Commissioners press for review after captain's newsletter described as demeaning to homeless people

Commissioner Petro de Jesus raised a formal concern at the Oct. 23 San Francisco Police Commission community meeting about a Bayview captain’s newsletter that, he said, used demeaning language toward homeless people.

De Jesus read a list of pejorative terms that he said appeared in the newsletter — language he described as “demeaning” and offensive to a vulnerable population. He requested that the commission place an investigation on a future agenda and consider whether departmental guidance is needed so captains and other personnel "report the facts only in a professional manner." De Jesus said he had received complaints from homeless advocates and community members.

The chief responded that the captain had been “called on the carpet” and had been ordered to issue an apology; the chief added that the apology previously shared with commissioners was not sufficient and that the captain would be spoken to again. Commissioners linked the issue to a pending city attorney opinion and social media policy and suggested a joint forum or combined review panel to examine both social media guidance and captain newsletters.

Commissioner comments noted that captains’ newsletters reach thousands of recipients and that a uniform policy could prevent future lapses. The commission agreed to pursue more information and to time any joint session or policy action after the city attorney’s forthcoming guidance and additional data are available, with a likely follow-up timeframe in early January.

No formal disciplinary action or vote was recorded during the meeting; the chief indicated further conversations with the captain and a renewed apology would follow.

Next steps: commissioners requested staff to coordinate with the chief and city attorney’s office to determine timing for a joint forum and to return information to the commission for further action.