Police Commission directs meet-and-confer on body-worn camera policy giving chief discretion in critical incidents

The San Francisco Police Commission voted on Dec. 2 to direct staff to pursue a body-worn camera policy that, with amendments, gives the chief of police discretion to allow officers to view recordings in certain critical circumstances while preserving new audit, retention and disclosure rules.

Commission President Loftus introduced the policy as the product of months of public meetings and working-group discussions and said the document reflects statutory changes including AB 69. "We've gone through this word by word," she said, noting new language on ownership, audits, notification, required activation events and retention.

Commissioner De Jesus argued for strict limits on pre-report viewing in officer-involved shootings and custody deaths, citing legal precedents. "Graham v. Connor says it's not what the officer knew in hindsight; it's what the officer knew at the time," she said, urging a policy that preserves an officer's independent recollection and then allows a supplemental report after viewing.

Other commissioners backed a narrower…