Commission requests fuller review after pursuit ended in parklet collision that injured six

San Francisco — Commissioners on the San Francisco Police Commission asked the police department on Feb. 12 to prepare a fuller review after a vehicle pursuit on Feb. 6 ended when the fleeing vehicle struck an occupied parklet at Fourth Street and Van Ness, injuring six people.

Chief William Scott delivered the weekly chief’s report and said the department is seeing an overall reduction in Part I crimes but that recent pursuits and a slight year-to-date increase in shooting incidents prompted concern. “We will do everything we can to make sure that we weigh the risk of pursuits,” Chief Scott said, adding that the department is reviewing the Feb. 6 pursuit to determine whether officers acted within department policy.

The pursuit began after an automated license-plate reader (ALPR) flagged a vehicle wanted in connection with felony grand theft in Berkeley, according to Scott. Officers attempted a stop; the driver fled and the pursuit terminated in South Van Ness when the suspect vehicle collided with a parklet. Six people were injured: two sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and four sustained minor injuries, Scott said. The officers involved were not injured.

Commissioners pressed for more factual detail and a broader agenda review. Commissioner Mattben Yanez asked the department to bring a full agenda item that would include an assessment of pursuits that would not have been permitted under the department’s pre-Prop E policy but are now permitted under the changes approved by voters. “Once more facts are known I’ve asked that this be calendared for a full agenda item,” Yanez said.

Vice President Carter Overstone and others also asked for clarity on supervisory oversight during the pursuit and whether a supervisor monitoring the pursuit exercised the authority to discontinue it. Chief Scott said supervisors review pursuits and that “those are the things that will be taken into consideration,” but that he did not yet have a conclusion about the Feb. 6 incident.

The commission also discussed parallel reviews. Scott noted the department has adopted a Serious Incident Review Board (SIRB) policy; once implemented that board will examine incidents such as the Feb. 6 pursuit. Commissioners requested the chief provide a timeline showing whether the incident would fall under the SIRB as currently implemented.

Commissioners asked several operational follow-ups that the department agreed to provide: the supervisor monitoring logs and decision points for the Feb. 6 pursuit; the precise pursuit start and termination times as recorded on radio and CAD logs; whether the supervisory discontinuation authority was used or considered; and any materials the Police Department has provided to — or received from — the Board of Supervisors or other offices about the incident.

The discussion also covered tools and alternatives to high-speed pursuit. Chief Scott said the department is piloting StarChase (a GPS tagging system) and has deployed it a few times with some success, following a site visit to Alameda County’s program. Scott also described the department’s drone program: six drones were currently in the field and the department planned purchases to place field drone kits at district stations (22 kits planned), but the department does not yet have high‑speed pursuit-capable drones or an FAA waiver for routine beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight operations. He said a waiver application for beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight is in progress.

Commissioners and the chief discussed the trade-offs created by changes voters approved in Proposition E. Scott said the voters set a policy; that policy and its balance of public safety and risk must be respected while the department and commission monitor outcomes. “We have to be very clear with our officers and the public of what this is, what the risks are,” Scott said.

Why it matters: The pursuit resulted in injuries to bystanders and raised questions about whether recent policy changes and available technologies are producing safer outcomes for the public and officers. Commissioners requested a follow-up agenda item specifically addressing the Feb. 6 pursuit, including the supervisor’s monitoring logs and an assessment of whether the revised pursuit policy is having the intended effect across similar incidents.

The commission did not make a formal policy change during this meeting; instead, it requested documentation and a deeper review to appear on a future agenda.

Details and context: Chief Scott reported the department’s weekly crime trends: a 36% overall reduction in Part I crimes for the week cited, driven by an approximately 53% reduction in car burglaries compared with last year, a 39% reduction in property crimes, and a smaller (about 13%) reduction in violent crimes. Scott also reported 105 gun seizures year to date compared with 93 the previous year; 13 of the 105 were described as “ghost guns.” Homicides year to date were 1 compared with 3 at the same time last year, a small‑number change Scott cautioned should not be overinterpreted.

StarChase and drones: The department said StarChase has been piloted locally and was used a small number of times. The drone program is expanding: Scott said 50–58 officers had been trained to FAA Part 107 standards, six drones were in the field at the time of the meeting and 22 field kits were budgeted for district stations. Scott said the department does not yet have the fast, long‑range drones that can routinely keep pace with high‑speed vehicle pursuits.

Next steps: Commissioners asked the chief to provide the commission with a detailed agenda item on the Feb. 6 pursuit, including supervisory logs, timelines, and any materials provided to the Board of Supervisors or other elected offices; the commission also requested documentation on the SIRB implementation timeline and on StarChase and drone pilots.