Rules Committee forwards Malia Cohen's nomination to Police Commission after extensive questioning on oversight and budget

The Rules Committee on Monday voted to recommend Malia Cohen's nomination to the San Francisco Police Commission, following extended questioning on police oversight, discipline, and the department's budget.

Cohen, a former president of the Board of Supervisors, told the committee that oversight of law enforcement "is paramount" and highlighted her role in authoring Proposition G in 2016, which created the Department of Police Accountability and strengthened independent investigations, including for officer-involved shootings. "Oversight for law enforcement agency is paramount and should be consistent, from day one," she said.

Supervisors asked Cohen how the current moment differs from 2016 and what bold reforms she would pursue. Cohen said the city is at a "pivotal time" and that now is the moment to act, citing the need for data-driven approaches, better racial-disparity tracking, and partnerships with academics. She expressed support for rethinking which responses require armed officers and suggested some mental-health and substance-use responses could be handled outside traditional law-enforcement channels. "I don't think we need law enforcement there," she said of certain behavioral-health calls.

Committee members also asked about budget reductions and the political dynamics of a commission with more mayoral appointees than board appointees. Cohen said she would push for transparency, reexamine discipline and early-warning systems for problematic officers, and said she is open to engaging on structural leadership issues on the commission.

Public comment included more than a dozen callers, most urging approval of Cohen's nomination and praising her long record on police accountability. After public testimony the committee voted unanimously to forward her nomination with a positive recommendation to the full Board of Supervisors.