DPH proposes cutting deputy posts, expanding behavioral‑health response; clinicians and advocates push for full divestment

The San Francisco Department of Public Health on May 4 unveiled a plan to reduce the presence of sheriff deputies in health‑system settings and expand a Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) and clinic‑based ambassadors as alternatives to armed law‑enforcement staff. DPH Director of Security Basil Price said the changes are aimed at aligning safety work with health‑care goals and reducing racial disparities in use‑of‑force incidents.

"Our goals for this Safety Service Plan is to provide a safe environment, secure environment for patients, staff, as well as visitors," Price said during his presentation, outlining a phased shift from uniformed deputies toward clinical and non‑uniformed responses.

Price described data showing a high share of law‑enforcement use‑of‑force incidents in hospitals and said the proposed staffing adjustments would include an approximate reduction of 11.4 deputy full‑time equivalents (FTEs) at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and an addition of clinical staff for an in‑hospital Behavioral Emergency Response Team. At Laguna Honda, DPH proposes reducing about 4.2 deputy FTEs and adding trained ambassadors and psychiatric nurses. For community clinics, the department would replace fixed deputy posts with contracted, community‑based ambassadors and vehicle patrol backfill when needed.

DPH Chief Operating Officer Greg Wagner said the proposal will proceed in phases and noted that any contracting out of clinic security would require voter approval under Proposition J. Wagner also emphasized extensive internal and external engagement with staff, community members and labor partners as the plan moves forward.

The proposal prompted a multi‑hour public‑comment period in which scores of clinicians, students, union representatives and community residents urged the Health Commission to go further and faster. Commenters recounted incidents they said demonstrated harm from law‑enforcement involvement in health settings and called for new roles to be city employees represented by unions.

"The last thing they need is uniformed armed officers intervening," said Michael Lyon, a former biomedical technician at San Francisco General, summarizing what many callers described as traumatic encounters that deter patients from seeking care.

Supporters of the plan urged immediate expansion of BERT and patient‑support services, while many said cadets or contracted sheriff staff were an unacceptable substitute for DPH‑led, unionized community safety teams. Assistant Sheriff Tanzanika Carter, speaking near the end of public comment, thanked callers for their testimony, invited reports of misconduct through internal affairs and said the sheriff's office wants to work with DPH on solutions.

Commissioners asked staff to continue iterative community engagement and evaluation. Several commissioners praised the direction of the proposal but stressed the importance of rapidly staffing and evaluating the BERT teams, ensuring robust training cadences, and pursuing unionized jobs for newly created roles.

DPH staff said implementation will be phased with further meetings with labor and community stakeholders; the Mayor and Board of Supervisors approval process is expected later in the summer with hiring and onboarding continuing through the following spring. The Health Commission did not take a final vote on the security staffing plan at the May 4 meeting; the item was a discussion and input session and will return for action as planning continues.