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Contact
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Information:
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(415)
554-7225 |
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CONGRATULATIONS
to
Our Promotions and to Our
Retirees:
Promoted:
New
Hires:
Cadet S. Lopez
Cadet T. Tran
Cadet R. Loo
Cadet J. Mapu
Cadet J. Deleon
Cadet B. Lau
Cadet D. Cobillas
Cadet M. Morgado-Salyers
Retirees:
Deputy
R. Capitulo
27
Years
Senior Deputy M. Vaughn
23
Years
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In
Memoriam
Deputy
D. Chan
24
Years
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©
2015
San
Francisco
Sheriff's
Department
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A
Message from
Sheriff
Ross
Mirkarimi
With this message, I say good-bye and
reflect upon the highlights of my tenure as
Sheriff. My goal was always two-fold --
improving opportunities for inmates through
better rehabilitation and professionalizing
staff development. Over the past four years,
we've launched innovative new programs, expanded
successful models, and met difficult challenges.
Along the way, I was accompanied by inmates
committed to turning their lives around and
staff members dedicated to improving public
safety.
The support of family is crucial to
reducing recidivism. We strengthened the bridges
between inmates and their families, especially
their children, by reforming our visitation
process, setting up on-line scheduling, and
successfully challenging exorbitant phone rates.
The success of our education and vocational
programs is demonstrated by those leaving
incarceration to continue their studies, become
apprentices, or secure jobs in their
communities. This year, Harvard University
recognized the effectiveness of our Five Keys
Charter High School with their Innovations in
American Government Award -- the San Francisco
Sheriff's Department is the only law enforcement
agency to receive this award. The steady
reduction of our inmate population is sparking a
discussion of alternatives to incarceration, and
the City is considering whether a replacement
jail is really necessary. However, while
the overall jail population declined, we saw
more people with severe mental health issues
arrive at our door. Rather than allow
jails to become default mental health
facilities, we must focus public resources on
treatment alternatives before a person's
condition becomes so severe that they act out in
ways that land them in jail.
A significant milestone attained for
our deputy staff was the unprecedented
certification of our Field Training Officer
Program (FTO) by California's Peace Officer
Standards and Training (POST) agency. Since the
earliest days of POST credentialing, our
department was always exempted from being FTO
approved -- the only sheriff's department in the
state to not be qualified. As I see it, and if
done right, properly trained
deputies can be certified to assist with
our City's larger public safety needs. As
national and local recognition grows
for community policing, I believe there is
a role for SFSD in tandem with our public safety
partners.
Similarly, for professional growth we
broke new ground by cross designating our
Warrant Service Unit with the U.S. Marshals, and
successfully vied in obtaining two slots at the
prestigious FBI
Academy.
On my watch, there were also serious
challenges from which we learned valuable
lessons and moved forward in a constructive way.
The tragic death of a patient at San Francisco
General Hospital (SFGH) resulted in a dramatic
revision of how our department and the
Department of Public Health (DPH) work
together. Mind you, 100 percent of our budget at
SFGH and Laguna Honda had not been administered
by us, but by DPH. Our collaboration resulted in
an unprecedented infusion of staffing and
resources as well as an overhaul of procedures.
Now our hospital security unit is more efficient
and professional, earning positive
reviews.
As we see on the streets of America,
accusations of abuse by law enforcement erode
trust within the institution and undermine
public confidence. While calls for
equipping law enforcement with body cameras have
been largely assigned to the patrol realm, I
also called for our deputy sheriffs to wear body
cameras in jails as an essential tool for
promoting accountability and
transparency.
Unfortunately, our department became
the center of a political storm over immigration
issues. The release of an undocumented
immigrant, as required by state and local law,
who then allegedly shot an innocent young woman,
brought scrutiny of and anger toward the
City's Sanctuary Policy and Due Process for All
Ordinance. But when the ordinance went back
before the Board of Supervisors for possible
revision, the board reaffirmed the law,
vindicating our actions, despite the media
firestorm.
I entered this office committed to
addressing recidivism and increasing
professional opportunities for our staff. Under
unrelenting media scrutiny, the department
maintained its professionalism and tackled tough
issues, while our inmates worked hard to improve
their lives. I am proud of our
accomplishments, and grateful for the
opportunity to serve as Sheriff.
On behalf of me and my family, we
wish you and your loved ones a very merry and
safe
holiday!
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Criminal
Investigations Unit
(April
2013)
In
the spring of 2014, at Sheriff Mirkarimi's
direction, the SFSD's
Investigative Services Unit was bifurcated into
two separate units: the Internal Affairs Unit
(IAU) and the Criminal Investigations Unit
(CIU). The change has enhanced our department's
law enforcement capabilities and has allowed
resources to be directed to the prosecution of
criminal complaints brought forward by sworn
staff.
The
CIU conducts criminal, background, carry
concealed weapon (CCW), and jail clearance
investigations. In its first year, CIU initiated
222 criminal investigations -- of which 172 were
forwarded to the SF District Attorney's Office.
The DA's Office rebooked 88 of these
cases.
Our
Internal Affairs Unit conducts internal affairs
investigations
only. |
Birth
Justice
(May
2013)
The
Birth Justice Project -- the first of its
kind in the state -- is designed to affirm the
reproductive rights of pregnant inmates during
and post incarceration. The project supports the
health and well-being of mothers and their new
babies via efforts like our Doula Program, which
provides care, advocacy, and education to
incarcerated women at County Jail #2, our
lactation policy, and round-the-clock access to
breast pumps and breast milk refrigeration and
delivery.
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Supporting
Crime Victims Through VINE (August
2013)
VINE
provides telephone and email notifications
regarding incarcerated offenders and any change
to the offender's custody status to crime
victims who have registered for the service. The
program is funded by a California Emergency
Management Agency (Cal EMA) grant and is
administered by the California State Sheriffs'
Association.
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Expanded
Visiting Opportunities
(September
2013)
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| Sheriff
Mirkarimi
signs historic new jail visiting policy flanked
by youth and representatives from Project WHAT__
the SF Youth Commission_ and One
Family. |
In
the fall of 2013, the SFSD expanded
visiting hours at County Jails 3 (now
decommissioned) and 4 to better accommodate the
schedules of inmate loved ones. The
department also launched what has become a
popular online "Schedule a Visit" program which
is accessible on the SFSD web
site.
Then,
on June 8, 2015, Sheriff Mirkarimi expanded
visiting opportunities to youth with
incarcerated family members. Joined by
representatives from Project WHAT!, One Family,
and the San Francisco Youth Commission, he
enacted reforms making San Francisco jails the
first in California to allow children as young
as 16 to make solo visits to incarcerated
parents and siblings.
The visiting age reduction is a key
way that SFSD is helping to reduce trauma and
support the children of incarcerated parents.
SFSD,
Project WHAT!, and the SF Youth Commission
worked together to craft SFSD's new visiting
policies.
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Affordable
Care Act for County Jail Inmates (April
2014)
The
San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved
groundbreaking legislation submitted by Sheriff
Mirkarimi allowing the SFSD to help county jail
inmates apply for health
insurance, which would be available to them
upon release from custody.
A
majority of county jail inmates have no health
insurance and no resources to pay for medical
care upon release -- yet a significant
proportion of them suffer from chronic health
problems, including mental health illness and
addiction disorders. Linkage to primary care is
a critical part of reentry planning and has the
potential to positively affect public health and
reduce
recidivism.
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U.S.
Marshals Cross Designation
(April
2014)
 Sheriff Mirkarimi
secured, for the first time in SFSD history,
cross designation status for our deputy sheriffs
as U.S.
Marshals. Cross designated deputies in our
Warrant Services Unit assist the U.S. Marshals
with the critical undertaking of detecting,
investigating, and apprehending fugitives.
Deputy
sheriffs work in plain clothes, drive in
unmarked vehicles, and work in conjunction with
other law enforcement agencies. In July
2015, deputy sheriffs along with other
local, state, and federal law enforcement, took
part in "Operation No Boundaries". The
operation, led by the U.S. Marshals' office,
resulted in the arrest of over one hundred
violent
fugitives. |
Body
Cameras at County Jail #4
(April
2014)
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| SFSD will be the
first county jail system in the state to utilize
on-body
cameras. |
Under
Sheriff Mirkarimi's direction, the SFSD began
drafting, in the spring of 2014, a comprehensive
new policy to utilize body cameras in the county
jails. This first-of-its-kind decision in
California expands on the department's ongoing
work to increase transparency and
accountability.
Thirty
body cameras will be worn by deputy sheriffs on
all shifts at County Jail #4. The devices will
ensure that interactions between deputy sheriffs
and inmates are recorded, better ensuring the
safety of inmates and protecting deputies
against unfounded allegations.
Because
the body camera pilot is the first of its kind
in the state, the SFSD has assumed an important
leadership role in creating protocols and
polices from scratch that will govern the use of
the devices, including rules governing
application and use, privacy rights,
ramifications for failure to adhere, data
storage, personnel training, and public records
requests.
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Cutting
In-Jail Phone Rates
(June
2014)
In the summer of 2014, the SFSD
became the first municipal law enforcement
agency in the country to tackle the corporate
robber baron practices of unregulated phone
commissions by the telecommunications industry.
Responding to what he recognized to
be unreasonably high rates being charged largely
to loved ones calling inmates in San Francisco
county jails, Sheriff Mirkarimi instituted
comprehensive reforms -- reducing the cost
of 15 minute calls by up to 70%. Evidence-based
practice shows that inmates who maintain strong
social support networks are less likely to
re-offend.
Prompted by his reforms, the FCC
invited Sheriff Mirkarimi to Washington, D.C. in
December of 2014 to present his analysis on the
imperative that national regulation be enacted.
In October of 2015, the FCC voted to cap prison
and jail phone rates across the
country.
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POST
Certification
(August
2015)
As
a result of a persistent years-long effort by
Sheriff 
Mirkarimi and SFSD staff, for the first time in
its departmental history, the SFSD in
August 2015 acquired the California Commission
on Peace Officer Standards and
Training (POST) certification for its Field
Training Officer (FTO) program. The
certification enables deputy sheriffs to patrol
San Francisco streets. The SFSD joins sheriff's
departments in the state's other 57 counties all
of which are POST certified -- considered to be
a proud honor and tradition among state law
enforcement agencies. POST sets the industry
standard for law enforcement agencies in the
state.
The
certification will make available additional law
enforcement assets to address rising crime rates
in the City.
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Five
Keys Honored by Harvard University (September
2015)
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| Sheriff Ross
Mirkarimi and Five Keys Executive Director Steve
Good accept 2015 Innovations in American
Government Award from Harvard University's Marty
Mauzy. |
Lauding its forward-thinking
programs, representatives from Harvard
University on September 22, 2015, presented
Sheriff Mirkarimi and SFSD's Five Keys Charter
High School Executive Director, Steve Good, with
the University's prestigious 2015 Innovations in
American Government (IAG) Award -- for Five
Keys' outstanding contributions to education in
California's county jail system.
SFSD's Five Keys Charter High School
prevailed over a field of 450 other applicants
to win both the award and $100,000 in grant
monies. The SFSD is the only law enforcement
agency in the nation to win the Harvard's IAG
award twice -- the department's Resolve to Stop
the Violence Program accepted the award in
2004.
In addition to the Innovations in
American Government Award, Five Keys is also the
recipient of the 2015 Pioneer Institute Better
Government Competition and the 2014 Hart Vision
Award for Charter School of the Year (for
Northern California) - another significant honor
due to the alternative nature of the Five Keys'
program when compared to those offered by
traditional charter schools.
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Inmate
Locator
(October
2015)
Last fall, the SFSD launched a
comprehensive, multi-lingual, online Inmate
Locator program. Users simply key in an inmate's
name, SF number, or booking number for real-time
details on where an inmate is currently housed
at the county jail.
The locator provides a comprehensive
scope of public information -- which it makes
available in English, Spanish, Chinese,
Vietnamese, and Russian. In addition to housing
information, users can review an inmate's
current charges, bail amount, upcoming court
date, projected release date, relevant court
department, docket number, and age. The
user-friendly program can be accessed by both
computer and smart phone and will be especially
helpful for loved ones with friends or family
members, including parents, in the
jails.
The SFSD's Inmate Locator was
researched, designed, and built by the
department's Information Technology Services
Section in close collaboration with the City and
County of San Francisco's Department of
Technology.
Inmate
locator in San Francisco
jails. KGO
Radio. |
Transgender
Women Inmates to Participate in Programs at
County Jail #2 (Current)
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| Transgender women
inmates will soon be participating in programs
and activities at CJ2 like this 2014 Resource
Fair. |
Early
in 2016, as a result of collaborative efforts
spearheaded by Sheriff Mirkarimi and
stakeholders in the L/G/B/T/Q community,
transgender women inmates currently housed at
County Jail #4, a men's housing facility, will
be allowed to participate in programming at
County Jail #2, a women's housing facility. The
move is the first of a longer term two-phase
policy expansion that will ultimately facilitate
housing transgender women in the women's jail
based on their preferred gender
identity.
The new policy, part of an ongoing
two-year collaboration with the National
Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Transgender
Law Center, TGI Justice Project, and the Human
Rights Commission, will allow transgender women
access to educational and vocational
opportunities which are paramount to reducing
recidivism and to helping offenders successfully
re-enter their communities.
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Getting into the
Holiday Spirit
Since
1989, when he became a Sergeant, holiday
decorations have been a tradition for SFSD Lt.
Ridegeway. They usually include a Christmas
tree, special lighting, and a few of his
American Flyer electric trains! Over the years,
the decorations have adorned county jails 3, 4,
5, and 6, the Hall of Justice courts, the Deputy
Sheriffs' Hall, the Women's Resource Center, and
Community Programs. One of the first things Lt.
Ridegeway is often asked when he begins a new
assignment is " could you
please set up the trains?"
This
year, with the assistance of Sr. Deputy P.
Washington and the permission of Captain
Miyamoto, the front office of County Jail #4 has
become a Christmas wonderland! Staff has told
the Lieutenant that having the decorations up
creates a touch of home and is a great stress
reliever. Colleagues will have ample time to
check them out -- they should be up until New
Year's
Day.
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