Board holds wide-ranging hearing on police reform; chief reports early drops in use-of-force

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors convened as a committee of the whole May 16 for a special hearing on reforms recommended by the U.S. Department of Justice and the blue‑ribbon panel on transparency, accountability and fairness in law enforcement.

The hearing drew hours of public comment from residents and advocates calling for faster officer‑involved‑shooting investigations, stronger civilian oversight and expanded crisis‑response alternatives. The board received presentations from Police Chief Bill Scott and District Attorney George Gascon and heard frequent public demand for timelier outcomes in high‑profile cases.

Chief Bill Scott summarized progress on the department’s implementation plan and said several early metrics show movement. “Total uses of force are down by 15.8%” in the first quarter of 2017 compared with the same period in 2016, Scott said, and he reported a roughly 45% drop in assaults on officers for the quarter. He told supervisors the department has implemented body‑worn cameras citywide and is rolling out a 60‑hour crisis intervention training (CIT) program for officers, with about 700 members of the force trained so…