San Francisco Police Commission promises rapid use‑of‑force review after Mario Woods killing

President Loftus opened the meeting by acknowledging public grief and anger after last month’s officer‑involved shooting of Mario Woods and said the commission “is and will continue to consider all of these policy requests.” He reminded the room that three independent investigations — SFPD, the District Attorney’s Office and the Office of Citizen Complaints — are ongoing, and said the commission will not prejudge those probes.

Why it matters: Hundreds of residents came to the commission to demand accountability, oppose introducing TASERs and press for transparency in investigations and discipline. Commissioners responded by detailing an expedited process to review department policy while preserving investigatory confidentiality, a rare balance sought by community advocates and department leaders.

Chief of Police Gregory P. told the commission he had not represented the shooting as “justified” to media, reiterated that criminal proceedings take precedence over administrative action in some cases, and described immediate policy changes: officers must now document even the pointing of a firearm, firearms training will emphasize slowing and more controlled fire, and the department is increasing less‑lethal options and exploring protective shields and other tactics.

Several community speakers said those changes are not enough. “This commission has heard expressions of grief, frustration, disappointment, and anger over what happened,” President Loftus said, echoing comments from numerous residents who called for firings, resignations or criminal accountability. Advocacy groups, former oversight officials and families of victims urged that any new tools (including TASERs) be considered only after broad public review and that culture change — including implicit‑bias training and civilian participation in training — be part of reforms.

The commission described a two‑track approach: the Police Department will draft a proposed department general order on use of force, and the commission will convene a series of community meetings (limited to two or three commissioners per meeting to avoid Brown Act issues) across the city to gather input. The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) will assist and commissioners said they will present recommendations and any related budget requests to the mayor by Feb. 15.

Director Joyce Hicks of the Office of Citizen Complaints (OCC) told the commission the OCC has provided a set of recommendations tied to the president’s 21st‑Century Policing task force and said the OCC will make as many resources available as possible to expedite policy work. Hicks also reiterated state law limits on naming officers in OCC public reports but said the OCC will publish non‑identifying complaint summaries and policy findings.

What’s next: The commission scheduled additional meetings and promised to publish draft materials when available. Vice President Turman will chair next week’s session and the commission expects to post a schedule of community forums and draft documents in the coming weeks. The commission emphasized it will separate ongoing criminal case details from the policy review while pushing for timely public engagement.

The meeting ended with a commitment to a public process: commissioners said they would bring community input to the mayor’s Feb. 15 deadline while continuing to respect legal constraints around ongoing investigations.