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SFPD previews social‑media general order; commission asks for outside review
Summary
Deputy Chief Hector Sinas presented a draft Department General Order limiting officers’ personal social‑media use while on duty and barring uniforms or department insignia on personal posts; OCC attorney Samra Marion said OCC reviewed the draft; commissioners asked for ACLU and DOJ review before adoption.
Deputy Chief Hector Sinas introduced a draft Department General Order on personal use of social media and said the intent is to protect investigations and the department’s credibility by restricting conduct that identifies officers or undermines official business.
"The intent of this order is to prevent members from undermining investigations, from impacting the department's credibility, with the type of conduct they engage in on social media," Sinas said.
Samra Marion of the Office of Citizen Complaints told the commission the OCC reviewed the draft and provided feedback and that the department’s version compared favorably with other jurisdictions she examined. Commissioners raised questions about First Amendment boundaries, whether DGO 11.07 (discrimination and harassment) and general‑conduct rules (2.01) cover racist or homophobic private messages, and how on‑duty personal use (including brief breaks) would be enforced.
Deputy Chief Sinas said the policy focuses on conduct, not speech, and that personal social‑media use while on duty is prohibited except when authorized as part of official duties; he noted the policy went through the meet‑and‑confer process with the POA. Commissioners recommended obtaining DOJ and civil‑liberties input (for example the ACLU) before forwarding a final DGO for adoption.
The commission planned to return the DGO for possible action after further review and consultation.
