SFPD chief reports steady violent‑crime levels, outlines OIS status and gun‑violence strategy

San Francisco Police Department leaders told the Police Commission on Jan. 30 that, despite a roughly 15% reduction in staffing, officers handled about 1.0–1.3 million calls for service in 2012 and made roughly 25,000 arrests while violent crime and gun violence trends were broadly stable or down slightly.

Chief (San Francisco Police Department) said the department graduated 43 officers from the academy and described public‑safety planning for the upcoming Super Bowl; he also briefed the commission on a search warrant executed in the long‑running Kevin Collins cold case, saying excavation of a Masonic Avenue property recovered bones that preliminarily appear to be animal remains and that the investigation continues.

Sergeant John Crudo presented the Firearm Discharge Review Board’s fourth‑quarter summary and said one OIS (designated 11‑002) was reviewed and found to be within policy. Crudo reported 12 OIS investigations remain open in various stages, several awaiting district attorney decisions; he described the DA declination process as a necessary step before some administrative closures can occur.

In a multi‑speaker segment focused on gun violence, officers and commanders outlined both hardware and policy responses. Officer Angelo Spagnoli demonstrated common firearms and ammunition types and explained how detachable magazines, flash suppressors and other features factor into California’s assault‑weapon definitions. Captain Dennis O’Leary reviewed state law enforcement priorities — concealed weapons, carrying a loaded firearm, possession by prohibited persons and possession of stolen firearms — and summarized federal and local proposals then under discussion, including microstamping requirements, revived federal assault‑weapon proposals, and a Mayor Lee ordinance to restrict certain ammunition and require reporting of large sales.

Captain Joseph McFadden reviewed the department’s shooting‑victim tracking and response protocol: initial patrol response and medical aid, notification to the DOC, and timely deployment of the Violence Reduction Team (VRT), homicide and gang units as needed. He said the department seized roughly 314 guns in arrests in 2012, the majority handguns, and described redeployments and ceasefire meetings used to prevent retaliation and disrupt violence.

Deputy Chief Mike Beal and other presenters emphasized prevention and youth engagement programs — PAL, school resource officers, gun‑buybacks, midnight basketball and summer jobs — as part of the department’s broader approach.

The commission asked for additional detail on mental‑health indicators in specific OIS cases and for a one‑page statistical overview comparing contacts, arrests and sustained complaints for public subcommittee use. The department and OCC agreed to provide further materials.