SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Police Department has implemented just 10% of the police reforms handed down by the federal government three years ago.
Critics have called out the department for failing to adhere to the recommendations in a timely manner, saying the completion of 29 out of 272 reforms isn't anything to be proud of.
But Police Chief Bill Scott told the Board of Supervisors at a recent meeting to discuss the status of the reform effort that the changes that have been made have worked wonders, especially when it comes to on-duty officer-involved shootings.
"We went over 14 months without having an 'on-duty,' and that has not been done in recent memory, so I think that's attributable to this collaborative reform where the policy changes, the community input, and all the things in the body of work that we're talking about here — the training, the policies, which I believe drive a change in the culture," Scott said.
Scott cited the case of woman who was allegedly driving around, ramming vehicles in the Tenderloin a few months ago as evidence of the successful new approach to policing.
"That situation, I truly believe under the prior policy, may have resulted in an officer involved shooting," he said. "Because of the coordination, the communication, the tactics, the crisis-intervention training and all of the things we're doing, that situation was meant with a successful resolution." No one was harmed by police before thw suspect's arrest.
"Use of force is down across the board," he continued, "and we've also seen decreases in every racial and ethnic category."
Scott did admit that the department still has a lot of work to do, and people who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting agreed.
Ben Paul said the force should have a lot more of these recommendations enacted by now.
"It's staggering," he said. "At this pace, they will complete in 2046."
Gloria Berry, another attendee, concurred.
"I'd be embarrassed to show the pie-chart of reforms that are in progress," Berry said. "My grandson will be 44 by the time the reforms are done, and he's only two."
This was the first status report on the department reforms in two years. During that time, the Trump administration ended the federal oversight of the SFPD. The state Department of Justice is now providing the oversight.
