Sheriff's Department Oversight Board 2024 Q3 Report

Summary

Charter Section 4.137 (b) (5) mandates that the Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board (SDOB) “Prepare and submit a quarterly report to the Sheriff and the Board of Supervisors regarding the SDOB evaluations and outreach, and OIG (Office of Inspector General) reports submitted to the SDOB.”

Charter Section 4.137 also mandates that the SDOB:
1) Evaluate the work of the OIG and may review the Inspector General’s individual work performance.
2) Compile, evaluate, and recommend law enforcement custodial and patrol best practices.
3) Conduct community outreach and receive community input regarding SFSD operations and jail conditions, by holding public meetings and soliciting input from persons incarcerated in the City and County.

Evaluations of the OIG during 2024 Q3:

Until such time as OIG is staffed with at least one investigator OIG will not be submitting reports.

Inspector General Terry Wiley has presented detailed monthly and quarterly reports to SDOB on his individual community outreach, site visits, and meeting with SFSO to address issues of concern. He has successfully resolved issues raised by incarcerated members and their families through working with SFSO. Many of the issues are directly related to the persistent staffing shortage and lack of resources, not the culture of SFSO staff. The current consensus is that SFSO is responsive to the needs of the community and works to timely address areas of concern.

Inspector General Wiley has effectively met with members of the community and has worked closely with the Department of Police Accountability (DPA) and its Chief Attorney Marshall Khine and its Investigators who continue to work on Sheriff’s Office matters that are outline in the MOU between SFSO and DPA.

He has included members of the SDOB on SFSO site visits.

SDOB community outreach:

Members attended National Night Out activities around the City in August. Members attended the Police-Fire-Sheriff Mass and an Inspector General Town Hall in the Mission in September.

OIG reports submitted to the SDOB 2024 Q3:

None. As previously indicated, until such time as OIG is staffed with at least one investigator OIG will not be submitting reports. The Department of Police Accountability verified data and information and presented a report to SDOB at the September 2024 meeting.

Summary of monthly commission board meetings:

July
Members voted to cancel and not reschedule the July meeting due to travel schedules that would result in lack of quorum.

August
Our August meeting was cancelled due to lack of quorum.

September
At our September meeting, the Board recognized fallen peace officers from the Bay Area.

Priscilla Portillo and Maria Reynoso from the San Francisco District Attorney’s gave an overview of victim services, including victim rights when serving victims of crime in San Francisco.

Inspector General Terry Wiley gave a monthly report on the monthly activities that included Q2. Inspector General Wiley summarized holding a first Town Hall; preparing and presenting the FY 2024-2025 budget to the Board of Supervisors; visiting SFSO jail facilities and noting jail conditions, lockdowns, and challenges to visitation; and, participating in community events including National Night Out.

We took nominations and re-elected Julie D. Soo to be President for 2024-2025 and elected Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter as Vice President for 2024-2025.

Marshall Khine, Chief Attorney for the Department of Police Accountability, presented on Sheriff’s Office investigations for Q2.

Other
In July, SDOB members Julie D. Soo, Ovava Afuhaamango, and DJ Brookter made a visit to County Jail #3 in San Bruno with IG Wiley and DPA Chief Attorney Marshall Khine.

In August, IG Wiley and Member DJ Brookter made a visit to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFGH) to learn more about the role of SFSO in providing security and accompanying incarcerated individuals for care. IG Wiley also learned more about community concerns and reports from the San Francisco Nursing Union of assaults on the job. ZSFGH is the City’s Level 1 Trauma Center.

Moving ahead to the last quarter of the year, SDOB looks to the Mayor’s Office and the Board of Supervisors to provide a minimal budget to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) so that Inspector General can begin staffing and move toward having a fully independent OIG as mandated by the City’s Charter.

SDOB also anticipates being able to begin strategic review of SFSO’s policies and procedures and pushing to have necessary upgrades to SFSO’s antiquated technology so that staff is less burdened by manual reporting and day-to-day scheduling.