OIG Newsletter #3/May/2024

Dear San Francisco, 

In May, the Mayor's Office finalizes its budget proposal to submit to the Board of Supervisors. In June, the Board of Supervisors will conduct public hearings to determine the next fiscal year's budget for all the city departments. Please reach out to your local leaders to express your support for independent oversight and the Office of the Inspector General. We need funding and approval to hire investigators and begin performing the work that Proposition D promised the voters. 

We have set up the infrastructure required to launch the new department, including office space, workstations, technology, and processes. However, we need to hire investigators to begin transferring the core oversight work of investigations to the Office of the Inspector General.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

-Terry

Following the recent lockdowns in the jails, I led a team to County Jail (CJ) #3 located in San Bruno, San Francisco’s largest jail housing facility, to understand the experiences of the inmates and staff. We met with the leadership team at CJ #3 to better understand the daily challenges the staff face and to hear from their perspective what caused or contributed to the lengthy lockdowns. Additionally, we met with groups of inmates to understand the impact of the lockdowns on their lives and to receive their complaints. We discussed their living conditions in an open forum but also provided them with the opportunity to individually file confidential complaints with our senior investigator on hand. Overall, the inmates appeared healthy and were happy to learn about a new independent entity dedicated to investigating their complaints. The visit was extremely informative. 

I will continue to look into the lockdowns and will issue a more detailed report summarizing our findings and recommendations in the near future. We will be regularly visiting the jails alternating between the jails located in San Francisco and San Bruno.

I want to express my gratitude to the Sheriff's Chief of Staff Richard Jue for arranging the visit. A special thank you to Captain James Quanico of CJ #3 and Sergeant Mike Pyun for providing my team with access to the entire facility and the opportunity to speak with all the inmates. I was pleased to observe the friendly and respectful interactions between Capt. Quanico and Sgt. Pyun with the inmates. It was evident that they both had a deep understanding of how CJ #3 operated and were committed to cultivating trust with the long-term custody population.

I had the privilege of discussing many issues confronting law enforcement oversight with White House Staff in Washington D.C., including Vice President Harris' Senior Advisor on Criminal Justice Reform. During the trip, I learned about federal funding opportunities. I also visited Capitol Hill where I connected with Congressman Swalwell and Legislative Directors for Congresswoman Pelosi and Congresswoman Lee to generate Bay Area leadership support for the Office of the Inspector General.

Cherry Blossom Parade with Sheriff Miyamoto and Board President Soo

I've been actively engaging with stakeholders and participating in community events to promote awareness about the Office of the Inspector General and garner support for the new agency. I've also been attentive to input from the community. It was an honor to march with our Board President, Julie Soo, in the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, celebrating Japanese Heritage and Japanese American culture. Additionally, I attended the California Sheriff's Association Dinner to stay informed about issues confronting sheriff’s offices beyond San Francisco. I want to thank Sheriff Miyamoto and Chief Jue for inviting us to these events. 

I had a meeting with David Mauroff, the CEO of the San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project, which is the largest service and program provider for the Sheriff's Office. During our discussion, I gained insights into how we can facilitate more programs and services in the jails to support and enhance the reentry process.

In 2020, San Francisco voters passed Supervisor Walton's Proposition D, which resulted in the formation of the Sheriff's Department Oversight Board and the Office of the Inspector General. The primary function of these entities is to provide independent oversight for the Sheriff's Office. On December 20, 2023, the board appointed Inspector General Wiley, who officially assumed his role on January 8, 2024.

We appreciate your patience and support as Inspector General Wiley builds the Office of the Inspector General to become operational. While the Inspector General seeks funds through the budget process to serve the people of San Francisco and deliver on the promise of Proposition D, the Department of Police Accountability will continue to provide independent investigations into complaints of serious misconduct against San Francisco Sheriff deputies and in-custody deaths pursuant to existing agreements.  

Please stay tuned for updates about the transition of this work.