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Board advances ordinance to remove NRA from police code, approves juvenile-interrogation protections and backs state auto-burglary bill
Summary
The Board of Supervisors passed first-reading approval to remove the Police Department’s membership with the NRA, advanced a new ordinance strengthening youth-interrogation protections, and backed state legislation to clarify vehicle-burglary prosecutions.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Feb. 26 moved several measures the board and its members described as public-safety and civil-rights priorities.
The board passed first reading, unanimously and without objection, an ordinance to rescind authorization for the San Francisco Police Department to hold a membership with the National Rifle Association and to stop collection of tournament fees for the NRA. Supervisor Catherine Stefani introduced the ordinance in committee on the one-year anniversary of the Parkland shooting and said she wanted to avoid “legitimizing this toxic and dangerous organization.” Several supervisors asked to be listed as co-sponsors before the ordinance advanced on first reading.
On juvenile interrogation protections, the board adopted an ordinance on first reading — as amended — that would prohibit police officers from questioning persons 17 or younger in custody unless specific conditions are met and would require that a responsible adult be given access while questioning occurs. Supervisor Hillary Ronan said the ordinance, which she moved with technical edits and a substantive amendment, would be known as the “Jeff Adachi Youth Rights” ordinance. Ronan said the law would make San Francisco’s protections for youth in custody among the strongest in the nation if the ordinance is enacted following the second reading and signature.
The board also unanimously adopted a resolution urging state lawmakers to close a evidentiary loophole in vehicle-burglary prosecutions. Supervisor Catherine Stefani and Supervisor London Breed joined Supervisor Aaron Peskin and others in supporting a resolution backing California Senate Bill 23 (SB 23), which clarifies that a forced entry such as a broken window can be sufficient proof of unlawful entry in an auto-burglary case. Supervisor Aaron Peskin emphasized that SB 23 does not increase penalties but closes a prosecutorial gap that can require victims to attend hearings to prove forced entry.
Separately, the board approved amendments and passed a resolution urging the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to include a plan — due in the 2019 calendar year — to build renewable power facilities on city-owned property in any preliminary report concerning PG&E infrastructure. Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer and Supervisor London Breed cosponsored the PG&E/clean-energy resolution; Supervisor Katy Tang (notes in transcript) and Supervisor Bevan Dufty (noted historically) were referenced in conversation. The board approved amendments to the PG&E resolution and adopted it unanimously as amended.
Why it matters: These items touch on public-safety policy (police relationships with national gun-lobby organizations and youth-interrogation rules), state- level criminal law clarity (SB 23), and local energy planning tied to PG&E’s troubled governance. The youth-interrogation ordinance is notable because it was named for the late Public Defender Jeff Adachi and would change local police custodial procedures if enacted.
What the transcript shows: Votes on these items passed on first reading or as resolutions without recorded roll-call opposition. Several supervisors publicly cosponsored or requested co-sponsorship and several committee-level technical amendments were adopted before first-reading votes.
Sources: San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting transcript, Feb. 26, 2019 (remarks from Supervisors Catherine Stefani, Hillary Ronan, Aaron Peskin, Sandra Lee Fewer, and others).
