Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Forensics Oversight topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Police Commission adopts resolution requiring reporting on sexual-assault kits and victim notification
Summary
The commission unanimously approved a resolution directing annual reporting on the status of sexual-assault kit processing and victim notification, citing state deadlines and national best practices; the resolution passed after public comment and minor edits.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Police Commission on April 20 voted unanimously to adopt a resolution requiring the San Francisco Police Department and the Office of Citizen Complaints to report to the commission on the status of sexual-assault (rape) kit testing, backlog reduction, and victim notification practices.
Samra Merian of the Office of Citizen Complaints outlined the legal and policy context, including the 2003 "DNA Bill of Rights" framework and more recent state amendments described in the presentation (transcript reference to penal-code deadlines). "Part of the resolution, the purpose was to institute those deadlines," Merian said, describing statutory expectations that tested evidence be submitted to a laboratory and that profiles be uploaded to the statewide/national systems within set timeframes.
Captain Gregory Marr and crime-lab staff described constraints and controls in forensic testing, noting that quality controls (validation, chain-of-custody, laboratory protocols) are essential to allow results to be uploaded to CODIS and used in prosecutions. The department reported hiring criminalists and exploring robotics/automation to speed testing without sacrificing quality.
After amendments suggested by Commissioner Malera regarding the resolution's language and an assurance that reporting obligations be shared between the commission and the department, Commissioner Malera moved to approve the resolution and the motion was seconded and carried on roll call: Loftus Aye; Marshall Aye; De Jesus Aye; Mizuko Aye; Malera Aye.
The commission and department emphasized that the resolution is intended to increase transparency for survivors and to identify capacity or process gaps early so resources or policy fixes can be pursued. The commission scheduled follow-up reporting (quarterly/periodic updates indicated in the resolution discussion).
What happens next: The department and OCC will produce the reports described in the resolution and return to the commission with data on testing timelines, notifications to survivors, and any barriers to meeting statutory deadlines. The commission asked for landmarks and a mechanism to monitor compliance without compromising forensic quality.
