's happening.
Uh any thoughts on that, Chief.
Well, it's a little bit like what the President already kind of uh alluded to.
Um, you know, the the rate of of shootings are way outpaced by the the homicide rate.
Um, and so it indicates that the the shootings are more, I guess, accurate without for lack of a better term.
Um they are not patterned.
Um and we're continuing what I think is um a very successful strategy that we've had given um you know our crime stats over the last few years and uh how violent crime has decreased.
So we're gonna lean in on those strategies and continue that um believing that it's it's it's worked.
Uh we actively have uh investigation bureau uh folks, our plainclothes folks that are constantly um looking to take on off the street in in different ways.
Thank you very much, Chief.
Commissioner Techie.
Thank you, President Clay.
Um I just wanted to I mean emphasize how important it is for the community at large to hear directly from the chief as to what really transpired in SFO and also the commitment to the immigrant community.
It's I think any time you get an opportunity, you have to say it out loud.
Um because it is important to hear directly from a person who makes a lot of decisions to do that.
So I appreciate that you made sure that you did that because um I work in an immigrant community all day long, and I I know how um if things are not said, if things are not very clear to community, how it can create a different fear in community, and we don't need to do that.
We already are in a lot of stress as community members.
So I appreciate that you emphasizing it, and I hope you could next time hopefully there is no next time, but if ever situation arises in any kind of situations, it would be helpful if you are in the forefront and saying to the community what exactly happened so that we are all very clear about it.
Thank you.
Commissioner Scott.
Thank you, Chief Lou, for that report.
Um I am very concerned, like all of us, about the increase of all the homicides that's taken place, of course, in our city.
And um just want to um say that I'm grateful um to SFPD and the handling of all the situations.
We've had a it's been a very busy beginning of the year.
Um the incident that um the No Kings March march was very peaceful.
Um the community sees and understand I've I believe that they're working closely with um law enforcement, and they too want to make sure that our streets remain safe and at the same time being able to voice their you know protest in a peaceful way.
So that took place.
That was very it was very well done.
The incident at the airport, of course, everyone's talking about that.
Um however, I'm grateful to our SFPD um department for handling the situation the way it was handled.
A lot of people was confused and um didn't know what was going on.
Uh some folks was at the airport.
Um however, I got a lot of feedback on positive feedback about SFPD and and your handling of that situation with what um ICE.
Um I just want to commend our uh police department.
Um as we we all know that our number one agenda um as the mayor of state is public safety.
And um, so I just want to commend the department for doing a fabulous job doing this crisis, because I feel like we're in a crisis right now with the homicides and all of the things that are taking place, but um it shows um credibility and um integrity, um working with the community, working with all the other organizations throughout the city to make sure that our communities remain safe.
Um so um I just wanted to commend you and the department for everything that's going on right now.
Um we're all feeling it, and uh I'm glad that you address the community and let them know that um you are very supportive in working with the community um to resolve some of these issues, particularly the homicides and the shootings that are taking place.
And so um I got feedback from the community that they would like to have a little bit more to town hall meetings in our community because a lot of people are not able to get out.
Uh a lot of seniors are concerned, so um I told them I would bring that to the commission, that folks would like to have more um town hall meetings in their community, and um as well, we all talked about it as commissioners that we would bring the commission to them.
So we're looking forward to doing that as well.
Um so thank you and thank our SFP D team for all the work that they've done.
And um I I just want to say I I'm really uh happy that the Bay Bridge incident, all of these things that have happened has been quite a bit.
So I just want to say that we are blessed to have um the SFPT team that we have.
So thank you.
Thank you, Commissioner.
Commissioner Leon?
Thank you, President Clay.
I just have two quick questions.
First, concerning the homicide rate.
Uh of the 14 homicides this year, how many have been closed, if you know, off the top of your head for an arrest?
13.
So only one remains open.
And I suppose the follow-up would it be fair to say the the homicides thus far have mostly been perhaps people who knew each other or who had some sort of prior B for dealing?
Sorry, can you repeat that last part?
Would it be fair to say that the homicides that have occurred in San Francisco thus far have involved people who had a pre-existing dispute or some sort of uh relationship?
I think it's hard to say on on on all of them, but I mean it if you're I think the question is was it were they random?
And I th uh and the answer is no.
So 13 out of 14 have been closed.
And the second question follows up on what Commissioner Yee asked previously concerning SFO and whether CBP or ICE notifies SFD at a time.
Um isn't there in uh fairly extensive law enforcement present, both state, local, and federal at SFO already, including DHS, ICE, CBP, et cetera.
Yes, that's exactly right.
Okay.
That's it.
Thanks.
Commissioner Benedicto.
Uh thank you, uh President McClay.
Thank you, Chief, for that update, and thank you for taking the time to address the SFO incident.
I know the Commission, uh, both collectively and individually.
We received uh a lot of um interest in the community on that.
I think we were all very troubled by what we saw.
And uh your report was helpful.
I think it's important that we, as the Commission, as a department, as a city, remain vigilant in this era of heightened immigration enforcement, both vigilant of for other incidents like this, because as you stated, they can happen at any time anywhere so that we're vigilant to those incidents, and then also vigilant that our safeguards and our regulations are holding.
And uh, you know, it's I think it's something that can happen as things become normalized.
Is you know, you take it it becomes a little bit of a snowball effect, and one small accommodation can get made that isn't something like cooperation, and then another and then another, and then before you know it, you look back and a lot of changes have been made.
So I think it's important that the Department and this Commission make sure that we're all vigilant, that we protect our values as San Franciscans as more of these incidents are are likely to happen uh as this goes forward.
Um I know this wasn't the first time we've talked about ICE enforcement before this commission, and I know the Board of Supervisors have raised it as well.
Unfortunately, I don't think it will be the last time.
And so um, you know, uh echo your sentiment to our communities that we remain in solidarity with you and that we are are going to remain vigilant that um we remain true to our values and our our laws on this topic.
Thank you.
Commissioner Scott.
Yes, and I just want to add that um I'm just uh I also want to add to the public, the public and and the community out there um thanking you all for your uh vigilant and your you know commitment to public safety and working with SFPD and law enforcement across the board because we need that.
We can't do this job alone because of you and your actions, and you see something, say something that's very important.
There's anonymous tip lines that you can call now, so don't have to be afraid.
I know a lot of people are afraid to come forward with information, but it's very crucial and very critical and important doing these um critical times in our city, especially with so many uh guns on the street.
As you know, people don't can obtain you know guns now, ghost guns they'll call over the internet.
So you need to be um talking to your children and your kids about this um to make sure that there's none in your home so that we can hopefully keep our communities safe and free of guns, because right now there's more guns than there is people.
But we know we love San Francisco.
This is our city.
We have to do it together.
We have to work with the police department and law enforcement to continue to keep our communities safe.
So it's about all of us or none of us, and together we can do it.
I know we can.
Um we've done it in my community, you know, we're talking to our neighbors and everybody, and the encouragement of having um town hall meetings is really important, and that's why I brought it to the chief, and I know we're gonna he's gonna act on that, and uh we're gonna get this problem resolved.
So thank you, Chief, again.
Thank you, McCarthy.
And thank you, the community.
If any member of the public would like to make public comment regarding line item five, the Chief's report, please approach the podium.
And there is no public comment.
Line item six, DPA directors report discussion, a report on recent DPA activities and announcements.
Executive Director Henderson.
Thank you.
Uh so since our last meeting, uh we had a meeting with the Department.
Thank you again, Chief.
Uh the Chief came in with his senior staff to sit down uh and talk with DPA both about uh core functions from both of our agencies uh and collaborative efficiencies, uh mostly involving technology.
Uh a lot of that is changing right now, particularly with uh with the department and with the DPA to make both of our agencies more efficient in terms of how we collect, share, and make transparent information, uh, as well as uh a lot of time was spent uh on the audits as well to make sure that we could be as collaborative and clear as possible about uh information that comes from and through the agency.
Uh we had meetings this week as well uh with uh the language ad access, some of the advocates as well as with the uh department, and you'll hear more about that from information that's on the agenda this evening.
Uh we also had uh a big spike in cases and referrals based on the incident that we've just been discussing uh this evening already.
I won't go over all of that again, uh, but just so you know, uh DPA has received those cases uh and has opened uh cases for those.
Uh Commissioner Scott, you were just talking about how people can make that information safely uh if they have information, and specifically many of the folks that contacted us uh did open and initiate uh information that was both anonymous and came from the community, as is always how we are able to and encourage receiving information.
Uh for the audit this week, we moved forward and talking about uh DPA's next audit.
Uh it's a big step forward to have from the department, uh, both the subject matter expert and a liaison, and we will continue having those conversations, and I'll give you updates shortly when we have uh firmly specified focus on what we're going to be uh doing with the next audit.
Obviously, the previous audits still have ongoing updates in terms of what's being done and what still needs to be done, and you'll continue to get those updates for us.
In terms of stats, uh since our last commission meeting on March 18th, we've opened 85 new cases uh and have closed 99 cases.
So currently there are 196 uh open investigations going on at DPA.
Uh just for context, uh the volume of incoming complaints is still 16 percent higher than for the same period uh last year.
Uh where are eight cases uh whose investigations have taken longer than 270 days, all but one of the cases are told cases.
Uh we still have 48 cases that are have been sustained internally for DPA that are still pending with the department, and three cases uh pending with the police commission.
Uh the full list of all of the stats has been filed already and is also available on our website.
Uh if folks want to get in contact with DPA directly, they can do that online at SFGov.org forward slash DPA or contact us at 415-241-7711 for tonight's commission meeting.
Uh Director of Policy Jamal Anderson is here tonight, and you'll see and hear from him on tonight's agenda.
Also, one of our senior trial lawyers, Stephanie Wargo Wilson, is here uh and also senior investigator Brent Bajon.
In case there are issues and people need to contact our agency during the hearing, they can speak to any of that staff as well.
That concludes my report for the week.
If any member of the public would like to make public comment regarding line item six, please approach the podium.
And there is no public comment.
Line item seven, commission reports, discussion and possible action.
Commission president's report, commissioners' reports, and commission announcements and scheduling of items identified for consideration at a future commission meeting.
There is no president report for this this evening, Sergeant.
Ask the other commissioners.
Commissioner Yi.
Thank you very much there.
Um President Clay.
Uh just uh we had uh, I guess uh community meeting in Chinatown on Monday, talk about the incident of the accident on Jackson Street where um one of the contractors was uh uh killed by I guess uh one of the drivers.
And then there was the incidence of regards to uh you know another stabbing on uh Stockton Street uh a couple weeks prior to that too, as well.
So um we invited uh Central Station, the Captain Del Delgadio, and then the sheriffs and also the district attorney and MTAs, and then um talk about the safety here in Chinatown.
So it was to calm the merchants and uh get out the news as soon as clear as possible to the reporters out there.
Uh also was uh Commissioner uh Lerung was there as well.
So I guess the thing is is in Chinatown, you know, you have uh high density of people and the traffic um, you know, it can be challenging at a time where people are trying to get to work and also um shopping, you know.
So safety was one of the concerns.
So to talk about maybe putting additional cameras in there or I I guess the um the cameras they said is only maxed out at speed speed cameras are maxed out at 33, I believe.
So they couldn't, you know, they'll probably take a look at another options to do that.
So uh just to let you know that it is safe in Chinatown.
Um, but still when you do cross streets and what else drivers that uh they'll probably take a look at that again.
And I know the police department is still doing their investigation is ongoing.
So I thank uh Censor Station for coming out to uh calm the fears in Chinatown.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President Benedicto.
Uh thank you, President Clay.
Um just uh a couple of things uh just want the report.
I want to tell the chief who I'll be taking up on your offer, and I know along with with President Clay will be the graduation tomorrow and looking forward to welcoming the largest graduating class that we had as well.
Um I wanted to during my report ask about the I consider I know the chief already covered that, and we discussed it extensively in the chief's report.
And um that's all thank you.
Yes, I just want to report.
Thank you, uh Commissioner uh Vice President and Commissioner Clay and Um Commissioners.
I just want to say that a this is um crime victims united month uh where victims of violence um come together um in a supportive way uh working with law enforcement and so on April 20th there will be a um celebration and um march around City Hall.
Um and we will the march will take place on the 20th at four o'clock.
We do it every every year with SFPD and and the DA's office.
Um there'll be more to come on that.
So um the community is very involved in that and just want to let you all know to mark your calendars.
Um and um it is um crime victims united month.
We celebrate it like I say every year here in the city.
Um also um on the 19th, uh prior to that there will be um the um Birdie United Against Gun Violence uh um summit held on Zoom, and so everybody was invited to that, and the the uh community um is definitely supportive of that and part of that as well.
So just want to let you know that Crime Victims United Month is here.
This is the opportunity for us to um get involved with the community um and and the work that they're doing there so that we can help um our law enforcement community and our mayor to um get um you know more involved and find solutions to what we're dealing with um here in our city.
Thank God um, you know, it's not as bad as it could have been with all the incidents that have taken place, and uh, I'm just so happy because many many lives have been saved because of the quick responses of S FPD and um the community working together with SFPD as a whole.
So I just want to um congratulate the community on your efforts and all the things that you're doing out there and bringing awareness to us.
Um and this is gonna be uh another um another great month that uh we're going to work together to help solve some of the issues that are taking place.
So just wanted to bring that to your attention from the community.
So thank you.
Thank you, Commissioner Scott.
If any member of the public would like to make public comment regarding line item seven, please approach the podium.
And there is no public comment.
Line item nine, presentation on the limited English Proficiency LEP 2025.
Line item eight.
Number eight.
Presentation on the limited English Proficiency 2025 annual report discussion.
Okay.
Thank you for giving me time to stop.
Okay, perfect.
Thank you.
So this is the 2025 language access report.
Our language access liaison is unavailable, so I am tagged in to provide this report for you.
The report itself was presented or submitted to the commission, I think, back in February.
And it looks like there was an ask for it to be taken out of consent and given as a presentation.
So I'm just going to go through a few slides.
First slide, please, thank you.
So highlighted in the report that was submitted in the core five language languages, SFPD has 468 certified bilingual members, 573 total bilingual members, and 38 certified bilingual members, and that should say 2025.
SFPD also has over 36 languages represented, over 103 languages on the SFPD website itself.
So just to explain that, the website, our website has a drop-down, and you can choose the languages that you speak, and the site itself will translate into that language.
There are over 240 languages offered through language line, which is our vendor that offers our telephonic interpretation and also does uh video interpretation.
And all of our services are offered at our community meetings, including monthly district captain meetings, which just means that if someone requests a translator or excuse me, translation or interpretation, the captain will ensure that they can uh provide those services at those meetings.
Next slide, please.
So with the calls for service, we had about 4,840 calls for service, and this uh this is where an incident report was required.
There's over 13,000 total interpretations.
Again, this is split up in person, so our certified bilingual members, and our telephonic interpretation vendor.
We had three complaints related to language access, two complaints are closed, and one complaint is in post-investigation.
This does kind of rise a little bit of interest that I think we hope we can talk about in terms of how DPA classifies these complaints.
The uh DGO520 and I believe the language access ordinance itself wants to see what the complaints are as it relates to the language access ordinance in terms of translation services, interpretation services, uh signage, the things that are actually outlined in our requirements for access.
Um but it seems like some of the complaints that we receive from DPA when we formulate this report are just anything that involves an LEP member.
So if a Spanish-speaking person was upset because they uh couldn't access BWC, they're folding that into these complaints.
So for purposes of the report that's submitted to the commission, we only include the ones that uh rise to language access.
So translation, interpretation, signage, etc.
Next slide, please.
So our accomplishments in 2025.
Um our quarterly bilingual testing resulted in 38 members receiving bilingual certification, one in Italian and Italian is not our core language.
So again, we are testing and certifying officers in languages beyond the core languages.
And just to explain what the core languages are, uh, those are languages as determined by OSIA, um, that it means the population has met a certain threshold, that those languages for all city departments are required languages or core languages, where each city department must offer their vital documents to be translated in those available and translated in those documents, excuse me, in those languages.
And then other languages that haven't met that threshold, um community members can always reach out to the those departments and ask for those items to be translated, which we are required to do once we receive the request.
Um we have also distributed language access materials at all 10 stations for public posting, and we've updated the language access lessons plans used to teach the uh recruits at the academy.
In terms of the goals, uh, we have updated, we are updating hopefully the DGO 520 training video.
So that's the language access video.
We are creating a training video for DGO 523.
That's the deaf and heart of hearing.
Uh, we were here a few meetings ago to, and we brought in a few community members from the Deaf and Heart of Hearing Working Group that are gonna participate in that training.
The filming starts April 16th for that one.
And also of interest, I know to this group.
Uh we are implementing a pilot program for the LEP pins for certified members.
We're starting at five stations, specifically stations that have high LEP communities.
So Central, Mission, Ingleside, Bayview, Richmond.
We do we are asking for volunteer officers to participate, and really it's again a six month process.
The pins themselves are about $13 each, so reasonable price.
They'll just say I speak this language in that language.
So you hablo espanol or whatever that language is on those officers that are certified, and they'll work with the language access uh liaison throughout this six month process to determine the efficacy before we determine the department rollout.
Um next slide.
Just wanted to add a slide from the OCA compliance report.
This was issued in 2025, but it covers fiscal year 2023 and 2024.
Uh they put all city departments in this list.
Uh we do have our three checks, not all city departments have their three checks.
Um so this shows that uh the separate report per the LAO uh that we are in compliance.
Next slide, please.
Um this is an update.
I'm I'm not sure if you're uh aware, but on February 23rd, the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigration Affairs determined that Vietnamese has met the substantial number of limited English proficient uh persons threshold.
So now it is eligible for certification.
So our officers that speak Vietnamese can now seek um certification for to be bilingual officers, certified bilingual officers.
This also means that those vital documents that I was talking about must be translated.
So our language access liaison is working on getting all of those documents translated before June 23rd when this goes into effect.
Um next slide, please.
And that's it.
So I am open for questions for you.
So let me just say what impressed me.
I saw, you know, we began here in San Francisco, was very cognizant of the the fact that people needed help and access to to language because English was not their their major language.
So and we say that in looking at that, it was in 2007 we did it voluntarily.
We they started it, you got the DGO, and maybe a little before that, but it was it was recognized uh there in the DGOs.
Then I saw I got referred to Jermaine Jones, who was worked on this project uh the LEP with the with the group when you guys were going through uh for the 5.20.
He referred me to the other jurisdictions where they were talking about their language for in their DGOs, but they were they were cities that were by the nature of the Justice Department or State Attorney General mandated because they had none.
Correct.
And we've been doing it.
And and that was to me well, to the extent that was very important when he said he showed me look, Judge Commissioner now.
I'm sorry.
He said, look, look at what was happening to these other places where they say, Oh, they did this great job.
No, they did because they were forced to do it because they didn't have it, and we do.
And I and I you know I applaud the department for doing that, doing what they're doing.
And I know I read through the DGO and how many times notices were pinned it to uh add additional stuff, different requirements, and the fact how hard people have worked to do this and make sure that people get access to language to their own language so they can help them do what they do.
So, and I applaud you guys for doing what you do.
I see the total numbers last year.
Those are those are big numbers.
Uh, and that's it's really good to see that.
And that's what we want to do.
Giving people access, the whole idea is to enhance a DGO to help people.
This is not to take away anything from people.
Make sure we can help people do whatever they need from the idea that they're on the streets, they lost their way, they need some help, they don't speak English.
We got to get somewhere to help them.
The idea, the criminal stuff I don't worry about because that's a the courts deal with that mostly, but you guys do it anyway.
But the idea is continue to help people with the English learning, their language to get them to understand whatever they need done for themselves for the purpose of our city in the public safety area.
So I applaud you all for all what you've guys done in reviewing this report when I read a couple of weeks ago when it first came out.
So thank you very much.
Thank you.
Commissioner Techie.
Uh can I just say one thing?
It's my understanding that actually the cities uh had an ordinance, I think was started in 2001.
So we did have a ordinance before our policy was but the idea you are already.
It's a city of San Francisco accomplishment.
Way before they were told to do it, you were doing it.
This was not something that did that you said we need to do this, and you did it in some fashion.
And that's that's the key.
Okay.
All right.
I'm sorry, Commissioner Tech.
Thank you, President Clay.
So a couple of questions I have um regarding the pilot program.
Um you did answer the pilot program because it is only for the first the five stations you're gonna start.
Um when what did you give me a date and time frame or something?
We don't have a start date just yet.
Uh we are trying to get fiscal approval for the pins, so we need to purchase the pins first and then confirm the members at those stations uh that will be participating.
So we haven't gotten the fiscal approval for the pins just yet.
Okay.
So the second thing is how would a public know that this is something that they have to look for?
So what is the plan, even though it is a pilot project.
Yeah.
So what is the plan to educate the community members that you can look for that also?
Yes.
So we're going to work with community engagement definitely to get the word out.
But social media, heavy social media, um acknowledgement of the program.
We'd like to do some videos to get the videos out there, um, get the word out for the pins.
So we need to get the officers, get the pins so they know what to do, have some scenarios filmed and get it out there.
So really social media videos, uh, maybe a press conference, we were hoping.
We had a lot of support from Supervisor Sauter's office as well.
So working with members of the board, working with this commission to get the word out to communities as well.
I I I want to acknowledge uh Marilyn who who's a community member from uh Viz Valley who's here, who was the I mean we heard from her last time where she was requesting, and I'm glad that this is happening.
Yeah, at least in a pilot way, and I'm hoping it would go further than that.
Um my other question is you know, I went to the website of SFPD, and um you're right.
When you do do drop-down boxes, everything converts into whatever language you want.
But what concerned me was um the captain, I don't know, I'm I'm sure it isn't required that every station has to monthly monthly newsletter where they talk about the trends, where they talk about certain things that's going on in the community or where they need to reach out if community members need to reach out.
For some reason, those um newsletters are not posted on the website, which are very vital because I get newsletter from Ten Long Station because for many years I've been going to the station meetings, and so I sign the captain's um you know sign-in sheet.
So the any captain, whoever the captain is, they send it to that signing sheet.
Uh, you know, the people that they have.
So is there any way that SFPD can change that so that you don't have to be subscribing to it?
You can just go to the website and see what's going on in your station in your own language.
Yes, this is a great timing for this question.
So, in preparation for this report, we were actually surveyed all of the captains, and they all do it a little bit differently.
Um some of them send it to uh SFPD all and their distribution list.
Some send it as an email only to their distribution list, some do post it on the website.
I think PARC is the station that most consistently will put it on the website.
What we'd like to do in the policy development division is actually put out a DN that just reaffirms the requirement through DGO 108 and also the manual, the community policing manual for these and ensure that there is a standardization for how they are issued, and so that we can get them on the website as part of the DN, we can ask the uh captains to post it on the website.
The in addition to that, we're looking in a way so that's not a PDF itself can be so it's the document they basically put on the website so it can be translated.
When it is posted as a PDF, it's not able to use the translation function on the website.
So we are looking into creating a DN and issuing that soon.
Once again, the time frame because a good question.
I think we could look at that by by May, I think that could be issued.
Okay, thank you.
Sure.
Commissioner Yeah?
Uh thank you again, uh President Clay.
Um looking at your um, I guess interpretation and translation resource.
Wow, I'm I'm impressed.
Uh 468 certified bilingual members.
And it, you know, the numbers reach for itself.
So I think we're heading in the right direction.
I just want to touch basis on something that was shared to me about I guess maybe two years ago.
Um I guess a visitation valley, uh Marlene Tran.
She mentioned that the sheriff had the um I guess the LEP pins.
And that's one of the public can identify the person speak another language.
So they want to look at a pin.
It says on there Kong Dungma, or you know, speak Cantonese and speak Chinese, right?
So I'm looking forward to this.
Uh it's exciting.
And uh hope um uh we see it out here soon.
Again, thank you, Marlene.
Commissioner Young?
Thank you, President Clay.
I too would like to echo Commissioner Jackie and Commissioner Yi and thank Marlene Tran for uh whose idea we've shamelessly cribbed for the pins.
So thank you.
And then I just had a quick question about line item three in the report concerning the three DGO 5.20, 5.23 complaints.
It seems like the first two arise from the same incident.
Is that correct?
Or are they actually separate incidents?
That I don't know.
Um they are different case numbers, so I don't know.
Okay.
I was just curious because um well, I mean, it's the difference between, say, two incidents versus three incidents.
That's how it's provided by DPA.
Got it.
Thank you.
Commissioner Scott.
Thank you, Vice President Clay, and um, did you relegate me to Vice President versus President?
President, sorry.
My apologies.
Correction, I stand corrected, President Clay.
Um thank you for this report.
It is something that uh we've talked about quite a bit, and I see my sister Marlene Tran in the audience, and we've been working about on this throughout the city.
Um I love all of the uh the updated uh access and lesson plans that's going to be used to teach uh SFPD recruits and uh distributed language and and uh all ten district stations for public posting.
All of this is just great.
Um my question is I don't see on the list uh um the uh itrian or Ethiopian uh folks that's highly concentrated in my communities a lot, and we've been talking with them about this, and so um they want to make sure that they're gonna be included in the process for this, because we have a huge population of Etrean and Ethiopian families where I live at in the Western Edition, as well as the Bayview and Sunnydale area.
So that population is growing, they are very concerned, um, you know, and they want to understand and be able to communicate effectively with law enforcement, and they want to make sure that they are included in the language update.
We don't want to I told them we're a city that don't leave anybody out.
We're very inclusive city, and I um commend them, and a lot of them um are looking forward to being volunteers to help with the process as well.
So that would be wonderful.
If we could get community members to participate in the new video that we're filming, maybe we can reach out through Stacey to you.
We can reach out to community members that you are in touch with.
Uh that would be really helpful.
Okay.
Yeah.
We'll make we'll make that happen.
Yeah.
Thank you.
If any member of the public hasn't would like to make public comment regarding line item eight, please approach the podium.
Oops.
Let me get myself together.
Good evening, Commissioners.
Police Chief Lou.
I am beyond happy today to get the hear the kind words from you all.
I I can hardly express myself.
Anyway, I still want to continue with my speech.
I'm Marlene Tran.
Years ago, when I moved to visitation valley, many of my non-limited English speaking neighbors who are immigrants complained to me that they were frequent crime victims, and all because of language barriers, cultural inhibition, and lack of police context.
I still grieve to this day several of my ESL citizenship students and neighbors who are homicide victims.
For over 30 years, I have been working with all the captains to try to bring peace and safety to my neighborhood in what you they used to call us the Forgotten Valley.
I now belong to Stop Crime SF, the API Police Forum, and of course, Ingus ICPAP.
Today I happen to find my notes to the police commissioners dated November 1, 2007, in which I presented 23 suggestions, and I'm grateful that many of them have been implemented.
I can show it to you later.
Four years ago, I was very grateful that Sheriff Miyamoto accepted my idea to include the language proficiency of his staff sheriff on the name tax.
And I'm so glad that today's meeting has all this information about language access.
And as a former immigrant rights commissioner, I used to push for that for compliance as well.
So this is um really a very happy day for me and all the San Franciscans who needed this service.
Thank you very much.
And that is the end of public comment.
Line item nine.
Discussion and possible action to approve, revised Department General Order 5.20 Language Access Services for the Department to use in meeting and conferring with the affected bargaining units, POA, SEIU, Local 21, and MEA as required by law.
As well as an update on SFPD's listening sessions with members of LAN SF and the community regarding DGO 5.20.
Discussion and possible action.
Thank you.
Since I'm here for language access, I thought I'd stay for agenda nine.
So this is the update on the resolution 2613 that was issued by this commission in February.
First slide, please.
So the core of this resolution was to provide uh LAN SF and community an opportunity to be heard and also direct the department to consider restoring elements of a DGO that came out in February 2025 for public review.
So it was part of the working group process and then went to public review.
This is just one of the many required development phases through DGO 301, which is a separate DGO that tells the department members how to develop policy.
So that DGO was an early draft.
So we were able to sit and talk with community members about the potential of restoring elements.
Next slide, please.
So we extended this invitation to the DGO 520 working group members.
That was a working group that commenced in 2024 and actually concluded in 2024.
But because this resolution was specific to language access network, they were a seat on that working group.
So we just thought we should extend this invitation for these community meetings to the original working group members.
And then we also put out some social media just to let people know that this it was open to the public.
So we wanted to let people know via social media.
Next slide.
So as I said, we scheduled three meetings.
We didn't think we could accomplish a real listening session in just one meeting.
So we scheduled February 26th, March 12th, and March 24th.
The first two meetings were two hours, and the last meeting was one hour long.
So we had a total of five hours of discussions.
Next slide, please.
So again, this is just the core of the stakeholder representation.
We had SFPD members from the policy team specifically, the language access liaison was present, uh, DPA was present, the Bar Association of San Francisco was present as they had a seat on the DGO 520 working group.
Um CEO was there, and then we had members from the language access network.
Next slide.
So there was a bit of a challenge in terms of gaining momentum because there were several members that were in attendance that were new in the second meeting and also new in the third.
So our stated goals, it was very important to repeat the stated goal all throughout.
Um the real issue we really wanted to hear from community members in terms of what the concerns were because very strong claims were made about the department's proposal.
Um and we really wanted to make sure that we weren't as the department missing any marks.
Uh, if the community says that there's something there that we need to look at, we really wanted to get that opportunity to hear what the community was uh trying to articulate.
So the other issue with the considering the elements is that it was sort of the solution, and we wanted to really get to figure out what the problem was, right?
It's the it's the medicine and our meetings were to figure out what the diagnosis really is.
If this is the diagnosis, then maybe that is the medicine.
So really that was the whole uh core principle of these meetings.
So we just wanted to show you all of the groups that were in attendance.
I do believe the final hour was when we really got very specific articulated concerns and revisions.
Next slide, please.
Um so I will talk about the actual DGO in this point.
Um there were revisions in the definitions, actually the criminal and non-criminal, the annual reporting, there was some revisions for general formatting, external requests for translation section training, as well as the potential indicator section.
So I'm gonna pull out the DGO so I can just go over with this commission what changes we've made for your consideration.
On the page two, so under the definitions section, uh hopefully you have that highlighted in front of you.
We have added Vietnamese as a required language to confirm the OSEA finding that they meet the threshold.
While that doesn't happen until June, I think it's important to put into our requires.
So we we agreed with that.
Um the translation line had a um section that just said for the purpose of this DGO, so that was deleted.
We got a lot of feedback under section 5204 procedures.
Potential indicators was pulled out of the identify primary language section.
It was still the same content, but based on the discussions we were having, it was clear that it needed to be above the identify primary language, so to give officers ability to uh know what those potential indicators are.
So we basically just pulled it and put it above.
Um then if you uh we also added requests for interpretation and physical gestures, which indicate difficult understanding as one of the potential as two new potential indicators.
These were pulled specifically from a DN that expired.
It was a DN that was issued initially in 2018 and then again in 2021.
It has since expired.
Uh it has not been reissued simply because the core of the 2021 DN was put into training as it appropri for as appropriate.
Um, but we did pull these uh potential indicators from that expired DN.
Um on the next page, page three, we did add restrictions under the criminal incidents section.
Um this is language that came specifically from the 2007 version.
We did not pull that section in its entirety, the restrictions, um, but this was feedback that we received consistently in the uh all three meetings, essentially that the members should not use family members, neighbors, friends, volunteers, bystanders, or children to interpret during a criminal incident unless there is an exigent circumstance.
Uh, while I think the department believed that because we only had the option to use family members in exigencies and non-criminal, we believed that it was clear, but it we doubled down by putting the restrictions under the criminal.
Um also we revised the non-criminal incident section.
This um actually did have a big portion of our conversation.
Um we clarified that for communication related to non-criminal department services, employees should offer department interpretation services according to the order of preference.
And so the order of preference is listed in the DGO.
Um, but noted that LEP individuals may decline if they prefer using their own interpretation methods.
Um again, I just want to reiterate that non-criminal just means there's no witness, there's no victim, there's no suspect.
This is situations like potentially it could be uh community meetings, it could be captain's meetings, it could be a CPAP.
Um that is not a criminal incident or a criminal uh situation.
It could even be someone coming to get a copy of their police report.
Well, taking a police report is considered criminal.
The administrative function of getting a copy isn't considered criminal.
So we just wanted to have a carve out for that.
And then we clarified uh in to B for communication relating to non-police services.
This means building rapport.
This is uh giving directions.
Our officers are out every single day on the streets, they're encountering people all day.
You know, we have a daytime population of about a million people.
We have visitors from all over the world because we are an amazing city.
So I was born and raised here, so I'm very familiar with the how often you encounter people that are LEP individuals.
So officers are out on the streets, they often are just building rapport, having conversations or giving directions to people all the time.
So we wanted to expand that uh and offer so that officers didn't have to call a certified member if they are conversationally comfortable to do that.
And then on page four, we clarified the external requests section.
Um this is a shall OSEA made it very clear during these meetings that these vital documents, the required languages.
Uh, I believe we had the word we had was should before, but this is a shall.
So we're agreeable to that.
And then the non-required language, because we are not, the LAO does not require us to have all documents in every single language, but it there is a process that we need to do.
So I believe the word was will before we change it to should.
And then the training section, we did add potential indicators of LEP individuals.
And we also, for the copy that's in front of you, submitted uh for every three years.
We changed that from periodic to every three years.
But after the close of the meeting that we had last Tuesday, uh PDD continued having conversations with members at the training facility at the academy, uh, other officers, patrol officers.
We had another discussion with Chief Lou, and just sort of can we refine this, can we make this a different interval process?
And so our request for this commission is to consider changing that to two years if you if you would ask for an amendment to change this from three years to two because the feedback we were getting from the academy and from membership was really the two years is okay.
Um so we'd like to change that if possible.
Um, and then with the language section 52009, which is page five.
We added language because OCA doesn't handle complaints for the agency, DPA does.
This would be outside of the OCO reporting.
We just added language that um the language liaison would request complaint data directly from DPA and have it included in the report.
So those are the major changes that we made to the DGO.
Uh next slide, please.
So again, just an overview of the big changes between the 2007 version versus what we've proposed.
2007 applies to sworn members.
We are expanding this to apply to all public-facing employees, which is why the meeting infer includes the bargaining units that represent civilian staff.
Uh, this is a sticking point also in these conversations.
PSAs are civilians, they are not sworn staff, but at stations, they're dressed very similarly to sworn members, which can be confusing for members of the public.
So a lot of the kind of anecdotal information that we were receiving about at the station, someone trying to get information, and maybe the person at the counter wasn't as helpful.
It may have been a PSA's.
The training that's in the 2007 version only requires training for recruits in service and during roll call.
Civilians don't do those trainings.
So it's not applicable to the PSAs or even to the other public-facing clerks that might be handling the records desk.
So this is an expansion.
Um the expansion also, so 2007, it limits to only certified members and interpreters.
We'd like to expand this to use non-certified employees during non-criminal encounters.
Uh 2007 only applies to primary language.
We have expanded this to apply to primary and preferred and or preferred.
2007, the Miranda admonition shall be provided in the primary language when available.
Our proposal is the Miranda admonition shall be provided in primary or preferred language.
And 2007, again, training required only for sworn and recruits.
We will be expanding this training to include all public-facing employees.
Next slide.
There were a few barriers to progress here with some of these meetings.
Again, because there was different uh attendees for all three meetings.
So the momentum when it was moving forward might move a little bit back.
Uh, several questions that this group had related to things that I would train my staff on, and it was tip would take 90 days or almost six months of onboarding.
So it was hard to explain a lot of those policy processes, like what is a DGO versus what is a manual, like what is a DN, why does a DN expire?
So there were a lot of questions about just the lay of the land of policy making that sort of took time away from finding out how to uh improve the policy.
Um we the meetings, the last two meetings were only virtual.
Um, a lot of cameras were off, so it was hard to have full engagement.
Um my team's cameras were on, but I think people were listening, but not a lot of engagement.
Um there were a lot of requests for SFPD to do a line-by-line justification of all the changes, which really again took away from the resolution's intent to hear directly from the community, not necessarily for the department to justify a year's worth of edits.
Um there were a lot of stated broad concerns like it's we need to strengthen it or it's too weak, or but then when we would have the back and forth of let's unpack it, there wasn't a lot of um substantive ways to add that to policy.
So there were some barriers, but all in all, I think everyone was really dedicated.
Everyone who attended was really dedicated to see this resolution through.
Um people attended during their workday.
I think they used their time to be there, and so all in all, it was very much appreciated.
Next slide, please.
So we did have some opportunities and proposed next steps.
Uh we did hopefully, I hope this still stands.
We invited the attendees to participate again in the language access training video.
We're starting from scratch.
The current one is 12 years old.
It has Greg Sir in it, also has Sergeant Youngblood in the training video.
But again, it's 12 years old.
Things have changed.
The LAO has been updated.
The policy has been updated.
Maybe we can still get Sergeant N what in it, but I don't know.
So but we do want actual community members in.
And we'd like to capture all of those incidents that aren't, we're not able to policy for, right?
Things do happen that we'd like to capture in our policies.
Excuse me, in our training.
Next slide, please.
So for example, this is what we went over with the group.
We'd like to do a training module in the video for how to uh identify a limited English proficient individual, uh, best practices for communicating with LEP individuals, go over vital documents, translation requests, non-criminal consensual encounters, traffic stops, criminal victim witness interaction, best practices during domestic violence incidents.
This is important, right?
Because there's a crossover with domestic violence and even sexual assault.
Um, and filing a report at an SFPD police station, and then we were asking for more.
So we're hoping that we can still capitalize on this group's wealth of knowledge in terms of how to translate it into a training document that could live for maybe another 12 years.
Uh next slide, please.
So the department's proposed EGO 520 does expand language access to include, again, like I said, PSAs and civilians.
And these are people that were frequently left out of the ongoing training.
As we've said, the training is done specifically at the recruit level.
Um, but PSAs and civilian staff aren't getting that training.
Um this is just for me, the longer this remains in draft form, I believe the longer the expanded access is delayed, and that really is our goal.
Next slide, please.
We have given you a lot of supporting documents uh for these meetings.
I'm not sure if we've had time to go through all.
Uh, but we did provide a tracking grid of the primary uh 30 concerns and our responses.
We've also provided an updated um we've received several recommendations up until yesterday, really, where we responded in the grid why we chose to accept some or why we chose not to.
We also provided transcripts from all three meetings, um, so you can just have an objective viewpoint of what was said and what happened in those meetings.
Um it is a lot of information, so I understand if you haven't been able to get through it.
But I do think it's important for the department to always be responsive to community members and let them know so that they've haven't just provided a recommendation and they don't know where it went.
We just wanted to put out public documentation that says what our responses are to that.
Uh next slide.
So the biggest lesson learned, I'll just say from the PDD standpoint, is that we really do want to prioritize uh community representation.
And I think you saw in the 2025 working groups that came and spoke about their experience.
Getting out there and getting actual community members that live and work in the city that don't even know that they have a seat at the table or don't know how to get a seat at the table.
It's really important to really recruit them.
So we have Emily here next to me who actually works in the working group unit, and that is really her primary function is to go out and meet everyday regular people and entice them to come sit with us during their free time if they have it and give us real feedback.
Uh, we also really want to focus on reciprocal dialogue and shared understanding, which is what you saw in the again with the 2025 working groups, uh, it was really just discussion.
That's what got us where we were with those policies.
Um also to capitalize on community insights, not specific language.
It's not for community members to write policy, it's for them to give us and provide us integral uh feedback so that we can set the goals and the priorities for the policy, but it's not their job to write policy.
Uh policy should be written by the staff that the implementing agency essentially.
Um, we want to provide access, so that's all together, providing access and engagement opportunities for people who haven't had access to the police leadership, right?
There are a lot of stakeholder groups that have direct access to members of the board, they have access to the mayor's office, they have access to police leadership.
We really want to hear from people again that don't that are a part of the city but don't know that there are these opportunities to sit with us and give us their feedback.
Uh so it really just solidified that the 2025 working group process is the standard moving forward.
Um and so we really appreciate that people are still willing to talk to us about policy and give us their ideas.
Um so that concludes the actual presentation that I had to give you a report out of those meetings.
Well, thank you.
Thank you for your presentation.
And actually, you know, thank you for the process of working with everyone.
You know, we came in here, and I feel like when we had the um district changes to the districts.
And what happened was it it was several years we went into this process, everyone had the district zone, and then we got here to a point that all of a sudden it was stopped because somebody says they wanted more.
But we we we left it, we we continued it, we let people talk again, and no one's ever happy with everything, but you get to a point you have to do something, and we did something after going through all this debate, and now as I learned after we've this has been the it's been implementated and implemented, the they've gotten together and worked out some of the crinks that they had about who was going to go where, what was going to happen, and as as the chief says, I mean, the resources, they kind of changed resources for when you needed them.
We're at, and but it's working, it's working, but you had to do it.
People got together, they went along, and what you have done here, I mean, 301 allows you to have the community engagement, and you're they're there to help them give input.
You do you have to write it.
It's Department of Rights to policy, but having the community communicate what their needs and thoughts, what they want done, what they like to see, is really is really a good thing.
Because that's what San Francisco is all about community.
Okay.
And you've done that.
And you know, this this is you know, with all those notices, I looked at the history of this this DGO.
I mean, you had this DGO, but you had notices attached.
You're changing this.
It wasn't formalized in a way it should be now, and there's no perfect GDO.
You know, I've been in the court lawyers, there's always going to challenge something.
They don't like how it is.
So there is a challenge.
But there's no perfect perfect anything, no perfect DGO, but you've got to have a point to start.
And this is a good start.
You have done really well.
It doesn't take away anything, it enhances.
Enhances the DGO and explain clearly to the officers what they their mandate, what they're to do.
And if they don't get that, they don't understand that, then that's a whole problem we'll deal with as we go along.
But the idea that everybody came together and did this is we're really I'm really uh proud of what you guys did.
Everybody in the community getting together.
We got all these letters, but this is a good thing.
And uh, you know, this is just to start because remember, this has got to go to meet and confer to the officers and the others and the other employees now because they're also being included about uh interpreted services.
So thank you very much.
I appreciate it.
Okay.
All right.
Vice President Benedicta.
Thank you very much, President Clay.
Uh I'd like to start by echoing what President Clay said.
I'm uh I looked over the materials from the additional three community meetings.
I would like to thank uh Chief Lew and Director Steves uh and the department for facilitating these additional meetings at the Commission's request.
I'd like to thank all the community members that showed up, both those that were uh repeat players and those that were somewhat new to the process.
I I know that can be uh as you noted, can can slow the process down, but I think uh I know you and I have worked on a number of working groups together, and I think we're always happy by the end when we have the people whose first times that are those working groups because they leave with such a better understanding of the process, and then hopefully they get to be the replay players the next time, and that's how you know eventually better policy gets made.
So I really want to acknowledge um all the stakeholders, uh, you know, uh CAA, L A N SF and all the great stakeholders for their work and the community.
Uh I think that these additional meetings were productive.
I think there were additional uh productive changes that were made to this process.
I know that L N SF informed us that there was a meeting with Chief Lou and former Chief Yep on on Tuesday what with L A N S F where 5.2 was discussed.
Is that right, Chief?
Or mu Monday or Tuesday?
It was CAA.
It was C A exactly where where 5.20 was discussed.
Is that right?
That's right.
And then um what uh could could you share a little bit about your um your your takeaways from that meeting?
Um I thought it was uh productive in the sense that I think we both you know I really started at the again, 10,000 foot view of uh how I and the department look at it and uh look at these uh DGOs in general, but this 5.20 in general and making sure that everyone understood that um you know the the the the intent and spirit of of SFPD is that we there's no nothing but support for getting language access to LEP folks.
And that's the bottom line.
I think that from the highest level, our intent uh it really is kind of in our DNA that if you listen to the radio for any amount of time, you are gonna hear SFPD officers asking for can I get a Cantee speaker?
Can I get a Spanish speaker?
All of those things.
So this is a very natural thing that we do all the time.
So I'm not a lawyer and I don't get I don't know all the, you know, I don't get into all the wordsmithing and I understand why it's such a uh big concern.
I mean, uh I myself, I'm my grandparents were were monolingual.
I used to be able to speak Cantonese, and so I I get how important that is.
But I just I I wanted to go into that meeting um and explain that whatever was out there, and I think there was maybe some sort of misunderstanding that SAPD was trying to get out of the uh the language access business, which is the further furthest thing from the truth.
It's really about balancing.
I have heard you talk about it, Commissioner, balancing operational, you know, right?
I mean, if you look at at our DGOs as a whole, that's a big thick man manual for officers to be able to um quickly be able to figure out how to do their jobs in the most efficient manner, but also respecting the wishes of the community.
So for me, it's trying to find that efficient balance.
Uh um and I think that Director Steves did uh a tremendous job in doing that, and I think that we did make a very good faith effort in in allowing for for that process to happen.
Thank you, Chief.
That that's very helpful.
I know that uh you're right, the the the need for this is so huge.
I think every ride along I've done, I've done them in the 101 and then the mission.
I think every single time at least one of the calls for service required the use uh you know require translator, and that's just the very random sample that that I've experienced.
So I can only imagine what it's like, you know, uh uh taken all the way across.
Um was that meeting Monday or was that meeting yesterday?
Do you recall?
The 31st, so yesterday.
Yesterday.
It was today's day.
It is the first time.
Yes, it was yesterday.
March 31st feels like a day that doesn't exist.
I always forget that it's a day that happens.
I always feel like it should go straight to April 1st.
Oh, but that's very helpful, Chief.
Um did CAA, as I understand, they identified a few uh in that meeting that took place yesterday, they identified a few other um targeted changes.
Um what did you understand to be the the takeaway from that meeting in terms of any additional things that the state requested?
Yeah, they they raised points that they thought that they were interested in at least consideration for change, and we walked through some of the issues that we you know and had a dialogue about those those those uh those particular issues and spoke through it.
Are those points in your uh that they identified in your opinion still under consideration for change from between yesterday and today, or have you considered them?
I think that we uh uh uh made a one of those changes was the two years.
I think we we are asking the commission to read that amendment into the record to change from three.
But in your documents, we've captured everything that was discussed at that meeting.
Um you was nice enough to send us the document.
So we have responded to it.
So if you're interested in what the responses were or the reasoning, it's in the document that's provided to the commission.
Thank you very much.
Uh thank you, Chief.
Um that's very helpful.
And and again, I think that uh a lot of progress was has been made in a relatively short amount of time, and I know it was not easy what that what the commission asked of of the uh the department of the PDD and of the community, and and I'm glad that they came together.
As as President Clay said, that's how policy gets made.
I know that uh all of our all of us on the commission received these documents on Friday at around 3 p.m., a little over uh over 100 or 200 pages uh of those documents.
I tried to look through them as best I can, particularly I think the transcripts were were of the meetings were very helpful, but also were also the most dense.
Uh I'll like I'd like to say at first that I I am supportive of the Department's amendment to to change that that training cadence after consultation with the Academy, and I am glad to see that that that that change was made.
I think that I would like more time to look through the grid more closely and ensure that uh, you know, I know we have a number of members of the community here that that that have public comment.
Um and uh I think we're very close, and I think that this is continuing to move in the right direction.
And I think I know CAA and the groups that are other things that they wanted considered, and maybe the department will consider them, or maybe they won't.
But I think you know, there's not there's nothing magic about today.
And given the the uh especially given that for a lot of members of the community, uh I am a masochist and spent the weekend reading transcripts for something that dropped on Friday.
But I know that a lot of members of the community and a lot of members of uh of the of our nonprofit partners looked, you know, saw those on Monday.
And then obviously some of them spoke to the Chief on Tuesday, and now here we are.
And so my preference would be to allow the commission to look at the over 200 pages of documents we received, or just shy of 200 pages documents we received, to allow the community to look at the over 200 page documents that were published, uh so that we're making sure that we're getting this right because of how important uh L A N SF uh and language access is because of how important it is to our patrol officers uh that we get this right.
Uh and uh I want this uh work to I I want the CGO finalized uh and I want to be able to look over all these materials as well.
And so that's that's what I am right now.
And that concludes my question.
Thank you.
Commissioner Techie.
Thank you, President Clay.
I have to applaud uh Asha, you've done a great job of putting everything together.
I really like the detailed notes because as um Vice President Benedict said, it was a lot to go through, but I've been monitoring it for quite some time, so it was not that difficult for me to go through it.
And I've been reaching out to a few people to, including officers also.
Um I actually went down to the station, ten law station, just to experience, even though I do in my in my day job, I do help we in my program that I oversee, we do help a lot of uh tenants to basically file police reports and things like that, mostly monolingual uh folks.
And we because of our relationship with the station and station knowing who we are, it's been much more easier to do the language access.
But I wanted to see for myself what signages posted in the station, and also just randomly pull an officer and uh and talk and see what the what kind of um equipment they have or what kind of access they have immediately.
And I was pretty happy to see that um they do respect and they do want to provide and do the right things, which was helpful for me today when I did that.
So but I had a couple of um I'm glad that there is an amendment for two years because that was one of my um one that I would suggest that uh we need to do.
Um the other one is the um uh basically definition of exigence circumstances.
Um there is a mention of it prior, and then there is a detail what it means.
Uh I'm trying to be trying my best to show where it is.
But I see that in a page four of page 11 um C, Section C, it says um unless there is an extent circumstances, but it doesn't explain what it is.
But of course, um further on it explains what it is.
But I would I would I personally think it would be helpful to have uh I know we don't want too many words, we don't want it to be like 15 pages, but I think it is important for uh if an officer is looking through it to immediately understand what it is rather than oh, let me see if it is explains what it is later.
Sure.
So the exigent circumstances actually defined in DGO 302 terms and definitions.
And that is the controlling document for all definitions and terms uh uh for this department.
So any DGO that is approved after 302's effective date, which was I believe in March.
Um so now it is effective.
Any DGO approved after that, instead of having duplication of the um definitions, that's the controlling document.
So the exigent circumstance lives in 302.
This is just the protocols of what to do during that exigen.
And also because edge and circumstances applies, it's not unique to LEPE.
It's across the board, right?
So uh we chose not to put the definition here because that's it's in a different DGO.
Um the other other thing that I had was regarding signage.
Um I know that the signage also says OC as no right brochure and things like that.
I just wanted to understand when I went to the station, I saw only one big signage about uh this is the language access you have, and these are the different languages.
I mean, there's a big sign right there, you can see it.
But I did not see anything.
I did not look for it, but I did not see like looking through it as to if there were any know your rights brochure, because as a person who is monolingual, going walking into the station itself is very challenging.
And then once you walk in, um it would be good to know without me l asking, okay, what are my rights kind of thing?
So I don't know if that is there and that was not posted or what what would that was about?
So my understanding is the language access ordinance itself outlines this requirement and it's OCA's brochure.
I'm I believe we have members from OCO that are present today.
Um but that's why we put in the policy uh when it's available, because it's not we don't have control over the documents.
It's an OCA document.
So when it is available, it should be in the stations.
I am I'm sorry because uh Lorena is out today.
That's a real question for Lorena to answer on whether it has been distributed to the department and uh put in the stations.
One other question I had was how do is it the um who I know the captain of the station basically make sure everything is running good and every postage, everything that needs to be posted is posted and things like that.
But who monitors it like that would be the language access liaison?
In terms of the go on a regular basis unannounced to see what things are they go to stations and do audits uh just to review whether the signage is there, uh whether they need new flyers.
Uh so that is that particular position's function.
Okay.
Thank you.
Commissioner Leon.
Thank you, President Clay.
Yeah, just going back to something that uh Commissioner Tucky just asked.
I think there is a controlling definition under 3.02.
Likewise, I think it makes sense to refer to to establish laws and and rules like the admin code 91 rather than recite them again or create an entirely new series of of criteria.
And I think um while I appreciate the passions on both sides of the issue, I think this has been lagging for around two years now, and I think it's probably time to move on.
Uh just before you move on, so you are considering the two-year correction.
Okay, thank you so much.
That's what they said.
Is there a motion?
Yes, I'd like to move first of all, should in order to amend the uh section 5.20 5.20.07.
Do we have to to move to amend and vote on that?
No, I think we can make a single motion to I'd like to move that we advance the proposed DGO 5.20 with the amendment from uh from the training from three years to the two years as described by Director Steve's to the two years from the three years as written.
That's a motion.
And a second.
Second.
I'll second.
All right.
So if any member of the public would like to make public comment regarding line item nine, please approach the podium.
And if anybody wanting to make public comment, can please line up over on this side of the room and one at a time approach the podium.
Hello, President Clay, and thank you uh to the commission for having uh this conversation with um with SFPD and inviting us back to the table.
And I think these two months have been really fruitful.
Uh we can see some of our suggestions have made it into the drafts, including the uh uh keeping the trainings at every two years and not backsliding to every three, and we really want to maintain the essence of the 2007 DGO, which is President Clay has mentioned is the gold standard.
It's really good.
And so I think part of the issue for community coming in in February was that whole swathes of it got cut out.
And we interpreted that cutting out as SFPD is trying to roll back language access.
I understand now that brevity is um a goal of SFPD to make these uh policies clearer.
I would just urge you to not swing too far in the other direction.
And there are uh terms, for instance, in the uh purpose and policy that have been removed that I think could still really be helpful and would not confuse officers just by making it longer.
It is important to talk about on the flip side, not only why language access is good, but why not providing it is harmful.
It impedes investigations, it jeopardizes safety.
And so I don't understand why that sentence cannot be added into the purpose, for instance.
Similarly, in policy, it there's a reference to uh our city code to uh the LAO, but also their state and federal laws.
And I would also urge you to think about some of the should language in there.
Should is best practice, but we are trying to create policies that holds officers accountable and sets the standard and makes it very clear.
And so they removed some of the SHA language and made it should, and I urge you to think um and maintain the accountability that was the the core essence of the 2000s version, 2007 version of the DGO.
Thank you so much.
Good evening, President Clay and Commissioners.
My name is Janice Lee, and I'm with a coalition for community safety and justice.
The four organizations that make up CCSJ are Chinese for Affirmative Action, Chinatown CDC, China uh Chinese for uh Chinese Progressive Association and CYC.
I attended all three community meetings and really want to thank SFPD for creating the space to engage with community members and city staff who work directly with and provide direct services to LEP folks.
I also deeply appreciate the direction given by this commission at your February 4th meeting, which was that it was worth it to take our time and get it right.
So I'm here today to repeat that message.
Let's take the time to get this right.
The latest draft of the DGO was only shared on Monday with uh the folks who participate in the community meetings, and the community was only able to share feedback with SFPD yesterday, as you had heard.
Um and we're still pouring over the many, many pages of documents that have come out.
We've deeply appreciated the department's openness.
As you've said, language access is in the DNA of this department.
Um close.
This is not an indefinite delay.
Having attended the meetings, I know that we're really close with the language, but as Annie just mentioned, there are things you know that are in there where we think that there's room for improvement, such as um the term being used preferred language, it isn't defined, so perhaps you know, exigent circumstances is elsewhere, but preferred language is not.
Perhaps we should be using primary language instead, which is defined.
There are also areas where we'd like to see a language strengthened from should to shall, or perhaps shall if feasible, which I think gives you enough room to as adjudicators as uh commissioners.
Um so let's make sure we hammer out the final version so that you as commissioners also have time to review the finalized language.
You have seen so many pages of documentation as um vice uh president Benedict has mentioned.
So I urge the commission to delay voting on this DGO tonight to give SFPD and the community time to work out these few outstanding requests um to reprove uh to improve the uh I'm gonna interpret for the community member who is uh can only speaking um because you know we got a notice too late and then we couldn't make the intervention request to this commission.
So sorry.
You go some seeking how go you informing the funding, but took little we ying handle, don't ging well my yingman the yao hang a yan.
Ting to ka hung asiau leung y to sing no mumbo, chulei, tma pioge tenga lugatong.
King ta you go yal ting koka fan line, to lang sick to my hipso yingman and the yaw hang a yan.
Coming sing it uh say quick man.
Sang Taquo, to my Seiko Yao Sikan.
Kai could be saykoya you cow Tungi Taiku Tao Ming To Ma King Lap Yi Ma say Kugoson Yang.
Yokay I'm tinging it on gang tattooing pont I see can the face young.
Thank you.
Hello, Commissioner.
My name is Annie Jang.
San Francisco is a diverse city with approximately 20% of the residents speaking a primary language other than English.
If the San Francisco Police Department doesn't provide language access services, that's no way to truly protect and serve everyone.
Does not only violate the police station's commission of respecting everyone and providing fair transfer and immediate law enforcement, but also harms the safety of the community.
Language access services are very important for public safety.
If San Francisco Police Department is inadequately trained in language services, it affects public safety throughout the city.
When police are unable to communicate clearly with people with limited English skills, it's it's easy to create misunderstanding, delay handling, and even unnecessary increased conflict.
With the right training, police can identify and assist people with our EP limited English proficient in order to obtain correct information and avoid danger, and also protect community residents and the police themselves.
We urge tonight the Commission to delay the voting on this DGO tonight to give SAPD and the community more time to work out these outstanding requests that would improve clarity and build trust with the immigrant community in the city, especially given the current your confection and confusion between the local police and federal law enforcement, including the ICE.
Thank you.
But we do, because we have already taken so much time.
Let's just take a little more time to get it all the way there.
We're very close.
And so we just ask for a delay of the vote so that we can get to that finish line because the difference between a shall and a should may seem small.
It's only a few letters difference, but it makes a huge difference in practice.
And so things of this nature, we would just want to make sure that we get it right and have the time to um talk those things through.
So just ask for a delay on the vote.
I also just want to use the rest of my time to share that because there was confusion about whether or not this topic would be discussed tonight.
We did not have time to request language access, and so the speakers following me are actually monolingual Spanish speakers, and there is no interpreter for them tonight.
But since we know the SFPD is committed to language access, we hope that you will be able to get their comments interpret translated on the back end to ensure that you can hear fully what they're saying.
So thank you.
especificamente in la 17 y Valencia and no los han dado eso uh los han tenido una hora para poder dar la interpretación feliz noche my nombre is Laura de Mujeres Unidas y Activos linguistico dedicamos el tiempo necessario para hacerlo bien general the departamento se compartió recent el lunes y la community solo put enviar sus comentarios al departamento de policía de San Francisco ayer no appreciure mos esto cuando el SFPD ya ha tomado in quente algunas de nuestras sugerencias y estamos avanzando juntos y espero nos den una respuesta positiva gracias my name is Alma Santana también soy member of Mujeres Unidas y Activas y bueno primero quiero agradecer uh brindar el departamento uh uh departamental San Francisco y a la communidad la opportunidad de reunirnos for los ultimos those meses uh segundo quisiera incitar a la commission a que proponga la uh uh postponga la votación sobre esta ordine general del departamento de esta noche para dar uh tempo al departamento de policía de San Francisco y a la communidad para resolver esta solicitudes pendientes al mismo tiempo uh quisiera compartir que es un poco frustrante no saber uh de qué estamos hablando como in este momento possiblemente no me están entendiendo uh la major parte de lo que estoy diciendo nosotros no entendimos mucho de lo que passot uh durante esta tarde uh nosotros nos sentimos disconnectados porque no podemos entender uh lo que estamos hablando imaginemos si is in una emergencia si es que estamos con miedo entonces pedimos forzando para que nosotros ciudadanos podamos confiar andos y podamos ser uh attendedos lo mejor in nuestra propia lengua gracias buenas noches and that is the end of public comments we have for motion a second for the comment yeah I was asking for the comments okay Commissioner Benedict President Clay thank you to all the members of the public for commenting I I think for me the public comment was was incredibly powerful as it was last time I just want to point out that when we heard this matter in February it was placed on the 10 day calendar and so there was a lot of time for members of the public to be aware and for for different organizations to prepare.
I know President Clay and Sergeant Youngblood when this was here in February worked very closely to ensure that there were interpreters I'd like to note that and then we had over 40 people show up here to express their views and this that this commission listened to I'd also like to note that at that time that San Francisco's own language access ordinance requires 48 hours to request for interpreters and we we had Miss Jung who spoke and then the the model folks who spoke unless you check the commission website uh very regularly like some of us do you you might not even have known about this in order to have gotten the 48 hours to appear here and so I I think for me what we saw from the comments that we did have and again thank you for the people who came is all the more reason that it would be premature to vote on this today and I want to be clear if if to to my fellow commissioners I think the policy has made great strides.
I'm very happy with the progress made I was very happy to hear uh CCSF expressed that there were there was progress made and how close they are I'm I uh I was speaking to director Steve's before this uh before the meeting and I expressed to her how pleased I was the progress has has been made and so my vote to not advance the motion today I want to call it a happy no it's not a no that we shouldn't pass this.
It's a note that tonight we should allow for you know how many community voices didn't know this was happening today or couldn't get access to translation Commissioner Chaki had some questions about translations that she asked director Steve you know there's just uh I I I just feel like there's a lot that there's you know we're we're so close to the finish line I I don't want to uh and I I just want to share that and to thank the community for coming here today.
First of all ladies and gentlemen we're not close to the finish line.
Remember this this goes whatever happens tonight one way or the other this still has to go through a process with meet and confer with the peace offic the police officer association as well as now the the other uh non-police officer employees so you come back here this gets whatever gets submitted has to go to them they have to talk about it they'll come back to us and then we'll come back again there's this and you will be back here again but the idea this was not just put on this calendar everybody knew this was coming up this was extended remember there was supposed to be a vote last month and I said to the to our our our members here we were going to give you thirty days or whatever we could to get this done and we did it.
And I said to the to our our our members here, we were going to give you 30 days or whatever we could to get this done, and we did it.
We didn't we didn't just do it that day.
We could have did it that day.
But no, we didn't think it was the best interest.
We wanted to get the community involved more.
And it was set up this way.
Remember, you don't have to have the community engagement and these this 3.01.
And they did it.
This is the second way.
And they started that.
And two years ago they started it.
And people who have been on it who started who are from the community have sent letters and saying, you know, I work really hard on this, and why is this continue to do this?
We understand this is important.
We're not taking away anything away from anyone.
We're trying to enhance and make sure these officers provide the services in the best way they can when they come in and they see they got to do it.
They have to do it.
That's the tradition of San Francisco.
The idea that it's going to be perfected with the language here, a shell there, that may come up because it may come back, and they may be that issue of that should be changed because there are going to be other parties involved.
But today, today is the day to move forward, just like we had to move forward in redistricting.
You just can't sit on every time, every time you could have someone to say this.
And there's nothing perfect.
There is absolutely nothing perfect.
But we got to start.
And today is a day to start.
I vote for it.
I want to move this forward because I want to get to the point that this is going to be a DGO.
But I'm just one.
This is the whole commission.
To the extent there's a motion, whatever happens, happens.
But understand, we didn't just put this on and nobody knew.
That's not true.
That is absolutely not true.
So to the extent, and I really welcome the idea that people in the community had interpreters, had come forth, had people here.
I don't get to control that.
I don't know what Sergeant, our sergeant did Youngblood at before, but we know we put this on calendar way before Wednesday.
It's last week.
So everybody saw it.
It was on the calendar.
It was not missing.
It was not, it just got put there.
So it's been on way before that.
So to that extent, those are my comments too.
So that being said, uh, Commissioner Scott.
Yes, I just wanted to add to you, uh Vice President Clay and um I mean President Clay and Vice President Benedicto of the urgency and how important this is for um us to move forward on it, and that we are moving forward on it.
However, I as we just got this Friday.
And so I I still want to go over some more items that I saw, and I want to make sure that the community at large is uh aware of it.
Um especially as I said um the trian and the Ethiopian community and my community who definitely wants um to be part of this.
Um I feel that right now I'm not ready to vote on it, but uh I support it 100 percent.
Um but I just feel like we definitely need more uh time before making that decision tonight.
The work has been done, um, it's powerful, it's um not only gonna be good, it's gonna be good for both sides, the police and the community at large.
But we want everybody to understand this language and and that is an inclusive piece for everybody.
It's gonna help.
This is gonna help.
As one of my itrion neighbors said, when he saw something, he didn't know what to do.
He didn't know who to how to because he couldn't speak the language.
Okay.
So this is huge, and it's gonna help.
It's gonna help us in the long run, and I'm so proud that it is happening here in our city, because other cities are gonna take a good look at this and say we want to do the same thing, because it's gonna help solve crime, it's gonna help, you know, law enforcement, it's gonna help our communities to be safer, and it's gonna help more people to be here to and to be able to engage.
So, yeah, that's is what I want to say that please don't take this as a no.
This is something that I feel is very strong, very important.
Language to me is key.
Understanding is key.
It's key in every community when it comes to law enforcement and the safety of our community, and as well as learn knowing how to report something.
That is very crucial.
So thank you.
On the motion, Commissioner Techie, how do you vote?
Yes.
Commissioner Techie is yes.
Commissioner Scott.
Commissioner Scott, your your vote.
Yes.
Yes.
Commissioner Scott is yes.
Commissioner Liang.
Commissioner Liang is yes.
Commissioner Yi.
Yes.
Commissioner Yi is yes.
Vice President Benedicto?
No.
Vice President Benedict is no, and President Clay.
Yes.
President Clay is yes, you have five yeses.
Line item 10.
Yes.
Commissioner Ye is yes.
Commissioner Vice President Benedict.
Yes.
President Clay is yes.
We have six yeses.
SF Gov TV.
San Francisco government television.
So the little lifting it.
So the little clips in it.
Are we still are we out yet?
Oh, here we are.
San Francisco administrative code section sixty-seven point one two Action.
But I'll I'll move to not disclose anything in item twelve, which was close session.
Yes.
Commissioner Techy is yes, Commissioner Scott.
Yes.
Commissioner Scott is yes, Commissioner Leon.
Yes.
Commissioner Young is yes.
Commissioner Ye?
Yes.
Commissioner Yee is yes.
Vice President Benedict?
Vice President Benedict was yes, and President Clay.
San Francisco Police Commission Meeting - April 1, 2026
On April 1, 2026, the San Francisco Police Commission convened at approximately 1:45 PM to discuss crime trends, departmental reports, and language access policies. The meeting included a consent calendar, the Chief’s report on weekly crime statistics and a notable SFO incident, an update from the Department of Police Accountability (DPA), a presentation on the 2025 Limited English Proficiency (LEP) annual report, and a vote on revised Department General Order (DGO) 5.20 regarding language access services.
Consent Calendar
- Line Item 3: Unanimously approved to receive and file the Safe Streets for All fourth quarter 2025 update and the Police Commission report of disciplinary actions for the first quarter of 2026.
- Line Item 4: Unanimously adopted minutes from the meetings of February 4 and 11, 2026.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Marlene Tran (community advocate): Expressed strong support for the LEP pilot program (language proficiency pins for officers), noting her 30-year advocacy for language access and appreciation that the sheriff’s department had adopted a similar idea.
- Annie Jiang (Coalition for Community Safety and Justice): Urged the commission to delay the vote on DGO 5.20, arguing that the latest draft was shared only on March 30 and that more time was needed to address concerns such as undefined terms (e.g., “preferred language”) and weak language (“should” vs. “shall”).
- Janice Lee (Chinese for Affirmative Action): Asked for a postponement to refine outstanding requests, stating that “should” versus “shall” makes a huge practical difference and that the community and SFPD are very close to a final version.
- Laura (Mujeres Unidas y Activas, Spanish speaker through interpreter): Emphasized the need for proper language access services, noting that without translation the community feels disconnected and unable to trust police during emergencies.
- Alma Santana (Mujeres Unidas y Activas, Spanish speaker): Requested a delay in voting so that the community and SFPD can resolve pending language access issues, highlighting the frustration of not understanding proceedings due to lack of interpretation.
Discussion Items
- Chief’s Report (Line Item 5): Chief Liu reported overall Part I crimes down 28% year-to-date compared to 2025. Violent crimes decreased 19%, but homicides rose to 14 (compared to 4 in 2025) with 13 closed by arrest. Gun violence (people injured or killed by firearm) increased 18%. The Chief detailed four recent homicides, an attempted Bay Bridge takeover (85 bikes seized, 85 citations), a bomb threat at SFO, and a large peaceful rally. He also addressed a March 22 SFO incident involving ICE, clarifying that SFPD had no pre-coordination with ICE and that officers responded only for public safety, while reiterating the department’s commitment to immigrant communities and state/city sanctuary policies.
- DPA Director’s Report (Line Item 6): Executive Director Henderson noted a recent collaborative meeting with SFPD, a spike in cases related to the SFO incident, and statistics: since March 18, 85 new cases opened and 99 closed (196 open investigations). Complaint volume is 16% higher than the same period last year. Eight cases have exceeded 270 days, and 48 sustained internal cases remain pending with the department.
- Commission Reports (Line Item 7): Commissioner Yi reported on a Chinatown community meeting about traffic safety after a fatal accident and a stabbing; Commissioner Scott announced Crime Victims United Month events on April 19–20.
- LEP Annual Report (Line Item 8): A presentation covering 2025 language access statistics: 468 certified bilingual members (573 total), over 36 languages represented, 4,840 calls for service requiring interpretation, and 13,000 total interpretations. A six-month pilot program for LEP identity pins will launch at five stations (Central, Mission, Ingleside, Bayview, Richmond). Vietnamese was newly declared a core language, requiring document translations by June 23, 2026.
- DGO 5.20 Language Access Services (Line Item 9): Director Steves reported on three community listening sessions (Feb 26, Mar 12, Mar 24) held after the commission’s February resolution. Based on feedback, the department proposed revisions including: adding Vietnamese as a required language, clarifying restrictions on using family/children as interpreters in criminal incidents, expanding training to all public-facing employees, and moving from a “periodic” to a “two-year” training cycle (amended from three years). The department recommended approval with this amendment.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar and minutes were approved unanimously (6–0).
- DGO 5.20 was approved with a motion to advance the proposed revision, including an amendment to require language access training every two years instead of three. The motion passed 5–1 (Commissioner Benedicto voted against, citing the need for more time to review community input). The DGO will now proceed to the required “meet and confer” process with affected bargaining units (POA, SEIU, Local 21, MEA) before final adoption.
- The commission acknowledged the extensive community engagement and directed the department to continue refining language access policies through future working groups.
Meeting Transcript
President Clay, like to take roll? Yes. Commissioner Techy. Commissioner Scott is in route. Commissioner Leong. Here. Commissioner Yi. Here. Commissioner Lyas is accused. Excused. Vice President Benedict. Here. President Clay, you have a quorum. Also with us tonight are Derek Lou, San Francisco Police Department Chief, as well as Paul Henderson, Executive Director of the Department of Police Accountability. All right. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here for our April 1st Commission meeting. At this time, we're going to start our agenda. Sergeant? All right, one housekeeping item. We are removing line item one for tonight's agenda. We are going to go on line item two, 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 nor 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 on either of the following ways. Email the Secretary of the Police Commission at SFPD.commission at SFGov.org or written comments 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. Line item three, consent calendar, receive and file, action. Safe streets for all, fourth quarter 2025 update, and police commission report of disciplinary actions first quarter 2026. Alright, is there a motion? Move to receive and file the safe streets for all fourth quarter report and the police commission report on disciplinary actions for the first quarter of 2026. Second. If any member of the public would like to make public comment regarding line item three, please approach the podium. I object. There is no public comment. On the motion, Commissioner Techie, how do you vote? Yes. Commissioner Techie is yes. Commissioner Scott? Yes. Commissioner Scott is yes. Commissioner Leong? Yes. Commissioner Leung is yes. Commissioner Yi? Yes. Commissioner Yi is yes. Vice President Benedicto? Yes.
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