“This is a real victory for the people of San Francisco and a mandate for change,” said Mark Schlosberg, Police Practices Policy Director of the ACLU of Northern California. “There is growing momentum throughout California and the nation for better oversight of the police. This victory creates a momentum that we hope to take to other cities throughout the region.”

Proposition H came on the heals of a series of police related scandals and scathing reports from the ACLU, the OCC, the City Controller, and the Civil Grand Jury detailing a breakdown in accountability procedures and recommending reforms. It was supported by a wide cross section of San Franciscans including all three District Attorney candidates, four of five major mayoral candidates, labor unions, civil rights groups and community leaders.

The measure passed despite an intense campaign by the Police Officers’ Association (POA) that outspent Yes on H by at least 3 to 1. The POA aired misleading television ads, placed numerous auto-dial phone calls, and sent out multiple mailers, but San Francisco voters saw through all the misinformation.

“It is no longer business as usual in San Francisco,” said Schlosberg. “We intend to ensure that police accountability, responsibility and reform become a way of life in our city and we hope to become a model for the nation in police reform and accountability.”