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Mother urges SFPD and city to boost visibility of homicide rewards
Summary
During public comment, Paula Brown told the Police Commission she has displayed photos of her son and seeks city-sanctioned venues such as Muni, BART and libraries to increase visibility for a $250,000 reward; the SFPD said posters are distributed to district stations and the department will explore MTA and library posting.
Paula Brown — identified in remarks to the commission as the mother of Aubrey Abricasa, who was shot to death on Aug. 14, 2006 — urged the San Francisco Police Commission on March 4 to provide public venues to display victims’ photographs and to increase publicity for an existing $250,000 reward.
Brown described daily grief and said the reward, while substantial, has limited practical effect because posters and notices are easily removed from neighborhood bulletin boards. "I have a $250,000 reward, and I thank the mayor for it, but I can't do anything with it but put it in my living room as a trophy," she told the panel.
Commissioners and SFPD leaders acknowledged the problem and described current practices: the department said wanted posters and reward notices are distributed to district stations, included in the captain’s newsletter and posted on the SFPD website; the department also canvasses neighborhoods after new leads. Chief Heather Fong and other staff said they would contact the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) and the Public Library to explore opportunities to post rewards on buses, in transit stations and at libraries.
President Sparks asked the chief to report back in about a month on options for increasing public visibility; Chief Fong agreed.
The commission and members of the public said the city should consider broader outreach through community-based organizations and city-funded contractors to ensure persistent public visibility for outstanding rewards.
