Rules Committee Hears Broad Support for Carol Kingsley’s Nomination to Police Commission

Carol Kingsley, nominated by Mayor Gavin Newsom to fill an unexpired term on the San Francisco Police Commission, told the Rules Committee she would bring her decades of legal and mediation experience and a long record of gun‑violence prevention advocacy to the oversight body. "I value, I treasure the fact that San Francisco is a sanctuary city," Kingsley said, adding she would work with the police chief and community to foster trust and reduce a backlog of officer‑related complaints.

The committee meeting provided a forum for members to question Kingsley about how she would apply mediation skills on the commission and how she would solicit input from San Francisco’s diverse communities. Supervisor Eric Marr asked how Kingsley would engage communities of color and non‑English speakers; Kingsley said she would use listening and interpretation strategies and draw on neighborhood leaders and research on other cities’ practices.

Scores of public supporters spoke in favor of Kingsley during the allotted public‑comment period. Speakers included her son, Zach Berman, longtime colleagues from the Legal Community Against Violence and former Ethics Commission colleagues. Rabbi Martin Weiner’s endorsement letter was read into the record. "Carol brings the background, skills and experience required to be an excellent police commissioner," a letter submitted by a community leader said.

Several supervisors praised Kingsley’s ethics commission service and personal commitment following the 1993 101 California Street shootings, in which she lost her husband. The committee moved the nomination forward for consideration; no formal objection was recorded in the excerpted hearing record.

The committee did not complete final confirmation during this session; next procedural steps noted in the hearing include placement on a future rules schedule for formal action.