San Francisco, CA – Today, Executive Director Paul D. Henderson announced the release of the DPA’s CY 2021 Annual Report detailing data from DPA’s cases and findings. The report highlights significant achievements and underscores the agency’s focus on accountability and transparency.
“At DPA we strive to make reform and accountability understandable and accessible with each iteration of our annual report. Before 2019, the reports contained raw data but did not include analysis, charts, or details we believe are essential to understanding civilian oversight. The 2021 Annual Report details major accomplishments, case findings, and data.” DPA Executive Director Paul David Henderson
In 2021, DPA continued to build on technological progress made in 2020. Using video conferencing and paperless documents have made DPA more efficient in achieving department goals. In 2021, DPA closed 885 complaints. Improper police conduct was found in 61 (11%) DPA investigations, almost three times the national average of 4%.
In addition, DPA added a new San Francisco Police District page which further breaks down case findings by district and allows the community to compare each district’s top calls for service, demographics, and investigation outcomes. Our new district pages are part of our longstanding commitment to transparency and making our work more accessible to the public.
Highlights from the 2021 Annual Report:
- 775 New Complaints Containing 2,148 Allegations
- 885 Cases Closed
- 146 Policy Recommendations
- 35,866 Senate Bill 1421 Cumulative Pages Released
- 11% Sustained Rate (National Average 4%)
- 53% Increase in New Cases Over the Past 5 Years
- 37 Cases Mediated
- Distinguished Knighton Award presented to DPA and Office Controller for the audit titled The Police Department Needs Clearer Guidance and More Proactive Governance for Better Use-of-Force Data Collection and Reporting
The DPA Annual Report is available on our website: https://sf.gov/departments/department-police-accountability