Police politics
Will the new commission differ from the old one?

By Sitara Nieves

Police reform advocates are worried that Mayor Gavin Newsom's recent picks for the San Francisco Police Commission are driven by politics rather than by principles.

Proposition H, the police reform measure approved by San Francisco voters in November, expands the commission to include mayoral and Board of Supervisor nominees and increases the power of the civilian-run Office of Citizen Complaints.

Newsom nominated former city attorney Louise Renne, attorney Joe Alioto Veronese, attorney Douglas Chan, and Dr. Joseph Marshall, executive director of the Omega Boys Club. The nominations are subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors, which will also appoint three members to the commission.

Supporters of Prop. H have cautiously reacted to the nominations. "I'm concerned about everybody but Marshall," Malaika Parker of Bay Area Police Watch said.

Marc Solomon, a member of San Franciscans for Police Reform and Oversight, put it more bluntly: "Alioto and Renne are obvious political payback for work done on Newsom's campaign. These nominations could create the kind of politicized 4-3 split we see on the school board."

Proponents of Prop. H believe Newsom's picks will likely be approved by the board but hope the supervisors will fill their appointments with reform-minded candidates. SFPRO members have endorsed John Tasvina, Peter Keane, Kim-Shree Maufas, and Lateefah Simon for board nomination.

"Tasvina, Keane, Maufas, and Simon are all strong community leaders who could create some balance on the commission," said Mesha Monge-Irizarry, director of the Idriss Stelley Foundation. Stelley, Monge-Irizarry's son, was killed in 2001 by San Francisco police officers.

Even with concerns about Newsom's appointments, Parker remains hopeful about the future of the commission under Prop. H: "There's a long history of misconduct in the police department. The Police Commission now has the opportunity to be a really strong force for police accountability and create a model structure for the nation."

The Board of Supervisors' Rules Committee considers these nominations to the Police Commission and accepts public comment April 14, 10 a.m., City Hall, Board of Supervisors' Chambers, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl., S.F. (415) 554-4441.