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SFPD suspends participation in FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force after audit and public pressure
Summary
Chief William Scott announced on Feb. 1 that the San Francisco Police Department has suspended participation in the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force pending review of a 2007 MOU and updates to department general orders; community groups and the Department of Police Accountability urged stronger training, transparency and public notice before any re-entry.
San Francisco Chief of Police William Scott announced at the Police Commission's Feb. 1 meeting that the department has suspended its participation in the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) pending a review of the 2007 memorandum of understanding and updates to departmental policies.
"As of today, we have suspended our operations, or participation in the Joint Terrorism Task Force," Chief Scott told the commission, adding that the department will update Department General Order 8.10 and consult the commission and community before considering renegotiation of any MOU with the FBI.
The suspension followed a presentation from Lieutenant Dave O'Connor, who described SFPD officers'roles on the JTTF in 2016: two officers were detailed to the task force, the SFPD paid their salaries, and officers acted principally as liaisons and information-sharing partners. O'Connor told the commission the officers handled about 54 assigned cases and 60 "to-warn" matters in 2016 and emphasized training on DGO 8.10 and DGO 5.17.
Community advocates who helped push for review welcomed the announcement but pressed for stronger safeguards. John Crew, a retired attorney who helped draft DGO 8.10 years ago, praised the pause and urged transparency: "That will be viewed as very suspicious in bad faith" if SFPD re-enters the JTTF without public discussion, he said.
The Department of Police Accountability (DPA) had presented a separate audit earlier in the meeting that found a training failure in one 8.10-related matter and recommended immediate remediation: an urgent department bulletin clarifying that DGO 8.10 applies when a criminal investigation involves First Amendment activity, followed by roll-call and video-based training and community participation in any revisions.
During public comment, scores of speakers from groups including the Asian Law Caucus, the ACLU, CARE, the Idris Elie Foundation and local neighborhood organizations urged the commission not to rejoin the JTTF without robust training, clearer adherence to the Safe San Francisco Civil Rights Ordinance and public oversight. Several speakers also called for the department to make prior MOUs and authorizations public.
Chief Scott and Deputy Chief Mike Redmond said the department will collaborate with the commission and community stakeholders as it updates policy and training. Redmond said the ten-year-old MOU requirement calls for the MOU to be revisited and, if necessary, renegotiated through the Board of Supervisors.
Next steps identified at the meeting included issuance of an immediate department bulletin clarifying DGO 8.10, expedited training for officers assigned to sensitive roles, and a public process with commission participation before any re-entry into the JTTF.
