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Health department defends plan to contract hospital security as supervisors press for safety guarantees
Summary
San Francisco Department of Public Health proposed contracting some hospital security work to private firms to avoid service cuts; supervisors and the controller pressed for clearer safety comparisons, hybrid models and staffing numbers. The committee deferred a final decision for further talks.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health told the Budget and Finance Committee on July 11 that contracting some hospital security services could avert deeper cuts to health and human services while meeting joint‑commission safety requirements.
"We put this up not to increase our safety ability, but to not have to cut as many health and human services," Director of Health Barbara Garcia said, describing a proposal that would replace many current sheriff posts with a contractor model intended to yield budget savings.
The proposal prompted sustained questioning from supervisors and fiscal staff about safety trade‑offs and the size of likely savings. Comptroller Ben Rosenfield told the committee an "IP‑only"…
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