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Residents and commenters urge the commission to end 'patrol specials' and seek charter action
Summary
Multiple speakers at the May 25 meeting called patrol special officers unconstitutional and urged the Police Commission to move quickly — possibly by May 29 — to pursue a charter amendment or other action to curb privately funded 'patrol specials.'
Several members of the public told the Police Commission on May 25 that privately funded "patrol specials" operating in neighborhoods amount to lawless, secret security operations that should be shut down or placed under stricter oversight.
Tom Selhurst told the commission the patrol specials "shouldn't even be in existence" and called them "unconstitutional," arguing the commission had received a controller's report months earlier and had not acted. He said attempts to regulate the patrol specials should be completed in time to place a charter amendment on the ballot and directly named Supervisor Scott Wiener and Andrea Aiello as supporters of some patrol special activity in the Castro.
A returning commenter reiterated that patrol special officer associations are effectively "rent-a-cop" services for paying clients and criticized continued tolerance. Commissioners did not take formal action on a charter amendment at the meeting but acknowledged the item and public concern and noted scheduling and follow-up opportunities.
The commission did remove a separate agenda item involving a particular patrol special officer from the calendar because the officer had a family bereavement; the broader policy concerns about patrol specials remain in public comment and commission announcements.
