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Police commission reviews draft rule to overhaul how department policies are updated
Summary
The commission discussed DGO 3.01, a draft policy to create a five-year rolling review of Department General Orders, reduce reliance on temporary bulletins and incorporate 17 Department of Justice accountability recommendations; the item remained discussion-only after staff acknowledged a 10-day public-posting requirement had not been met.
Sergeant Gary Buckner of Professional Standards introduced a draft Department General Order, 3.01, that would overhaul how the San Francisco Police Department creates, amends and indexes policies.
Buckner said the proposal would establish a five-year rolling review schedule for DGOs, reduce the departments reliance on short-term bulletins (which he said numbered some 600 over two years), and incorporate 17 specific recommendations from the Department of Justices Collaborative Reform Initiative aimed at improving accountability. "We wanted to make it more efficient, more transparent and more accountable," Buckner told the commission.
Commissioners pressed staff on procedural safeguards. Commissioner Petra de Jesus asked how the draft would ensure that any bulletin substantially changing policy is brought to the commission in the required window; Buckner replied that under the draft such changes must come to the commission for action before being folded into a DGO. Staff also described planned electronic indexing and improved mobile search so officers can locate relevant policy in the field.
During discussion the commission discovered the draft had not been posted to meet the charters 10-day public-notice requirement for rule changes. President Turman directed staff to treat the item as discussion-only and schedule it for a future vote after proper public posting. No formal action was taken on 3.01 at the Jan. 17 meeting.
Commissioners and staff said they plan a subsequent meeting that will include the proposed five-year review schedule as an exhibit and additional outreach to stakeholders before a formal vote.
