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SFPD begins meet-and-confer on Brady policy; commission presses for numbers and a distinct general-order
Summary
Department officials told the commission a meet-and-confer with the POA has started to craft a Brady disclosure policy; commissioners asked for data on how many officers may be affected and urged a commission-level general order to ensure an enduring policy and transparency.
Assistant Chief Morris Tabak told the Police Commission on June 2 that the San Francisco Police Department has initiated a meet-and-confer with the Police Officers Association to negotiate a draft policy on Brady disclosures and related personnel-file procedures.
Tabak said discussions with the city attorney and the district attorney's office had been ongoing and that the process started "this afternoon." He cautioned that disclosure of certain security- or personnel-related details could compromise safety, and he asked for care while negotiating with the POA.
Commissioners pressed for more public information about the scope and near-term impacts. "To this day, how many officers so far have we turned over Brady information on?" one commissioner asked. Tabak said the matter was part of an ongoing process and requested time to return with more detailed, process-oriented materials rather than immediate numbers. Other commissioners said they understood the need to preserve process integrity but emphasized the public's interest in how many officers are affected and whether affected officers would be ineligible for certain patrol duties.
Several commissioners recommended the creation of a Department General Order (DGO) or commission-level policy statement ensuring the department always maintains a Brady policy and clear parameters so the policy survives administrative turnover. The commission volunteered members to act as liaisons to help draft or review the policy text, and commissioners asked the department and the Office of Citizen Complaints to return with a department general order proposal within weeks.
Why it matters: Brady-related disclosures can affect prosecutions, witness eligibility and officer deployment. Commissioners framed the issue as an intersection of transparency, defendants' rights and officers' privacy and safety.
Next steps: The department said it would continue the meet-and-confer, return with more detailed proposals and timeline information, and work with the commission on a DGO-level statement to define principles and reporting obligations. Commissioners asked for a public update in coming weeks.
