Rules Committee sends foot‑ and bike‑patrol plan to full Board with positive recommendation

The Rules Committee voted unanimously on Oct. 30 to recommend to the full Board an amendment to the Administrative Code that requires the Police Chief to craft a foot‑ and bike‑patrol strategy and directs the Police Commission to hold annual community‑policing hearings. Supervisor Assur Safai sponsored the measure and said the plan would be set and implemented starting Jan. 1, 2024.

Safai described the amendments as clarifications to ensure equity across police districts and to incorporate the patrol strategy into the department’s budgetary cycle. Vice Chair Shimon Walton said foot and bike patrols help build community relationships and can cover significant ground if employed strategically.

SFPD leadership welcomed the direction but cautioned the committee that deployment of foot and bike patrols depends on available staffing. The Chief told supervisors the measure "calls for a plan" and the department would attempt to implement patrols within existing staffing constraints, sometimes making day‑to‑day decisions depending on available officers.

On the committee floor the motion to amend was adopted and a subsequent motion to forward the amended item to the full Board with a positive committee report passed unanimously (Walton, Safai, Dorsey all recorded aye). The committee instructed the Chief and command staff to prepare a plan and the Police Commission to schedule annual hearings to review community policing and patrol deployment.

Next steps: the amended administrative‑code item will appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda with a committee report recommending approval.