DB 18-171 Updated Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation Form

The purpose of this bulletin is to outline the procedures for completing the updated Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation Form SFPD 575B (Rev. 09/18). The Step by Step Form Completion Guide SFPD 575A (Rev. 09/18) has also been updated to reflect the changes made to the form. Please contact the EIS Unit at 415-837-7150 for additional help or questions.

The following items have been added to the form:

• Heading
  1. CAD Advised Armed
     • When a member responds to a call for service, they may be advised over the air or in the text of the CAD that the reportee advised a weapon was seen. This knowledge can change not only the type of response, but the tactics used in responding to the call for service. When a supervisor completes this section of the evaluation, they shall mark "Yes" or "No" if responding members were made aware of a possible weapon prior to arrival. If the incident was an on view by the member, the supervisor can mark "N/A".
  2. Weapon CAD Advised
     • If the type of weapon involved was broadcast or put into CAD, the supervisor shall mark the appropriate box for the type of weapon if it was a "Firearm" or an "Edged Weapon" such as a knife. All other types of weapons shall be marked as "Other".
• Subject
  1. SF Resident
     • The SF Resident box shall be marked "Yes" if the subject resides or is currently homeless within San Francisco. This information can be obtained verbally or from the subject's identification.
  2. Sex of Subject - "U" Unknown and "X" Nonbinary
     • When force is used by a member, there are situations such as during a demonstration that a member may use force but the subject flees into the crowd before the member could identify them. In these types of situations, the supervisor shall mark "U" for unknown if the member does not know the gender of the subject.
     • See Department Bulletin 18-032 regarding using "X" for a subject whose gender is nonbinary.
  3. Unrelated — Complaint of Pain/Injured
     • During the course of a supervisor's evaluation, they may find that the subject has a complaint of pain or is injured from an unrelated incident which happened prior to the use of force. In this case, a supervisor should mark "Unrelated" if the complaint of pain or injury was not due to the member's use of force.
  4. Admitted — Medical Treatment
     • If a subject is admitted to the hospital after a use of force incident, the supervisor shall mark "Admitted" under the Medical Treatment box, even if the reason for being admitted was not directly from the use of force.
  5. Levels of resistance — Sequenced
     • When a subject resists arrest they can go through various types of resistance. A subject may be compliant with the member before becoming assaultive. A supervisor should mark numerically the levels of resistance in the order the subject resisted arrest. For example, if a subject strikes a member with their fist and then pulls out a knife, a supervisor would enter a "1" next to "Assaultive" and then a "2" next to "Life Threatening" to show the sequence and escalation of resistance against the member.
• Officer
  1. Admitted
     • If a member is admitted to the hospital after a use of force incident, the supervisor shall mark "Admitted" under the Medical Treatment box.
  2. verbal commands issued before force used
     • If there was an opportunity for a member to issue verbal commands to the subject prior to using force, the supervisor should mark the appropriate box.
  3. Verbal warnings issued before Firearm, Impact Weapon, ERIW and Chemical Agent
     • DGO 5.01 states that a member shall give a warning when feasible prior to using a firearm, impact weapon, ERIW or chemical agent. If this warning was given by the member, the supervisor shall mark the appropriate box.
  4. Specify sequence of force used
     • When a member uses force in an incident, they may have to transition to a different type of force. The supervisor shall sequence the force used by the member. For example, if a member used a take down or control hold and then transitioned to a personal body weapon such as their fist, the supervisor should place a "1" next to "Physical Control Hold/Take Down" and then a "2" next to "Strike by object/fist" to show the sequence and escalation of force used by the member.
  5. Determination Pending Investigation
     • After a supervisor has completed the evaluation there may be instances where the investigation is referred to an investigative unit such as Homicide or the TAD OIS Team. In these instances, the supervisor should not make a determination if the use of force was within department policy. The supervisor should check "Determination Pending Investigation" and submit the evaluation as instructed. This will need to be done for each officer who uses force.
• Preliminary Findings
  1. Supervisor Completing Evaluation
     • The supervisor who responds to a use of force incident and fills out the Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation may not always be the same supervisor who completes the use of force investigation. For example, if the use of force incident has not concluded by the responding supervisor's end of watch, a supervisor from another watch can be briefed on the incident and instructed to review or sign off on the use of force incident report. The reviewing supervisor shall then review the BWC (if available) and the incident report before signing off on the evaluation and submitting the form to the OIC.
  2. Reviewing Supervisor
     • The supervisor who reviews and signs the use of force incident report shall review the BWC before submitting the evaluation to the OIC. If the supervisor who responded to the scene completes the entire use of force evaluation, they shall enter their name in both the "Supervisor Completing Evaluation" as well as "Name of Reviewing Supervisor" designated areas.
  3. Reviewed BWC
     • BWC shall be reviewed by the reviewing supervisor and the OIC on any use of force that results in serious bodily injury.
  4. Other Video Available
     • In instances where a use of force that resulted in serious bodily injury occurred in front of a location with video cameras, the supervisor should make an attempt to view the video if it is readily available. The supervisor should mark yes or no if the video is available and then state if they were able to view it prior to the completion of the Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation Form.

Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation Form:

Once the supervisor has completed the Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation Form (SFPD 575B), it must be signed by the completing supervisor, reviewing supervisor and submitted to the on-duty platoon commander by the end of watch. The platoon commander shall review the Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation Form, Use of Force Log as well as the incident report before forwarding it to their captain for approval. The captain, or his/her designee is responsible for scanning the completed Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation Form by the end of their watch except on weekends or holidays and emailing it to:

Risk Management Office [Redacted]
Training Division [Redacted]
Field Operations Bureau [Redacted]

Commanding officers are no longer required to forward the original completed hardcopy of the Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation Form(s) to the Risk Management Office, Training Division or their Bureau's Deputy Chief The original copy or an electronic copy shall be kept at each station/unit where the force occurred.

Use of Force Log:

Supervisors shall ensure that a separate entry for each reportable use of force is made into the Use of Force Log for each subject involved. On the Monday of each week, unless a holiday, and then on Tuesday, commanding officers shall sign the Use of Force Log, scan the log and email it, along with a scanned copy of the incident report(s), to their respective Bureau Deputy Chief, Training Division and Risk Management Office at the above listed email addresses. The original copy or an electronic copy shall be kept at each station/unit where the force occurred.

The officer completing the incident report shall document in the narrative which supervisor responded to the scene and completed the Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation Form and made entry into the Use of Force Log. Do not attach a copy of the Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation form to the police report.

A copy of the updated Supervisory Use of Force Evaluation form (SFPD Form 575B Rev. 09/18) and Step by Step Form Completion Guide (SFPD 575A Rev. 09/18) can be located in the desktop file "SFPD Forms". The Use of Force Log (SFPD Form 128 Rev. 03/17) can also be found in the SFPD Forms folder.

References: 
DGO 5.01 Use of Force 
DGO 5.21 The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Response to Person in Crisis Calls for Service 
San Francisco Administrative Code 96A - Mandating Data Collection and Reporting of Detentions and Traffic Stops 
California's Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015 (Assembly Bill 953) 
DB 18-032 Nonbinary is Legally Recognized as a 3rdGender Category

/s/
WILLIAM SCOTT
Chief of Police

Per DB 17-080, both sworn and non-sworn members are required to electronically acknowledge receipt and review of this Department Bulletin in HRMS.