Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Supervisors split on police command staff; motion to restore two deputy chiefs passes after earlier defeat
Summary
After several votes and debates about department size and cost, the board ultimately approved restoring two deputy‑chief level positions funded outside the general fund, reversing an earlier failure to restore them.
The Board of Supervisors considered multiple motions to restore senior positions in the San Francisco Police Department. Earlier in the meeting a motion to restore two deputy‑chief posts (one for Hetch Hetchy/PUC security and one for Muni security) failed by a 5–6 vote after several supervisors argued the department’s command staff had grown too large.
Later in the session the same proposal returned to the floor. Supervisor Dufty moved to restore the two positions and framed the change as important for maintaining strong coordination between the Police Department and enterprise utilities (the Public Utilities Commission and MTA) on homeland security, water system protection and transit security. Chief Heather Fong testified in favor of keeping those positions, explaining the roles were funded by the enterprise agencies (PUC and MTA) and helped ensure interagency information sharing and operational coordination.
On the later motion the board voted 6–5 in favor of restoring the two deputy‑chief positions; supervisors noted the positions are not general‑funded and are meant to preserve operational links between agencies. Opponents said the command staff had grown and that the city must prioritize a lean senior management layer.
Why this matters
Deputy chief posts are senior management slots that shape departmental command structure and operational coordination with other agencies. Restoring the positions affects interagency security planning and honors negotiated funding arrangements with enterprise departments; opponents warn such restorations increase management overhead at a time of fiscal constraint.
What was decided
- An initial attempt to restore the two deputy chief positions failed (5 ayes, 6 noes). - A subsequent motion to restore the two positions passed (6 ayes, 5 noes). The restored posts were described by the Police Department as being funded from enterprise sources rather than the general fund.
What’s next
Supervisors asked for monitoring of the positions and requested documentation showing that the positions remain funded by the enterprise agencies; they also signaled interest in continued oversight of command‑level staffing levels.
