Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Policy Reform topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Police Department and OCC report progress on DGOs; commissioners push to set firm dates
Summary
The department and Office of Citizen Complaints reported progress updating department general orders (DGOs), including language access and juvenile detention policies now in city attorney review; commissioners criticized slow calendars and asked for firm target dates for priority orders.
Commander Sylvia Harper and OCC staff presented the quarterly SPARC report on Department General Orders and policy proposals, describing ongoing updates: 12 department bulletins and numerous DGOs have been revised since the last package, and approximately 39 DGOs were under review. Harper acknowledged the process is dynamic and that several items were moving through legal review.
Ms. Hamrai Marion and language access stakeholders described Department General Order 5.2 (Language Access for Limited English Proficient persons) as nearing final review by the city attorney and noted the department has translated consent and follow‑up forms into five target languages (Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Tagalog and Vietnamese). The DGO still requires Police Officers Association (POA) concurrence before being calendared for commission action.
Stakeholders also reported broad review of DGO 7.01 (Policies and procedures for juvenile detention, arrests and custody) involving roughly 50 youth and juvenile justice organizations; that draft likewise awaits city attorney review and POA input, with an anticipated earliest calendar date in early September if reviews proceed on schedule.
Several commissioners pressed for reform of the DGO approval process, calling it a "nightmare" and urging leadership to set realistic deadlines so items do not stall. Commissioner Veronese identified priority DGOs he wants expedited: 8.12 (in‑custody death), 3.16 (release of police reports), and 8.09 (media relations); commissioners also discussed 11.07 (nondiscrimination / EEO) as a priority.
OCC Director Fields announced the OCC move to 25 Van Ness with an anticipated October 1 move date and noted the NACOLE conference was upcoming in late summer.
Next steps: Command staff and OCC said they will coordinate with the city attorney and POA to set dates and avoid repeated rescheduling. Commissioners requested written timelines and calendar notices before items are formally agendized.
No DGOs were adopted at this meeting; the report was informational and used to set priorities for future commission agendas.
