San Francisco Police Commission approves $6.5M budget shift; DPA director announces resignation

The San Francisco Police Commission on April 19 unanimously approved a budget modification that shifts about $6.5 million in current-year salary-and-fringe savings to cover overtime costs, while hearing status reports on officer-involved shooting investigations and receiving notice that Department of Police Accountability Director Hicks plans to resign in June.

CFO Catherine Maguire told commissioners the modification would use current-year salary savings to pay for overtime expenditures that have exceeded budget, including training, arrests and investigations, court pay, work related to First Amendment events and responses to homelessness-related service requests. "Essentially, we are requesting a budget modification for the current year salary to use current year salary savings to pay for overtime," Maguire said, describing the savings as largely the result of many newer officers not yet at step increases.

Public commenters urged greater budget transparency and pushed the commission to exclude tasers from future spending plans. Jackie Barczak, speaking for San Franciscans for Police Accountability, called tasers "a terror weapon that maims" and urged the commission to remove taser line items from the 2017–18 budget. Another speaker pointed to a "less-than-lethal" line item of $307,000 in the prior draft budget and questioned whether that figure reflected the full cost of procurement, training and maintenance.

Chief William Scott opened the meeting’s departmental report by reviewing violent-crime statistics and recent incidents. "The good news is, we had no homicides this week," Scott said, adding the department had recorded 15 homicides year to date compared with 13 at the same point last year. He summarized recent shootings and a Bayview incident under investigation and described the department’s efforts to remove firearms from the streets; the transcript reports the department’s gun seizures as "341 year to date." Scott also previewed department assignments and planning for several large public events including 4/20 activities on Hippie Hill, Earth Day programming at Civic Center Plaza and the March for Science.

The commission’s internal-affairs presentation summarized the Firearm Discharge Review Board (FDRB) activity and the status of open officer-involved shooting (OIS) investigations. Commander Peter Walsh and Sergeant John Crudo reported that the FDRB met to review two completed investigations for the first quarter of 2017 and that as of April 18 there were 15 open SFPD OIS investigations, with 11 cases under review by the District Attorney and others pending medical examiner input or still under active criminal investigation. Crudo noted the board’s recommendations and the scheduling of the next quarterly review for June 28. Chief Scott said the department is working to expedite internal review boards and not delay administrative reviews where possible.

Commissioners publicly acknowledged a personnel announcement from the Department of Police Accountability. President Turman (as recorded in the transcript) read a communication from Director Hicks saying she will resign to attend to family matters; commissioners thanked Hicks for about nine-and-a-half years of service and said Deputy Director Eric Balthazar was assuming transition duties and would lead the office through the transition period, with a target last day in June.

After public comment on the budget item and other agenda items, Commissioner Malara moved to accept the budget modification; Commissioner Marshall seconded the motion. The commission approved the modification by a voice vote, with no recorded dissents. Later in the meeting the commission voted to hold item 7 in closed session under San Francisco Administrative Code provisions and, after the closed session, voted not to disclose the closed-session discussion.

What’s next: The commission scheduled several follow-ups, including continuing work on FDRB and in-custody death review-board timelines and calendaring a discussion of the DPA leadership transition. The meeting adjourned following the closed-session disclosure vote.

Reported motions and votes • Consent calendar (gift acceptance): motion to accept donation of 46 car-wash cards from Shine and Seal Car Wash (valued at approximately $2,700) — moved and seconded; accepted unanimously. • Budget modification (Item 3): move approximately $6,500,000 from salary savings to overtime — moved by Commissioner Malara, seconded by Commissioner Marshall; approved by voice vote, unanimous. • Vote to hold Item 7 in closed session (Item 6): motion moved and seconded; approved. • Vote on disclosure of closed-session matters (Item 8): motion for non-disclosure moved by Commissioner Mazuko (moved/seconded as recorded); motion carried (non-disclose).

The commission’s public packet and staff reports referenced DGO 8.11 and DGO 8.12 (Firearm Discharge and In-Custody Death review boards) and San Francisco Administrative Code section 67.1 (closed-session authority).