Police commission adopts DGO 7.04 to protect children present at arrests

The San Francisco Police Commission on May 7 unanimously adopted Department General Order 7.04 — "Children of Arrested Parents" — a new permanent policy that requires officers to prioritize the safety and well-being of children present when a parent is arrested.

The commission voted after a presentation by department staff and endorsements from the Office of Citizen Complaints and community organizations. Samara Marion of the OCC and community partners told commissioners the order updates long-standing practice and will be paired with roll-call training and a short training video featuring youth accounts. "The bill of rights for children of incarcerated parents's first right is: I have the right to be kept safe and informed at the time of my parents' arrest," said Zoe Wilmot of Project WHAT.

Youth who had witnessed arrests described the effect of arrests on school events and family life. "They arrested my dad at my fifth grade graduation," said Cheyenne McKenzie, who told commissioners officers did not adequately explain to her family why the arrest happened. Moesha Wise, who said her mother was arrested in front of her at age 12, urged officers to ensure teenagers are not left alone without a responsible adult.

Commissioners pressed presenters on implementation details, asking how training would address Miranda and domestic-violence contexts and how officers would confirm the suitability of a responsible adult. Department presenters said the training scenarios include two role plays: a traffic-stop arrest where an officer locates a responsible adult and a home arrest that demonstrates how to speak with a teenager. The department said officers must attempt to place children with a vetted responsible adult, contact child-protective services when appropriate, and use roll-call training to institutionalize the policy.

Commissioner Loftus commended the collaboration and emphasized the operational shift from a bulletin to an enforceable general order. "A DGO is an order from the chief," Loftus said, noting that codifying the bulletin makes compliance more systematic. The commission recorded its approval by roll call; the motion passed unanimously.

The chief and OCC staff said the department will distribute training materials to district stations and that the academy will incorporate the new scenarios into roll-call training. Director Hicks of the OCC, who helped coordinate stakeholders, said the Urban Institute has expressed interest in using San Francisco as a study site for the policy.

The commission listed implementation follow-ups: distribution of the training video to district stations, roll-call training for all officers, and further policy work on related orders such as domestic violence and Miranda considerations. The commission will monitor training completion and report back as part of standard oversight.

The commission moved on to other agenda items after the vote.