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SFPD urges Entertainment inspectors to call police when encountering suspected illegal parties
Summary
San Francisco Police Lieutenant Dave Falzon urged the Entertainment Commission to direct inspectors to call SFPD when they encounter unpermitted parties, recommending citations for missing permits as a first enforcement step to protect inspectors and bring venues into compliance.
San Francisco police urged closer operational coordination with the Entertainment Commission on enforcement of unpermitted events, saying inspectors should call police units before attempting entry.
Lieutenant Dave Falzon of the San Francisco Police Department told the commission that when inspectors find possible illegal parties "all they need to do is call for 1 of our units to respond out there," so inspectors do not have to "walk into something blind." Falzon recommended starting the enforcement process by citing venues for the absence of required permits (he referenced a 10-60 permit) and, as needed, citing alcohol violations. He said SFPD units can respond 24 hours a day to provide coverage and that doing so helps bring allied agencies (city attorney, code enforcement, planning) into the follow-up process.
Commission staff said many complaints are reported after events end, which makes prompt response difficult; staff described the situation as one requiring partnership with SFPD and other agencies because inspectors are not equipped to enter unknown venues alone. "Our job is to bring them into compliance if it's something that's capable of being brought into compliance," staff said, adding that police are generally the first agency to involve for safety and evidence-gathering.
The commission discussed adopting the coordination approach in practice and encouraged inspectors to call police when active unpermitted events are encountered. No formal ordinance or rule change was enacted at the meeting; the recommendation was recorded as operational guidance for staff and inspectors.
