In the aftermath of several officer involved shootings, high-profile misconduct cases and amid a national spotlight on police-community relations, SFPD in 2015 requested assistance by the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office. Our goal: to identify areas for change to address underlying cultural and operational shortcomings.

In February 2016, the DOJ/COPS launched a six-month comprehensive review of the SFPD, with the goal to improve on the implementation of the principles of community oriented policing practices, transparency, professionalism, and accountability.

On October 12, 2016, the DOJ/COPS released its initial assessment. The COPS Office “found a department that is committed to making changes and working with community,” identified five specific areas for improvements and produced a set of recommendations to make ours an even better, more responsive police department. The areas of review included Use of Force, Bias, Community Policing, Accountability, and Hiring and Personnel Practices.

On September 15, 2017, the Department of Justice announced its withdrawal from the Collaborative Reform Process. For more information, please see: Department of Justice Announces Changes to the Collaborative Reform Initiative.

On February 5, 2018, The California Department of Justice announced its agreement to publicly evaluate and report on the implementation of the US DOJ recommendations. The CA DOJ’s independent review will help the Department in its continued efforts to promote trust, transparency and safety. For more information, please see: Mayor Mark Farrell, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Police Chief William Scott Announce Independent Evaluation of San Francisco Police Department Reforms.

Through community partnerships, organizational transformation and problem solving, the SFPD will continue to work towards building trust and mutual respect between the department and the communities we serve.

San Francisco Police Department

Safety with Respect for All.