This meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors was held on Thursday, July 9, 2026, chaired by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, with Vice Chair Danny Sauter and Supervisor Alan Wong. The committee addressed eight agenda items, including fireworks penalties, code cleanup, speed cameras, liquor licenses, and drug-free supportive housing. Public comment was limited to one minute per speaker due to the full agenda.
Good morning, everyone. This meeting will come to order. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for Thursday, July 9th, 2026. I'm Supervisor Matt Dorsey, chair of this committee. I'm joined today by fellow committee members, Vice Chair Danny Sutter and Supervisor Alan Wong. We are grateful for our ever capable clerk today, Ms. Monique Creighton, whom we thank in advance for staffing us and keeping us on track. As well, we're appreciative to the entire team at SFGov TV for facilitating and broadcasting today's meeting, and that's especially true for James, Mr. James Kawana, who will be serving as our producer today. Madam Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes, please make sure to silence all cell phones and electronic devices. Documents to be included as part of the file should be submitted to the clerk. Public comment will be taken on each item on this agenda. When your item of interest comes up and public comment is called, please line up to speak on your right. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing in either of the following ways. First, you may email them to myself, the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Clerk at M O N I Q U E. C-R-A-Y-T-O-N at SFGOV.org. Or you may send your written comments via US Postal Service to our office in City Hall. Number one, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlit Place, Room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. If you submit public comment in writing, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and also included as part of the official file in which you are commenting. Finally, items acted the pun today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda of July 21st, 2026, unless otherwise stated. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Today I will be calling some agenda items slightly out of order to be mindful of departmental staff who are giving presentations and members of the public who are attending to give public comment. The order I will call today's agenda items is as follows. It'll be three, four, five, two, six, seven, eight, and one. Because we have a full agenda today and with a couple of items that hold significant public interest, we will be limiting public comment today to one minute per person. However, we always welcome and carefully review written commentary, which is submitted into the public record and has no limit on length or content. Madam Clerk, will you please call item number three? Yes, item number three is an ordinance submitting the police code to provide penalties for the prohibited discharge of fireworks, including that a first offense is punishable as an infraction with a fine not less than a hundred and twenty-five dollars or more than two hundred and fifty dollars. And a second and at in any subsequent offenses within five years of a prior offense are punishable as misdemeanors with a fine not less than two hundred and fifty dollars or more than seven hundred and fifty dollars, or imprisonment in the county jail of not more than six months or by both such fine and imprisonment. Thank you, madam clerk. This is a particularly timely item that was introduced by Supervisor Wong given 4th of July just last week. Um illegal fireworks tend to surge during summer months, particularly around July. They are dangerous, disruptive. Um, best left to train professionals and uh bedevil both of my dogs. I understand we have uh staff from several departments here to speak to this this morning. And with that, uh, Supervisor Wong, the floor is yours. Colleagues, this legislation comes before us just days after the 4th of July when San Francisco once again saw the real public safety impacts of legal of illegal fireworks. This year, those impacts were not abstract. Emergency departments and first responders saw a sharp increase in serious injuries over the hall day weekend. At General Hospital, doctors reported devastating trauma, including four people who lost eyes and five people who lost hands. Medical incidents on July 4th and 5th were also reported to be about double the number seen during the same period last year. Our firefighters also face significant strain. The fire department reported roughly 576 calls in a 24-hour period, almost 200 more calls than usual, and two house fires on the 4th of July due to fireworks activity. That is why this ordinance is necessary. Illegal fireworks are not just a seasonal nuisance. They are a recurring public safety and quality of life problem. They can cause injuries, start fires, damage property, and place additional strain on firefighters, police officers, park rangers, emergency medical workers, and other first responders.