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Police Commission adopts hate‑crimes, community policing and media‑relations policies; votes to keep closed session private
Summary
At its Oct. 1 meeting the San Francisco Police Commission adopted revised department general orders on hate crimes, community policing and media relations, approved the community‑policing manual, received a departmental report on non‑city cameras, and voted not to disclose a closed‑session discussion.
The San Francisco Police Commission on Oct. 1 adopted several revised department orders and related materials and voted not to disclose a closed‑session discussion.
The commission voted 4–0 to receive and file the Department Use of Non‑City Entity Cameras report for the first and second quarters of 2025. It also voted 4–0 to adopt revised Department General Order (DGO) 6.13 on hate crimes; to adopt revised DGO 1.08 on community policing and its accompanying Community Policing and Problem Solving Manual (each with a 90‑day implementation timeline); and to adopt revised DGO 8.09 on media relations with a 30‑day implementation timeframe. After an executive‑session meeting, the commission voted 4–0 not to disclose the closed‑session discussion.
Votes at a glance
- Receive and file: Department use of non‑city entity cameras (Q1 & Q2 2025) — approved, 4–0 (Commissioners Scott, Leung, Yee and Vice President Benediktou voted yes).
- Adopt DGO 6.13 (Hate Crimes) — approved, 4–0 (Scott, Leung, Yee, Benediktou).
- Adopt DGO 1.08 (Community Policing) — approved, 4–0 (Scott, Leung, Yee, Benediktou). The department requested a 90‑day implementation period.
- Adopt Community Policing and Problem Solving Manual — approved, 4–0 (Scott, Leung, Yee, Benediktou). Adopted to accompany DGO 1.08 with a 90‑day implementation timeframe.
- Adopt DGO 8.09 (Media Relations) — approved, 4–0 (Scott, Leung, Yee, Benediktou). The final language requires members to contact the media relations unit or an on‑team supervisor after providing statements to the media.
- Closed session: motion to go into closed session — approved, 4–0 (Scott, Leung, Yee, Benediktou). Motion not to disclose closed‑session discussion — approved, 4–0.
Why it matters
The adopted DGOs change internal guidance the San Francisco Police Department uses for categorizing and responding to hate‑crime reports, shaping community policing plans at the district level, and managing media contact by officers. The closed‑session nondisclosure vote means the commission did not make public any details of the executive‑session matter discussed Oct. 1.
Meeting context and next steps
Vice President Benediktou presided; Commissioners Scott, Leung and Yee were present. Commissioners Tecky and Elias and President Clay were excused. Several items (notably the revisions to DGO 5.08 on plainclothes/non‑uniform/undercover officers) were discussed but not voted on and will return for further review after the commission considers letters received from the public defender’s office and edits proposed by the Department of Police Accountability (DPA).
