Commission calls for probe into SFPD staffing

By Ari Burack

February 13, 2008

The San Francisco Police Commission tonight approved a resolution calling for an independent review by the city controller of the Police Department's ongoing effort to get more officers out of desk jobs and patrolling the streets.

"We have insufficient staffing throughout the Police Department," Commissioner David Campos noted. "This is an effort to provide the Police Department with as many officers on the street as possible."

The city is trying to further implement the civilianizing of administrative and support positions held by full-time officers in order to increase the number of officers in the field, reduce expenditures by paying lower civilian salaries, and allow civilians with better training to assume those positions.

Said Commissioner Thomas Mazzucco, "I think it's a waste of our resources...to have officers doing administrative or civilian jobs," rather than "the job that they're sworn to do."

Campos and other commissioners stressed that they were not criticizing the Police Department's effort to civilianize, rather an "independent review of these efforts," Campos said, would allow the "opportunity to educate the whole city," including the Commission, the Board of Supervisors and the public.

"I think it's valuable to have a third party look at these with fresh eyes," added Commission President Theresa Sparks.

A handful of residents who identified themselves as living in the Bernal Heights district, spoke to the Commission in support of the resolution, citing a recent rise in violent crime in the area, including robberies at gunpoint and break-ins.

"We'd like to see as many officers as possible out on the street," one man pleaded.

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