New Grand Jury Report Confirms Breakdown in SFPD Accountability – Highlights Need for Reforms


For Immediate Release: May 29, 2003

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Civil Grand Jury released a detailed report further confirming the breakdown in San Francisco police accountability systems and highlighting the need for reforms. The study comes on the heels of three separate reports issued by the ACLU of Northern California, the San Francisco Controller and the Office of Citizen Complaints (OCC) – all calling for significant police reforms. The San Francisco Civil Grand Jury released the report on Wednesday, May 28.

“This report provides further evidence that the San Francisco Police Commission is failing to properly oversee the Police Department,” said Mark Schlosberg, Police Practices Policy Director of the ACLU of Northern California. “Significant reforms including changes to the structure of the Police Commission are needed to ensure police accountability. A Charter Amendment has already been introduced. The Board of Supervisors should act quickly to place it on the ballot.” On May 13, Supervisor Tom Ammiano introduced a Charter Amendment that would restructure the SF Police Commission and grant additional powers to the OCC.

The Grand Jury report details a consistent lack of cooperation by the Department with OCC investigations and most significantly, the failure of the Police Commission to fulfill its function. According to the report, “The Police commission has not exercised its power over both the OCC and SFPD to ensure that meritorious citizen complaints are not dismissed because of delays caused by SFPD procedures.”