26-099 Authority to Investigate Outside Agency Incidents That Occur in the City and County of San Francisco

The purpose of this notice is to advise members of the Department’s authority to investigate any incident, within San Francisco’s jurisdiction, involving a potential crime committed by an officer or agent from an outside agency, including a potential crime committed by federal agents or officers during the course of their duties. Consistent with the guidance issued by the California Department of Justice (DOJ), SFPD is not obligated to defer the investigation to the involved agency if that agency is directly involved in an incident that may violate state law.

Notification Process

Members who encounter such situations shall immediately contact their supervisor for guidance. Supervisors will instruct members to secure the scene, preserve evidence, and follow other standard practices for investigating crime scenes. The supervisor shall immediately respond to the scene and contact their commanding officer through the chain of command. The Department Operations Center (DOC) shall also be contacted to manage any additional required notifications.

California DOJ Guidance

The SFPD maintains independent authority to investigate all potential violations of California State Law, even if the outside agency involved declines to cooperate. As such, local agencies are not required to defer to the investigative authority of the involved outside agency and may continue their own investigation.

The California DOJ is available to assist and should be contacted for guidance if needed. The DOJ Command Center can be contacted at [Redacted].

/s/
DERRICK J. LEW
Chief of Police