Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Board committee questions mayor’s office and SFPD on taxpayer‑funded communications about policing
Summary
The GAO Committee held an oversight hearing on how the mayor’s office and SFPD use taxpayer funds for communications about policing; the mayor’s office said it has no written communications policies and a ~$1.3M budget with eight staff, SFPD defended its strategic communications and acknowledged room to better address racial disparities, and a civil‑rights expert accused both of fostering a pro‑police narrative to secure resources.
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee held a hearing May 5 to examine how the City of San Francisco spends public money on communications about policing and public safety, whether those communications are governed by written policies, and whether they shape public narratives and funding priorities.
Chair Supervisor Dean Preston framed the review as an examination of "taxpayer‑funded communications" the city uses to convey information about crime and public safety. Tom Paulino, mayoral liaison to the Board, told the committee the mayor’s Office of Communications coordinates with public safety departments on urgent incidents and mayoral priorities, has an approximate $1.3 million annual budget and eight full‑time communications staff, currently has no outside PR contracts and — he said — does not have documented internal policies governing what the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
