Police Commission endorses Memphis CIT model, directs chief to return with 30-day plan

The San Francisco Police Commission voted 7–0 on Feb. 9 to endorse adoption of the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model for responses to incidents involving people with mental health needs and directed the chief of police to present an implementation plan and coordinator within 30 days.

Commissioners and outside experts said the model — which pairs specially trained volunteer officers with community mental health partners, adapts dispatch procedures and emphasizes de-escalation — has been associated in Memphis with lower officer injury rates and large reductions in arrests of people in crisis. Commissioner Angela Chan, who led the subcommittee that drafted the resolution, said the document ‘‘adopts the Memphis CIT model’’ and lays out the key components, including a CIT coordinator, a mental health working group, required training and reporting procedures.

Why it matters: Commissioners, mental-health providers and family members framed the resolution as a step to reduce the number of officer-involved uses of force and to move people into treatment rather than the criminal justice system. Multiple speakers at the public hearing urged action now; one family member, Frances Sheehan, told the commission about her sister’s recent near-fatal shooting and said, ‘‘She needed help, not bullets.’’

What the resolution would do: The resolution asks the police department to select a CIT coordinator; build a mental health working group that includes DPH and community stakeholders; institute specialty CIT officers who remain in patrol but receive a minimum of 40 hours of advanced training (with 16 hours introductory training for all officers); pursue funding for co-response models such as SMART teams; and establish reporting so the Commission can oversee rollout. Commissioner Chan told the panel she ‘‘stole the blueprint from the OCC’’ (Office of Citizen Complaints) and credited OCC staff and community groups for shaping the document.

Presentations and evidence: Guests from Memphis — Major Sam Cochran (ret.) and Dr. DuPont — described how their program relies on community partnerships, specially selected volunteer officers who display ‘‘ownership’’ of the role, and close 9‑1‑1/dispatch coordination so a CIT officer can be dispatched as lead when appropriate. Dr. DuPont presented outcome research saying the program increased short‑term treatment engagement and reduced officer injuries in Memphis; he said the Memphis planning group continually refines the model based on feedback from officers, advocates and providers.

Local stakeholders at the hearing — including NAMI San Francisco, the Mental Health Association, the Department of Public Health, the Public Defender’s Office and provider agencies — supported the model but emphasized resource gaps. Jo Robinson, director of community behavioral health services, described existing local capacity: ‘‘last year, jail psychiatric services saw over 5,000 individuals’’ and community mental health services saw about 25,000, but evening/mobile services are limited and capacity can constrain outcomes. Counsel for behavioral health court said the program already produces measurable cost savings and reduced recidivism and urged implementing pre‑booking diversion alongside CIT.

Questions and caveats: Commissioners pressed Memphis presenters and local officials on details commissioners said would determine success: how officers who have already received 40‑hour training would be incorporated, dispatcher procedures to identify and match CIT officers to calls, whether response times would suffer and how to measure outcomes. Major Cochran and Dr. DuPont said response times were not materially worsened in Memphis and that success depends on leadership, community ownership and networking among providers, dispatch and officers.

Vote and next steps: The Commission voted to adopt the resolution with a friendly amendment requiring the chief to return in 30 days with an implementation plan and an appointed coordinator to lead the effort. The department and OCC indicated they would review the resolution language with the chief’s designee and bring any recommended technical changes back for the Commission to consider. The chief also agreed to report practical details — staffing, training schedules and resource needs — within the 30‑day timeframe.

What remains unresolved: Stakeholders and commissioners flagged funding, expansion of mobile crisis hours, dispatch integration, and capacity at emergency psychiatric services as open issues that will shape whether officers can reliably divert people to care rather than arrest. Commissioners also pressed for concrete protocols that would guide on‑scene decisions in rapidly evolving incidents; the chief said the department will review existing general orders and policies as part of implementation.

The commission moved next into closed session for disciplinary matters after completing the public agenda.