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Committee considers making DPA director an elected position; public witness warns against politicization
Summary
Vice Chair Shimon Walton presented a first-draft charter amendment to make the Department of Police Accountability director an elected office to increase independence; public comment warned the change could politicize oversight. The committee voted unanimously to continue the item for further meet-and-confer.
The Rules Committee took up a first-draft charter amendment on June 27 that would make the director of the Department of Police Accountability an elected position and place the question on the November 5, 2024 ballot.
Vice Chair Supervisor Shimon Walton said the elected post would strengthen independent oversight and help rebuild trust between law enforcement and the public. Walton said staff had edited language (for example, removing the term "instant runoff" in favor of ranked-choice voting) and proposed that the Civil Service Commission determine the initial salary range for the new position, drawing on comparable non-elected department head classifications. He thanked Deputy City Attorney Christina Fleetis and his staff for their work and named Supervisors Asha Safaie, Hillary Ronan and Preston as cosponsors.
Walton framed the proposal as intended to keep the DPA leader independent from mayoral control and to ensure impartial investigations into allegations of police misconduct. He said the change would be "about public safety for everyone."
A public commenter with oversight experience, Barbara Tard, urged caution, saying that making the DPA director an elected position risks politicizing the office and deterring experienced oversight professionals from applying. Tard suggested alternatives, including strengthening appointment safeguards to preserve technical expertise.
Committee members expressed support for further conversation and meet-and-confer with labor (MEA) and community stakeholders. A supervisor recorded in the transcript as "Supervisor Watson" said additional outreach and dialogue were appropriate and supported continuing the item. The committee then voted unanimously to continue the measure to the call of the chair; recorded votes were "aye" from Walton, Safaie and Ronan.
