Safer Schools task force recommends ongoing city‑wide coordination, prevention and better campus reporting

The Safer Schools Sexual Assault Task Force presented its findings and recommendations to the Government Audit & Oversight Committee on Oct. 25, urging sustained, funded coordination across city agencies and higher education institutions to prevent and respond to sexual violence.

Julia Weber, consultant to the Department on the Status of Women, summarized the task force’s work: an ordinance passed in April 2016 created a 10‑member task force that included a survivor seat and conducted research and outreach across 23 colleges and universities in San Francisco. Weber noted the limits of available campus data and estimated that thousands of students could be affected based on prevalence figures cited in the report.

The task force recommended six categories of action: a continuing, resourced task force or staff function to coordinate city‑wide and campus efforts; prevention programming (including potential expansion into K–12); MOUs between campuses and law enforcement and community organizations; improved data collection and public reporting; training and annual citywide events; and survivor‑centered advocacy and support including improved access to trauma‑informed services.

Meenesh Kandell and task force members discussed several practical recommendations including bystander amnesty policies, examples of campus legal aid models, and expanded climate surveys. Community voices and long‑standing campus prevention programs (City College Project Survive and Expect Respect SF) urged continued funding to expand prevention to younger grades.

The committee voted to file the item and asked staff to continue working with the task force to operationalize recommendations.