Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mission Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge forum after two Mission shootings and alleged officer misconduct
Summary
Community members at the July 30 Police Commission meeting urged the department to hold a forum in the Mission after two shootings and alleged an officer told an eyewitness to 'shut up'; department investigators said they contacted the witness and staff pledged to schedule follow‑up outreach.
Several residents told the Police Commission on July 30 that two recent shootings on Twentieth Street in the Mission left merchants and residents fearful and that a community member who tried to provide eyewitness information was rebuffed by an officer.
Jim Salinas, a longtime Mission resident and community leader, said a community member who witnessed the first shooting was told by an officer to "shut up" after offering evidence. Salinas said the remark had a chilling effect and discouraged immigrants and others from cooperating with police.
"For her reward ... she was basically told to shut up," Salinas said, describing the interaction and urging the commission to address the breakdown in trust between police and communities of color.
Department leaders and lieutenant-level staff told the commission they had followed up: investigators contacted the witness the same afternoon for more information, and SFPD offered either the department’s formal process or a community-forum approach to resolve concerns. The chief's office and station command said they would help organize a community meeting and that investigators had reached out to the witness.
Commissioners supported scheduling a community forum and the commission's violent-crime subcommittee offered to hold meetings in the neighborhood to hear directly from merchants and residents.
Why it matters: Public claims of discouraging eyewitness cooperation can undermine community trust and hinder investigations; both commissioners and department leadership said they would prioritize follow-up outreach in the Mission and consider a commission subcommittee meeting in the neighborhood.
Next steps: Department staff said they will coordinate a community forum and investigators will continue to pursue leads from the eyewitness contact.
