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Resident alleges repeated disrespectful stops by unmarked officers; commission urged to investigate
Summary
Jim Salinas Sr. told the Police Commission that his community member Miguel Gomez experienced two separate confrontations with unmarked officers who allegedly refused to identify themselves; the commission did not adjudicate the claim at the meeting and no departmental response to the specific allegation was recorded on the public record.
During the public comment period at the March 27 Police Commission meeting in the Mission District, Jim Salinas Sr. urged the commission to investigate two incidents involving a local resident, Miguel Gomez, whom Salinas described as a lifelong Mission homeowner and community leader.
"He tried to pull over...the individuals got out of the car yelling and screaming at him...they refused to give it to him," Salinas said, alleging that three white male officers in an unmarked car stopped Gomez on Feb. 5, refused to show identification and treated him and his wife in an "intimidating" manner. Salinas also said Gomez experienced a second stop in March when officers gestured for him to come down from his father's steps and questioned him without cause.
Salinas urged the commission: "Please, commissioners, if this individual has committed a crime, if he's a criminal in our community, please arrest him tonight. But if he hasn't done anything and he's just going on about his business... please have these individuals (officers) —" he said, pressing the commission to respond.
The transcript of the meeting records no direct departmental rebuttal to Salinas' allegations during the public portion of the meeting; Captain Robert Moser addressed broader enforcement tactics and local crime trends but did not respond to the specific account on the public record. The allegation therefore remained unresolved in the meeting transcript.
Why it matters: public allegations of disrespectful or unprofessional stops by officers raise oversight and trust issues. Commissioners routinely hear public complaints during the comment period and the OCC director present at the same meeting detailed the complaint intake and investigation process to the commission.
Next steps and process: the OCC can receive walk‑in complaints at 25 Van Ness, by phone, email or at district stations; it has subpoena authority and a stated goal of resolving cases within nine months. If the complainant files an OCC complaint, the OCC will investigate and, if sustained, forward discipline recommendations to the chief or the commission depending on severity.
Status: unresolved in hearing — the transcript contains Salinas' allegations but does not record an immediate departmental investigation announcement or a named investigator taking custody of the complaint at the meeting.
