Oversight board approves inspector general budget request, asks staff to note original $5M estimate

The San Francisco Sheriff's Department Oversight Board voted to adopt a proposed budget for the Office of the Sheriff's Inspector General for FY 2026–27 in December 2026, asking staff to include footnotes that document the original $5,000,000 estimate and savings achieved through shared services.

Nicole Armstrong of the Department of Police Accountability, who presented the proposal, told the board the mayor's budget instructions emphasize reviewing discretionary spending, contracts and staffing. Armstrong said DPA is providing core functions—investigations, policy work, jail visits, technology improvements and operational support—while the IG office is not yet fully staffed: "what you can see on the screen is gonna be a significant decrease in funds over the years," she said, and noted prior budget requests to meet a charter mandate for additional positions had not been approved.

Armstrong also presented the office's staffing changes. She said the original permanent positions numbered 13 and that the current tally stands at 1.71 FTEs, which she described in the presentation as an "84.6 reduction of FTEs over the 4 years." She listed standard budget categories—salaries, fringe, non-personnel services, materials and interdepartmental services agreements—and said non-personnel services include a case management system, outreach materials and scene-response jackets.

Board members pressed for timing and next steps. Armstrong explained department budgets must be submitted by the following week and the mayor's budget phase runs through June, after which the Board of Supervisors will review the mayor's preliminary budget in two hearings. She urged continued community engagement, saying last year's public support "actually saved 1 of the positions."

During discussion a board member said the original freestanding estimate for the IG office was $5,000,000 and urged that figure be recorded; another member asked that the submission also highlight savings realized because DPA helped provide office backbone and services. Armstrong said the full cost estimate developed earlier may have omitted operational support positions and that fuller estimates were higher.

A motion to adopt the proposed budget with a request to add footnotes noting the original $5,000,000 estimate and the savings realized through DPA support was made, seconded and approved by a 5–0 roll-call vote. The clerk recorded five ayes and the motion carried. The board had no public comments on the item and adjourned at approximately 2:25 p.m.

The next formal milestone is the mayor's budget phase; board members and staff said they will advocate during that period and Armstrong agreed to provide an estimate of public funds (including in-kind contributions) already spent to support oversight functions.