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San Francisco police chief outlines reorganization timetable, ComStat rollout and cautions on camera plans
Summary
Chief George Gascon told the commission the department will begin a phased reorganization in early November, expects a public ComStat session on Oct. 21, and said the city’s existing camera deployment is "ineffective" while urging careful safeguards and community input before any new camera program.
Chief George Gascon reported to the San Francisco Police Commission at its Treasure Island community meeting that an internal reorganization is advancing and that the department aims to begin initial rollout in early November. "The reorganization process... is moving forward, very well," Gascon said, adding that staffing moves and promotions will be taken to the commission after work-group planning.
Gascon said the first public ComStat will be held in late October and described other implementation milestones: automating information reporting, standing up community police advisory boards for each station and convening community forums. "If anybody has knee problems... my knee is doing very well," he said in an introductory aside, then returned to new systems and timelines.
On a separate public-safety topic, Gascon described a recent press conference with the Fire Department and Supervisor Shu to highlight dangerous, illegal residential marijuana cultivation. "This really is about the public safety issues," he said, listing hazards including overloaded electrical circuits, ventilation alterations that compromise fire retardant construction and a rise in organized activity accompanied by weapons.
Gascon also criticized the city’s existing camera program as poorly used. "I believe that they're very ineffective... it's like having a new hammer in the box in the toolbox and not using it," he said, and defended properly monitored camera deployments, citing an LAPD example: cameras at MacArthur Park were monitored and helped reduce visible narcotics activity there. He said appropriate safeguards and civil-rights group input, including from the ACLU, would be essential before any new initiative.
The chief told commissioners the department continues to work with employee groups and the police officers association on personnel changes and expects to address records-management limitations with interim solutions. He also said the department will provide further updates to the commission as planning continues.
Gascon outlined next steps as internal staff work and follow-up to be returned to the commission for approval; he did not propose immediate implementation of a citywide camera expansion and emphasized community and civil-rights participation in any future program.
