San Francisco Police Commission delays action on new use-of-force rules as DOJ review and taser debate intensify

The San Francisco Police Commission on April 6 postponed final steps on comprehensive draft use-of-force rules after the U.S. Department of Justice asked for extra time to review the documents, prolonging a process that has already exposed deep divisions among community groups, police unions and city oversight bodies.

Commission President Loftus told the meeting that the DOJ asked for more time to provide recommendations on several contested provisions. Deputy Chief Chaplin summarized the department's timeline and said the drafts and 18-member stakeholder working group reduced an initial set of roughly 65 comments to 24 non-consensus items, with about 10 major sticking points remaining.

Why it matters: the orders under discussion would replace or revise several Department General Orders covering use of force, firearms, use-of-force reporting and a new bureau order on conducted energy devices (CEDs). Those policies define when officers may point firearms, the department's approach to de-escalation and which tools are authorized in patrol work. Changes could reshape training and accountability at the department and are likely to be central in any consent-decree-style reforms that the DOJ recommends.

Stakeholders divided…