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Speakers at Police Commission accuse officers of lying under oath, demand investigations
Summary
At the Oct. 12 San Francisco Police Commission meeting, multiple public commenters alleged misconduct by officers — including sworn testimony they called false — and asked the commission and OCC to investigate and pursue discipline.
Multiple members of the public used the San Francisco Police Commission’s Oct. 12 public-comment period to raise complaints about alleged police misconduct and to urge formal investigations.
"As an officer of the court, I do not appreciate police witnessing police officers, lying under oath, not once, but twice," said Christine Wagner, who identified herself as a resident taxpayer and law practitioner, alleging officers lied in court over a $220 traffic citation and that the department failed to comply with a court order for documents. Wagner said she had filed a report about stolen property at Mission Station that had not been followed up and asked the commission to pursue disciplinary action after investigation.
Cathy Castro told the commission she has an assault complaint (case number 100251286) dating to March 2010 and alleged repeated failures of follow-up at the Taraval precinct, saying she has evidence that statements in the department’s records included material she did not author. Castro asked the commission to assign an investigator to review her materials.
The commission allowed three minutes per public speaker and did not debate during the public-comment period; commissioners acknowledged receipt of letters and indicated staff or the Office of Citizen Complaints (OCC) were the formal channels for investigations.
Why this matters: public commenters asked the Police Commission — the citizen oversight body that sets policy and hears appeals — to use its disciplinary authority or to direct the OCC to investigate apparent failures of process and alleged perjury in court. Those requests, if pursued, would trigger formal investigatory steps and potential discipline.
What happens next: Speakers said they would submit written materials to the commission and chief. The commission’s agenda moved on to reports and a scheduled closed-session docket that includes discipline matters; the public-comment record will be available to the OCC and commission staff for follow-up.
Sources: Public statements by Christine Wagner and Cathy Castro at the Oct. 12, 2011 San Francisco Police Commission meeting (public comment period).
