Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Crime And Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Interim chief: Part I crimes down 27% year-to-date; ALPR transparency portal launched
Summary
Interim chief reported year-to-date declines in Part I crimes and homicides, an 80% increase in reported human trafficking incidents linked to increased unit staffing, and the launch of an automated license-plate-reader transparency portal.
Interim department leadership reported drops in overall Part I crimes this year, said human trafficking reports are up amid expanded investigative capacity, and announced a public transparency portal for automated license-plate-reader (ALPR) data.
Interim chief provided the commission with the department's weekly crime trends through Sept. 14, saying Part I crimes were down 27% year to date and total violent crime was down 19% compared with the previous year. The chief reported 17 homicides so far this year compared with 24 in the prior year, a 29% decrease; assaults were down 14% and property crime was down 28% year to date.
The chief told the commission that reported human trafficking incidents were up 80% this year (18 incidents versus 10 last year). That increase, the chief said, is attributable in part to increased staffing and proactive operations: the human trafficking unit was expanded to a five-person team that includes an acting lieutenant, three sergeants and one officer, enabling two targeted operations per month and more follow-up investigations, the department said. The chief said that the increase does not appear to be labor-related trafficking based on available information but offered to follow up on that question.
The department also announced that it has launched a public ALPR transparency portal. The portal, the chief said, publishes information about what the ALPR system detects and does not detect, the department's acceptable-use policy, prohibited uses, data-retention policies, the number of cameras and external agencies with access, and includes a link to the ALPR policy.
The chief reviewed several recent incidents: a homicide on Sept. 10 near Junipero Serra and Ocean (reported as involving a victim who had just picked up a child from a nearby school), for which the department reported identifying a suspect and making an arrest on Sept. 12; an attempted-suicide shooting on Sept. 13; a Sept. 14 shooting on Leavenworth that left a victim in critical condition and led to a suspect detention by BART police; a bank-robbery series on Sept. 10 with multiple apprehensions; and an assault Sept. 13 that left a person with a possible traumatic brain injury. The chief also noted recent seizures, including a search warrant that yielded firearms, and thanked officers involved in those investigations.
The chief mentioned a recruitment presentation planned for Nov. 17 and noted a recent department notice on face coverings that the department says meets the requirements of SB 627 and related state code provisions; that notice was undergoing final review and expected to be posted to the department website in a few days.
Commissioners asked follow-up questions about human trafficking staffing and trends. The chief and staff said they would provide additional follow-up details if requested.
