Transcripts For SFGTV Police Commission 20240712 : vimarsana

We have a quorum. Vice president taylor thank you. In the last few weeks, we watched the barbaric murder of george floyd by vile, racist Police Officers. We watched Ahmaud Arbery get gunned down by white spr supremacists. Study after study shows that white people and black people are not only more likely to commit crimes, they think that we feel less pain. We have a less nuanced feeling, and less worthy of protection, so we often have to fend for ourselves. Racism is definitely a police problem, one that is as old as our entire nation, but lets be clear no ones off the hook. Racism is an america problem. Trayvon martin, Ahmaud Arbery were killed by citizens. The overwhelming number of hate crimes are committed by ordinary citizens. Every Single Member of this commission is committed to rooting out bias in this Police Department, and after seeing the murder in minneapolis, after seeing the recent video circulating of what appears to be neck restraints used here in San Francisco in january, i have questions that are more urgent than ever, and im sure my fellow commissioners do, too, as well as the public. But before we get into the chiefs report and those questions, i want to talk about where we are in the reform initiatives because some of what ive heard circulating is just not correct. To date, sfpd has substantially completed 61 out of 272 d. O. J. Recommendations, not 40. Now 61 is a drop in fact bucket of what needs to happen, but the 61 completed recommendations are all in the use of force training, Police Accountability, and policing. Theres a reason that the obama administration, the u. S. Department of justice made their recommendations at the end of 2016 is because San Francisco Police Department asked for this audit and this report. Sfpd has been on the forefront of recognizing the need for change in Police Reform. Some because of sfpd, some because of outside agencies that are required to be a part of the process, some because of the police unions, and frankly some barriers because of california d. O. J. Itself, who took over when trump decided or after he became president and decided that Police Reform didnt matter. Since the d. O. J. Made those recommendations in 2016, the Police Commission has completely overhauled a number of sfpd policies, including the use of force policies which expressly banned kneetoneck restraints and has since november 2016. So for those of you that have questions about that, kneetoneck restraints are not permitted in our useofforce policies. The sfpd has also overhauled a number of other areas, including bias policing, which includes bias by proxy because we all know part of the problem is people calling the police on black people. It includes discrimination and harassment within the department. We overhauled that policy, as well. The commission created a discipline matrix, a policy governing disciplining officers. The policy governing how citizens file complaints against officers, a policy making sure that the public has access to Police Reports, the policy refusing to enforce federal immigration laws in San Francisco, requiring officers to wear Body Worn Cameras, and the policy around Police Interaction with transgender, gender variant, and nonbinary individuals. And as many of you know, black transgender youth are often disproportionate victims of violence. And were keeping track on the pace of reforms, from asking the police to do a few more things. One, id like you to report monthly to the commission and to the public on the pace of their reforms. I would also like the chief to institute bias testing within the department. Now i know theres already implicit bias testing, but im asking for testing at the initial stages so we can weed them out of the department and then later on in the department. San francisco needs to pave a way that assures its free of bias, with a feeling of empathy and respect to the communities it deserves. At the end of this meeting, i will ask for a motion to adjourn in memory of george floyd and all those who have lost their lives because of racial injustice. I hope that what has happened recently will cause a reckoning that reverberates throughout this country because we cannot waste this moment. Thank you. Now to the members of the public who wish to make Public Comment tonight on items on the agenda, the phone number is 8882733658. The access code is 3107452, and id ask that you make sure that youre in a quiet location so that we can hear you and the public can hear you, as well. For the members of the commission and any presenters tonight, if you havent already done so, please mute yourselves to minimize background noise and, of course, unmute yourself before you speak. If you wish to be heard, please type your name or whatever emoji you wish into the chat box, and i will be sure to call on you and to recognize you. Thank you. Sergeant youngblood . Thank you, commissioner. For members of the public, this meeting is being televised by sfgovtv. If youre interested in making a Public Comment, please be sure to call in at the time the item is read. The at the appropriate time, the chair will ask for the phone lines to be opened. If you wish to comment on a particular item, you will be prompted to press one skb then zero. The prompter will say the callers are entering questionandanswer, but this is actually the Public Comment period. You will be queued up in the order you press one and then zero. There will be an automated voice telling you its time to speak. I will start the two minutes when you begin speaking. When your time is up, i will say thank you, next caller, please. At that point, the moderator will put you back onto mute. The number to call in is on the screen. Members of the public can also email members of the commission at policecommission sf. Org. Vice president taylor thank you. Now we have a full agenda and a lot to discuss tonight, so lets get to it. Im going to give two minutes for Public Comment because i anticipate a lot of comments. First item, please. Adoption of the minutes for the meeting of may 25, 2020, and we just need a motion and a seco second. Commissioner hamasaki im sorry. So let me where is my friend . There he is. Vice president taylor commissioner hamasaki . Commissioner hamasaki thank you, commissioner taylor. In reviewing the february 5, 2020 meeting, i have an amendment. The under item lets see. Reports, commission d, commission announcements and scheduling of items announced for consideration at future meetings, it says commissioner hamasaki asked about the gang database. That was also the same meeting that i introduced the initiative regarding mug shots, and thats not in the minutes, so id like to amend those minutes to include that. Otherwise, with that amendment, i would move to adopt. Vice president Taylor Sergeant youngblood, i confess i dont know enough about the minutes and what gets included and what doesnt, so i dont have a strong feeling one way or the other. Perhaps you can tell us. Okay. We can make that amendment, and then, if you want to make a motion, then well pass and make the amendments. Vice president taylor does anyone have any questions. Commissioner elias i think commissioner hamasaki make the motion, so it just needs a second. Vice president taylor okay. Clerk okay. So i need to do a roll call vote, commissioner. For line item 1, and the approval of minutes [roll call] clerk commissioner taylor, you have five yeses. Vice president taylor okay. Clerk okay. So line item 2, consent calendar, receive and file action. Approval to accept gift of 80 from members of the community to be donated to the Police Activities league. Approval to accept donation of 70 to 80 cases of water from hint company to the San Francisco Police Department for use during the covid19 pandemic. Valued at approximately 8 840 o 1440. Approval to accept donation of 1,000 surgical masks from the fibrogen corporation for officers to utilize during the covid19 pandemic. Values at approximately 1,715. Vice president taylor mr. Clerk, i presume theres no presentation on these items . Clerk thats correct. Vice president taylor so i need a motion. Commissioner elias ill second. Vice president taylor can you call roll for the vote . Clerk before we vote, commissioner, we need to take Public Comment. Vice president taylor thats right. Clerk moderator, are there any Public Comments online item number 2 . Operator not now. Clerk okay. Roll call vote for line item 2 and accepting the donations [roll call] clerk you have five yeses. Vice president taylor okay. Next line item, please. Next line item, 3, reports to the commission, discussion. 3a, chiefs report, weekly crime trends, provide an overview of offenses occurring in San Francisco, significant incidents. Chiefs report may be limited to a brief report of the significant incidents. Commission discussion will be limited to determining whether to calendar any of the incidents the chief describes to a future Commission Meeting. Major events, provide a summary of plans activities and events occurring since the previous meeting. This will include a brief overview of any unplanned events or activities occurring in San Francisco having an impact on Public Safety. Commission discussion on unplanned events and activities the chief describes will be limited to determining whether to calendar for a future meeting. Commission inquiries, provide a brief follow up to inquiries made by commissioners during previous meetings to include sb 1421 requests. Presentation of the audit of electronic communication devices for bias, First Quarter 2020, presentation of the family code 6228 quarterly record, january 1, 2020 through march 31, 2020 and presentation of the racial and identity profile Advisory Board 2019 annual report and the Fourth Quarter 2019 and First Quarter 2020 reports in compliance with administrative code chapter 96a. Vice president taylor chief, i think youre on mute. Good evening, Vice President taylor, and commissioners. Id like to begin by commenting on a video that was posted on social media of San Francisco Police Officers arresting an individual on atoll circle. Given whats going on in our country right now over the death of mr. Floyd mr. George floyd, we at San Francisco Police Department are committed to a thorough investigation of the incident. Secondly, full transparency with the public, and thirdly, a review of our policies and procedures to determine what gaps exist and so we can immediately address those gaps in our training and our procedures and arrest and control protocols. I want to say a little bit about the incident in a Public Statement that ive already issued, but i want to make it known to the Police Commission and the public what weve done up to this point and the Public Statement that ive issued on this. On may 29, 2020, the San Francisco Police Department became aware of a video clip posted on social media that recorded a portion of a january 25, 2020 arrest of a man by San Francisco Police Department officers on atoll circle. The video on instagram and facebook depicts four officers taking an individual into custody for making criminal threats against the same and for threatening a peace officer. Several comments noted the similarity of a hold by a female officer to minneapolis officers that resulted in the death of mr. George floyd on may 25, 2020. I immediately ordered a review of the social media video and the Body Worn Camera video. The San Francisco Police Department internal Affairs Division is conducting that investigation. Our San Francisco Police Department Training Division is also conducting a review of the prone handcuffing techniques to determine if any changes or updates to training are warranted. In addition, i immediately contacted the executive director of our San Francisco department of Police Accountability and asked for an independent investigation by d. P. A. Of the arrests and the incident depicted in the video. The arrest the bodyworn camera footage of that video had been posted on our San Francisco Police Department website, at least the portion that came to the arrest, and they have been released publicly. In addition to the transparency, there are a few things that are ongoing. As commissioner Vice President taylor stated, our Current Department general order, 5. 01 prohibits the use of a carotid hold or neck restraint hold. We intend to immediately draft clarifying language that also clarifies [inaudible] im sorry . That also clarifies that pressure to the neck that controls is also prohibited. That will come by way of a bulletin that will come to the Police Department for approval as that bulletin will amend general order 5. 01. As far as transparencies, our goal is to maximize accountability through transparency. Ive also, as i said, directed our Media Relations unit to post all five videos from the officers involveds Body Worn Camera footage, and weve done that. We also posted the Instagram Video on our website, as well, so the public has a full perspective of all the camera angles that we have in our possession. As the commission knows and the public may not know, this investigation is active and ongoing. I cannot make a determination at this time as to what how this investigation will conclude, but i want to assure the public that our investigation will be thorough and that the independent investigation of the department of Police Accountability also adds another layer of accountability. Id like to also ask the public of anyone wishing to report information or evidence regarding this incident, they may call the San Francisco Police Department tip line at 4155754444 or text a tip to tip411 and begin the text message with sfpd. You may remain anonymous. Anyone listening here tonight in our audience who wishes to contact and report information to the department of Police Accountability, you may call 4152417711 between the hours of 8 00 a. M. And 5 00 p. M. , monday through friday, and you may also file d. P. A. Complaints online at https sfgov. Org dpa . That information is also posted on the San Francisco d. P. A. Website. And again, id like to tell the public, the San Francisco Police Department is concerned and very committed to transparency, so accountability, and that accountability goes to me as the chief of police. We have an independent Police Commission for that purpose that is a civilian oversight body. Our system is such that theres several layers of accountability, and we want the public to have confidence that those layers of accountability are effective and they work for the people of the city and county of San Francisco. Next, i will move onto weekly crime trends, and then, ill im sorry . Vice president taylor before you move onto weekly crime trends, i think theres a couple of commissioners with questions. Commissioner dejesus, did you have a question about the chiefs report . I think youre muted. I think youre still muted. Commissioner dejesus okay. How about now . Vice president taylor yes. I can hear you. Commissioner dejesus the little mute button keeps disappearing, and i cant find it. I want to thank you, chief, for your statements, but i had a couple of questions on the d. G. O. Use of force. One of the things that we deleted and took out was the carotid chokehold. There is a section in there i dont have it in front of me because im working from home, but theres a section in there about using body parts to make arrests. So im glad you brought this up about the video we saw about the knee and some of the paper, the reports in the paper talk about the knee was not on the neck, it was on the back, they were using their body parts, so i think we need clarification how the department interprets the use of force d. G. O. Regarding body parts in making an arrest. And in terms o