Police commission forwards proposed SFPD district boundary map to mayor and supervisors, opens 90‑day public comment

The San Francisco Police Commission voted 5–0 on Feb. 19 to forward the San Francisco Police Department’s proposed district-station boundary map to the mayor and Board of Supervisors and to post the proposal for a 90‑day public-comment period that cannot end before May 20, 2025.

The motion, made by Commissioner Benedicto and seconded by Commissioner Clay, directs the commission to publish the proposal at the commission office, on the commission section of the city’s website, and at the public library as required by the charter. President Cindy Elias called the vote after an hour-long presentation by SFPD executive director Catherine McGuire and the department’s consultant team.

The proposed map is the product of more than a year of work that SFPD said included an executive steering committee, an internal subject-matter working group and public input gathered through community meetings, a translated survey, and a public mapping tool hosted by the consultant. Executive Director Catherine McGuire told the commission the final proposal aims to balance workload without requiring immediate staffing or facility changes, an important consideration given current staffing constraints.

Why it matters: District boundaries determine which station is responsible for calls for service, patrol coverage and community interactions. The commission’s referral opens a statutory 90‑day window for public comment and further hearings; final adoption cannot occur until that period has elapsed.

What SFPD presented: McGuire summarized the methodology used to draw the maps, including population and incident data from 2019–2023, planned developments, top call locations, and input from district captains and the Board of Supervisors. The consultant (identified in meeting materials as ArcBridge Consulting) provided iterative map drafts. McGuire said a prior “patrol-preferred” map better matched some community requests but would have increased workload at Southern Station because it would have placed major event venues within one station’s boundary; the department recommended a map that aims for modest boundary changes while avoiding immediate resource reallocation.

Public reaction: Several neighborhood organizations from the Tenderloin, Lower Polk and Central City SRO collaborative urged larger changes, arguing the proposed map continued to split high‑call blocks and alleys across stations and would reduce policing continuity and responsiveness in the Tenderloin. Representatives urged shifting some boundaries to place contiguous trouble spots under a single station and asked the commission to hold outreach focused on residents who may lack online access. Residents and neighborhood associations in Southern Station expressed support for the proposed map and credited SFPD staff for sustained engagement.

Next steps: The commission forwards the proposal to the mayor and Board of Supervisors and will accept written and oral public comment during the 90‑day period. Commissioners said they plan at least one explicit agenda item in March for additional public testimony; members also encouraged written submissions and smaller community briefings. The commission may revise the proposal during the comment period and will not take final action before May 20, 2025.

Actions and vote: The commission approved the motion to forward the proposed map (motion text: “pursuant to section 2a0.86 of the Charter of the City and County of San Francisco, the commission has considered the chief’s report and recommendations… and hereby forwards this proposal to the mayor and board of supervisors… Public comment shall be open for a minimum of 90 days, and final action shall be taken no earlier than 05/20/2025.”) The motion was made by Commissioner Benedicto, seconded by Commissioner Clay, and passed 5–0 (Commissioners Clay, Benedicto, Yanez, Yee and President Elias voting yes).

Provenance: The presentation and motion were introduced at the start of the line-item presentation (see transcript segment beginning with “Line item 6, presentation and discussion on SFPD’s district boundaries.”) and concluded with the roll-call vote recorded on the transcript after public comment.