Sheriff oversight office presented flat budget; $200,000 cut requested amid hiring freeze

Nicole Armstrong, chief operating officer at the Department of Police Accountability, presented a budget update for the Sheriff’s Department Office of Inspector General during the Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board’s special meeting on Jan. 24, 2025. Armstrong said the office is proposing a flat base budget for fiscal year 2025 and noted a requested $200,000 reduction to the OIG’s general-fund allocation as part of citywide budget instructions.

The presentation said the OIG’s agreed base budget is $1,417,530 and that, at present, two city-funded positions are available to the office: the inspector general position and a clerk of the board (position 8173). Armstrong told the board that the mayor’s instructions this year emphasize maintaining core city services, reducing unsheltered homelessness and seeking operational efficiencies; the instructions also include a 15% general-fund reduction target for departments and a current hiring freeze and prohibition on city-funded overnight travel.

Armstrong warned the requested reduction and restrictions will constrain the office’s ability to expand services and could increase dependence on the Department of Police Accountability (DPA) for investigations and related work. "We are proposing a flat budget," Armstrong said, adding the $200,000 reduction is not reflected in the presented base numbers. She told the board that the majority of the OIG budget is salary and that remaining funds largely cover city work orders such as the DPA investigative work order and costs for SFgovTV and basic IT services.

Board members pressed staff for clarity about whether cuts to DPA would reduce investigative support the OIG receives under a memorandum of understanding. A board member asked whether reductions at DPA could put an "almost impossible strain" on DPA staff who support the OIG. Armstrong said the DPA work order is included in the current budget plan and that, "no, there shouldn't be any changes in the support that you're receiving from DPA," unless new instructions are issued by the mayor's office or access to those funds is restricted.

Members discussed the OIG’s independence from the sheriff’s office and the need to clarify naming and charter language after past ballot changes. One board member said, "I just wanna make clear that the inspector general's office is fully independent from the sheriff's office," and said the board would consider proposing a charter amendment to clarify independence and clean up naming across city systems.

Board members also discussed administrative steps and technology consolidation. The presentation and subsequent comments referenced coordination with Paul Yap, Director of Public Safety, and Patrick Clerum, who moved from the police department to the sheriff's office as a fiscal officer, as potential avenues to reduce duplicate systems for items such as license-plate checks. Armstrong said the board will receive more detailed budget information at a follow-up hearing planned for the board’s next meeting on the 7th.

No formal budget vote was taken; the presentation was an informational item. The meeting concluded after brief public comment and the board adjourned by voice vote at 2:18 p.m.