September 10, 2003

opinion

ON NOV. 4, after the frenzy of the recall election is over, voters in San Francisco will have the opportunity to elect a new mayor and a new district attorney, and to say yes or no to Proposition H, a City Charter amendment that seeks to change the San Francisco Police Commission appointment process and the citizen complaint process.

I'm supporting Prop. H. My decision was not lightly made. I extensively reviewed the research Prop. H is based on, and met or conversed with the American Civil Liberties Union, the Office of Citizen Complaints, the Controller's Office, and the San Francisco Police Officers Association.

Undeniably, the police are suffering from a significant crisis in public trust and confidence.

The drafters of Prop. H are confident it will provide better police accountability to citizens in instances of police misconduct by increasing the power of the Office of Citizen Complaints, San Francisco's civilian police oversight agency. The relevant provision will enable the OCC to take a sustained complaint directly to the Police Commission for public hearing in some cases. Currently, only the police chief has that power.

Regarding Police Commission appointments, Prop. H will increase the number of commissioners from five to seven. Currently, the mayor appoints all five commissioners. If the changes are adopted, the mayor will appoint four commissioners and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors three, and the supervisors will have veto power over the mayor's appointments and dismissals. Supporters assert that Prop. H will create a system of checks and balances and allow more citizen input to the process through their elected supervisors.

The San Francisco Police Officers Association, in its opposition to Prop. H, contends that it gives control of the police department to the Board of Supervisors.

The SFPOA also contends that the Police Commission and the Office of Citizen Complaints are among the best police-oversight entities in the country and provide adequate police accountability. And SFPOA leaders complain that they were not given the opportunity to have input into the proposed reform measure.

Sadly, in spite of the oversight currently in place, the low level of public confidence does not demonstrate that the oversight is having the desired effect. It is unlikely that the citizens or the police will be served by waiting to attack this problem. Judging from the questions and complaints in every forum and interview I have attended as a candidate for district attorney over the past five months, I believe there is a public demand for action, and I want San Franciscans to know that I'm listening.

That's why I believe it's critical that San Francisco citizens have a solid, reliable means for bringing complaints they might have about police behavior to the public body that oversees the department. By turning the Office of Citizen Complaints into a truly independent body, Prop. H is a step in the right direction toward greater accountability and a police force that will make this city proud.