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Committee presses SFPD on civilianization and hiring delays; hearing continued
Summary
The committee heard presentations from the Controller’s office, SFPD and the Strategic Management Bureau about civilianization progress and hiring challenges. SFPD reported filling 13 of 25 FY18‑19 civilian positions; the hearing was continued for further reporting and a future DHR appearance was requested.
President Norman Yee opened a hearing on Oct. 24 focused on civilianization of SFPD positions and staffing analysis, saying the Board has requested a full police staffing analysis and that "the sole focus of today's hearing" would be civilianization while the broader study is completed.
Peg Stevenson, director of the Controller's performance unit, summarized prior civilianization studies and said about 60 positions had been civilianized in earlier years; she described work validating SFPD’s identification of roughly 50 additional positions potentially suitable for civilianization and noted Controller memos (May 13 and other materials) are publicly available. Stevenson said many civilianization recommendations had already been budgeted and approved through the City’s budget processes.
SFPD representatives provided operational updates. Commander Ford told the committee that of the 25 civilian positions budgeted for FY18‑19, 13 have been filled to date and the remainder are in various stages (classification approval, exam development, background investigations or posted). Executive Director Catherine McGuire (Strategic Management Bureau) noted classification work requires DHR and Civil Service Commission review and that one new classification (background investigator) had been approved and posted that week.
Supervisors questioned how officers shifted out of civilian roles would be re-acclimated to patrol and whether training (CPT, CIT, use-of-force updates) and a deliberate re-entry process would be provided. Commander Ford said SFPD has a reentry process and that continued professional training occurs every two years. Supervisors asked for more specifics and suggested a follow-up hearing inviting the Department of Human Resources to explain classification and hiring timelines and bottlenecks.
Two members of the public spoke during comment. Jacqueline Moreno asked whether civilianization would benefit current civilian employees and how tensions between sworn and civilian staff would be managed. Another commenter described entrance-exam logistics and raised concerns about past drug-use screening as a hiring barrier.
The committee agreed to continue the hearing to the call of the chair for further updates, including the broader staffing analysis expected later in the year, and to request that DHR appear in a future hearing to explain classification and hiring processes.
