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SFPD offers progress report on Department of Justice recommendations; supervisors press for faster disparity fixes
Summary
Police Chief Bill Scott and SFPD strategic staff updated the Board of Supervisors on implementation of recommendations from the Department of Justice collaborative reform process, citing declines in use-of-force and improved transparency while supervisors pressed for faster reductions in racial disparities and timely quarterly reports.
The San Francisco Police Department briefed the Board of Supervisors on July 16 about progress implementing recommendations from the city's collaborative reform work with the U.S. and California Departments of Justice.
Chief William Scott told the board the department has advanced the work since 2018 and submitted the remaining recommendations for external review. "We are much better at what we do, but we still have work to do," Scott said, highlighting a reported 64% decline in use-of-force incidents from 2017 to 2021 and a 79% decline in pointing firearms over the same period.
Catherine McGuire, executive director of SFPD's Strategic Management Bureau, described institutional changes including a professional standards and principal policing unit, sustainability managers, an expanded community engagement division and an upgraded early intervention system (EIS) to identify officers at risk of problematic conduct. McGuire said the department plans audits, academic partnerships and ongoing monitoring to embed reforms beyond the DOJ milestones.
Supervisors used the hearing to press for faster reductions in racial disparities. Supervisor Matt Dorsey, Supervisor Connie Chan, and Supervisor Dean Preston asked for data on stop disparities and the status of the department's quarterly racial-disparities reports. Chief Scott acknowledged ongoing disparities but said Black stops are declining faster than other groups; he also said upgrades to reporting systems and vendor transitions delayed some recent quarter reports.
Scott and McGuire addressed operational issues including recruitment and retention, community policing and specialty units. The chief said the department has expanded academy classes and lateral hiring and is pursuing the national 30x30 goal to increase the share of women in policing. On foot beats, Scott said staffing constraints have limited regular assignment but that as recruitment increases the department will restore more consistent street patrols.
Supervisors also asked about the department's early-intervention technology and a management dashboard that SFPD expects to deploy this summer to monitor performance and disparities. Scott said an upgraded EIS and work with a vendor named Benchmark will use algorithms to surface risk indicators for earlier intervention.
Why it matters The briefing updates the board and public on a multi-year reform effort that affects use-of-force, transparency and accountability. Supervisors said they expect regular, auditable data releases and timely racial-disparities reports so the board and community can evaluate progress.
What to watch next Supervisors requested publication of the delayed quarterly racial-disparities reports for Q4 2023 and Q1 2024; the department said Pquarterly submissions are imminent but may take several more weeks while analysts resolve a systems cutover and data issues.
