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Information:
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(415)
554-7225 |
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CONGRATULATIONS
to
Our New Hires
and
Retirees:
Promotions:
Captain K. McConnell
Captain J. Scannell
Captain S.
Tilton
New
Hires:
Deputy B.
Aquino
Deputy
C. Calhoun
Deputy A.
Deering
Deputy
J. Gomez-Wong
Deputy
A. Hankes
Deputy
J. Kahler
Deputy
P. Kim
Deputy
C. Lee
Deputy
S. Lee
Deputy
E. Leo
Deputy
V. Lo
Deputy
J. Lologo
Deputy
J. Martinez
Deputy
J. Meadors
Deputy
G. Nagy
Deputy
A. Nguyen
Deputy
K. Nong
Deputy
R. Pardo
Deputy
A. Sarmiento
Deputy
J. Singh
Deputy
S. Stanford
Deputy
N. Torreano
Deputy
J. White
Deputy
H. Wu
Cadet I.
Abu-Arafeh
Cadet A. Arrescurrenaga
Cadet J. Artuz
Cadet J. Carranza
Cadet C. Fields
Cadet E. Gataveckas
Cadet G. Gee
Cadet C. Harrington
Cadet L. Jones
Cadet A. Machado
Cadet N. Musto
Cadet M.
Reid |
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©
2017
San
Francisco
Sheriff's
Department
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A
Message from Sheriff
Vicki
Hennessy
Welcome to the September-October
2017 Sheriff's Department
Newsletter.
This edition, like the others, covers a
variety of activity in the department.
My thanks to Mayor Ed Lee for recognizing
the first on-scene responders at the UPS
building mass shooting in June. The Mayor
presented commemorative pins to three of our
deputies who responded quickly when news of the
shooting came over the radio. Many departments
worked together under the San
Francisco Police Department's incident
command. In this issue, CFO Crispin Hollings
provides a budget recap regarding overtime,
hiring, and equipment.
On June 22, 2017, I attended the Chop Shop
Community Conversation Project launch, which
began as the brainchild of Young
Community Developers, Inc., a non-profit
group led by Executive Director Shamann Walton,
Timothy Waters and Percy Burch. The idea was to
have meaningful conversations between law
enforcement and community members, in various
neighborhood barbershops and beauty salons
throughout July and August. Sheriff's Department
members attended along with SFPD members to
discuss our relationships and to understand and
work through implicit bias on all sides. I
joined Police Chief Bill Scott, School Board
Member Shaman Walton and Police Commissioner Dr.
Joe Marshall in a videotaped panel discussion at
the Chicago Barbershop. Community members asked
probing questions about law enforcement
leadership and the community. I hope to see the
video soon and will share it with you in a
future newsletter. We also profile The Garden
Project and its founder and manager,
Cathrine Sneed. The Garden Project's history
goes back to the early 1980's when non-violent
offenders worked the land at the San Bruno
complex. Fast forward to today, Cathrine has
transitioned the Garden Project to a work
training and life skills program, preparing
young people for environmentally based
employment with support from the PUC and
SFPD. Many people do not understand that our
deputy sheriffs are sworn peace officers and
that our jobs require continuing education and
training. To meet this demand, we moved our
Training Unit to our San Bruno campus into the
former women's misdemeanor jail. See Unit
Manager Lt. J. Quanico's report on the many
training hours we provide and a firsthand
account of a new recruit's training
experience.
Those of you who read this column
know that our partnership with Five
Keys Charter School is cherished for the
opportunity we offer for prisoners to earn their
high school diplomas. In the last newsletter, we
highlighted the new Self-Determination Bus
Project, a state-of-the-art mobile classroom
coming to city neighborhoods this month. In this
issue, we review the Five Keys Schools' "Art
Inside 2009-2016" exhibit, displaying
approximately 100 Five Keys artists' works,
which took place earlier this
summer.
Prisoner suicide is an ever-present danger
in jails and prisons. This month, Undersheriff
Matt Freeman and I recognized our staff for
their excellent work in preventing suicides. In
2016 there were no successful suicides - and
that also holds true in 2017 thus far. This is
due to the hard work of our deputies, who make
multiple rounds every shift and are trained to
recognize signs of depression, such as
self-isolation, lack of appetite, poor hygiene,
and other signs that indicate suicidal ideation.
Their vigilance has stopped 26 suicide attempts
this year. Prisoners who attempt suicide, some
more than once, are referred to Jail Behavioral
Health for evaluation. Deputies and other staff
often refer prisoners to Jail
Behavioral Health when they notice a change in
behavior such as depression or thoughts of
suicidal ideation.
Family members and friends concerned about
a prisoner's medical or mental health condition
may call 415-554-7225 Monday through Friday 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or 415-553-1444 nights,
weekends and holidays. This information is also
available on our website: sfsheriff.com. Finally, I want to thank all the 65
organizations and members of Five Keys and our
staff who participated in the County Jail #2
Resource Fair on August 10, 2017. Connecting our
prisoners with community resources is a
Department priority, helping to reduce prisoner
recidivism and successfully reconnect them with
families and
neighborhoods. |
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Mayor
Honors First Responders to Deadly UPS
Shooting
Top photo,
from left: Deputy J. Worthge, Deputy C. Folger,
Mayor Ed Lee, Deputy S. Lee, and Undersheriff M.
Freeman.
Bottom
photo: The honorees at the
ceremony.
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FY 2017-18 Department
Budget Sees Increase for Hiring, Body Scanners
and Pretrial
Diversion
By Crispin
Hollings
The Sheriff's
Department's Fiscal Year (FY) 2017-18 budget
includes increases for hiring more deputy
sheriffs, purchasing body scanners and providing
additional funding for Pretrial Diversion.
The Department's
$231.8 million budget is $10.6 million, or 4.8
percent, higher than in FY 2016-17.
Cost-of-living salary adjustments drove about 3
percent of the hike, while increased investments
in both recruitment and training for sworn
personnel spurred the remaining 1.8
percent.
Balancing
Overtime and Staffing: Over the past
several years, staff separations have far
outpaced hiring and training their replacements.
Coupled with added staffing requirements at Zuckerberg
San Francisco General Hospital,
these shortfalls have resulted in high levels of
overtime, averaging 16 percent of total work
hours. To reduce overtime usage and get the
Department back up to an appropriate number of
employees, the budget funds academy classes and
increases sworn personnel from 915 to 935.
Although it takes eight to nine months to train
new deputy sheriffs to where they count toward
staffing minimums, this will drop overtime
levels.
Expanding
Pretrial Diversion and Electronic
Monitoring: The budget also seeks to
expand alternatives to incarceration. The budget
includes an additional $700,000 for the San
Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project, a community based
organization that facilitates alternatives to
fines, criminal prosecution, and detention. In
support of expanding alternatives to
incarceration, the Department is working to add
Electronic Monitoring (EM) supervision as an
option for Superior Court judges. To support the
resulting expansion of EM participants, the
budget includes funding for additional
deputies.
Equipment
and Professional Services:
The budget expanded equipment funding from
$400,000 in FY 2016-17 to $1.2 million in FY
2017-18. The equipment budget includes funding
for six vehicles, including a replacement inmate
transport bus, and two body scanners intended to
augment strip searches and increase safety in
county jail facilities. Finally, the budget
includes funding for professional, public safety
policy
management. |
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Sheriff's
Department Meets With SF Residents at 'Chop
Shop: Community Conversation'
Event
In many
communities, barbershops and hair salons are
gathering places where people weigh in on
topical issues. Following this notion, the
Sheriff's Department met with San Francisco
residents at nine neighborhood barbershops and
salons in June and July to discuss law
enforcement's relationship and role in
communities.
Chief A.
Waters, Lieutenant J. Sanford, Sergeant A.
Collins, Senior Deputy F. Smith, Senior Deputy
C. Lewis and San
Francisco Police Department officers met
with community members as part of the Young
Community Developers, Inc.'s (YCD) Chop
Shop: Community Conversation Project. The
project, which was filmed and being made into a
documentary by Sophie Constantinou of Citizen
Film, was developed to bring deeper
understanding between residents and law
enforcement officers.
YCD staff
selected barbershops and salons as the stage for
an enlightening and productive experience. At
each location, YCD participants asked questions
about trust, stereotypes and community
engagement that spurred frank dialogue. Law
enforcement heard about community expectations
and how residents view law enforcement.
The citizens
in turn absorbed how challenging it is for law
enforcement officers to make quick decisions in
high-stress situations, the officers' dedication
to serving their communities, and the need for
increased community engagement.
Thanks to
YCD Executive Director Shamann Walton, Timothy
Waters and Percy Burch for inviting the
Department to participate in the project. Also
thanks to the owners of Braids & Fades, Cutz
& Blendz, A Cut Above the Rest, The Shop,
Chicago's II, Newbill Barbershop, Let's Get
Cute, Essential Beauty Lounge, and Classy
Creations for their
hospitality.
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The Garden Project's Cathrine
Sneed Helps Youths Grow Their
Futures
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Cathrine Sneed discussed planting with
Earth
Stewards. |
The
Garden Project's Manager Cathrine Sneed, who
runs the Earth
Stewards training program for at-risk young
people, takes the adage "plant a seed and watch
it grow" to heart.
Sneed founded the
Earth Stewards training program in 2004. Teens
and young adults learn about landscaping and
native plant propagation at San Francisco's
1,400 acres of reservoirs, as well as growing
vegetables at County Jail #5's 15-acre garden.
College-age Earth Stewards work year-round, and
high school-aged youths join the staff during
the summer. But it's not merely a job to her
Earth Stewards; it's preparing young people to
think about their futures. Since 2004, the Earth
Stewards program, supported by the Sheriff's
Department, San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission and the San Francisco Police
Department, has provided more than 2,000 youths
with jobs. About 243 Earth Stewards worked this
summer.
"What we're doing
is teaching people how to work," she said. "If
we can put people to work, they will not go to
our jails. I also feel very strongly about the
ability of people in law enforcement to motivate
people to emulate their positive
characteristics, such as coming to work every
day and on time, working in a group, taking
direction, doing difficult work."
The Garden Project
produces over 100 tons of vegetables a year,
possibly 120 tons this year, Sneed said. Earth
Stewards grow beets, potatoes, carrots, lettuce,
collard greens, kale, Swiss chard, bok choy,
pumpkins and zucchini. The program donates the
vegetables to at least 20 nonprofit
organizations and schools. The pumpkins are
distributed at the schools and pumpkin patches
at Halloween.
Sneed joined the
Sheriff's Department as a counselor in 1980 when
the department opened its first women's work
furlough program. While she was a law student,
she met then-Sheriff Mike Hennessey, who brought
her in as a prison law intern. She said she
initially wanted to practice prison law, but
eventually became more interested in counseling
at the jails.
She then was
diagnosed with a potentially fatal kidney
illness. While Sneed was in the hospital, a
friend brought her a copy of "The Grapes of
Wrath." Sneed said she realized getting in touch
with nature had healing properties. Hennessey
agreed to allow her to start a gardening project
at the San Bruno Jail, called the San Francisco
County Jail Horticulture Project, in 1982.
Inmates learned how to tend to the gardens at
the jail. Once she was working in nature, Sneed
went into remission. To this day, she continues
to make an impact on youths'
lives. |
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County
Jail #2 Holds
Reentry
Resource Fair
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Community based organizations at the
Reentry Resource
Fair.
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About 236 male and
female inmates attended a Reentry Resources Fair
held August 3 at County Jail #2. The Sheriff's
Department and Five
Keys Schools and Programs hosted the fair,
with 55 community based organizations and eight
to 10 hiring agencies on hand. Mick Gardner,
assistant director of Programs/Reentry at Five
Keys Schools and Programs, said the fair serves
to "connect the unconnected." He added, "We're
in a rich community of resources here in San
Francisco." |
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Department
Focuses on
Training
of New Recruits
By Lt. J. Quanico
Early morning visitors to the Sheriff's
Department's Training Unit hear recruits
shouting "Sir, yes sir!" while the recruits line
up in formation. The Training Unit looks like a
production center for some of the best trained
deputy sheriffs in the nation.
The reason is the longstanding culture of
the Training Unit, which recently moved
operations to the San Bruno Training Center.
Sheriff Vicki L. Hennessy emphasized the
importance of training when she took office in
January 2016. Investing in training is key to
developing new recruits who can better serve and
protect the San Francisco community.
San Francisco Sheriff's Deputies are
required to pass training milestones before
assuming full duty in the jails. They must pass
a Commission on Peace Officer Standards and
Training ( POST)
academy; they must pass a 144-hour BSCC-certified
jail operations course, called Core, which far
exceeds the state hourly requirement; and, they
must pass a seven-week, one-on-one on-site
training during which they are paired with a
Jail Training Officer and required to
demonstrate proficiency in 30 jail-specific
skills. They also work with a Field
Training Officer for on-the-job training.
These eight-plus months of intensive
training represent a significant commitment of
time and resources by both the Sheriff's
Department and each recruit, so we do everything
we can to ensure their success. This starts
before they report to the academy, with a
two-week pre-academy class. Here, recruits hone
report writing skills, become familiar with
equipment, and learn to march. During the
pre-academy, training staff look for any
deficiencies the recruits might have, and
develop an individualized learning plan for each
one.
After successful graduation from the
academy, the Core course immerses recruits in
jail operations training, which includes gender
awareness and crisis intervention. San
Francisco's gender awareness training is the
only such class certified by POST. It is
designed to give recruits an
understanding of the unique needs of the
transgender, gender variant and intersex
community. Crisis Intervention Training provides
recruits the tools and knowledge necessary to
interact effectively with persons with mental
illness.
Once the recruits complete the Core, they
receive their assignments and meet their Jail
Training Officer from whom they will learn the
everyday custody and administrative tasks
specific to their facility.
Lastly, in August 2015, POST approved the
department's first Field Training Program. This
much anticipated 12-week course started on
August 12, 2016. Field Training Officers train
deputies in four-week phases over 12 weeks. Both
the field training officer and the trainee are
assigned to Zuckerberg
San Francisco General Hospital during that
time period. The Sheriff's Department currently
has 11 Field Training Officers. The goal
is to train 14 deputies for FY
2017-2018. |
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Deputy
Describes Her
Training
Experience
Becoming a
deputy sheriff has been an exhilarating yet
challenging experience. I've gained a broader
perspective in the past year on the skills and
qualities needed to perform my job well.
My career
with the Sheriff's Department began with the
181st Basic Academy Class, which was hosted by
the Contra
Costa County Office of the Sheriff. This
six-month training challenged me both mentally
and physically through its demanding academic
course and rigorous exercise programs. As part
of my training, I wrote reports, learned
defensive driving tactics, shot firearms and
practiced self-defense. I also worked through
scenarios that developed conflict resolution
skills and appropriate use of force maneuvers.
Instructors also tested my ability to comprehend
material such as property crimes, laws of
arrest, domestic violence, gang awareness, and
other topics. Six other deputies and I graduated
on October 28, 2016.
Following
graduation, I began my next training phase with
a monthlong Core class. Core provided insight on
department operations, expectations, as well as
policy and procedures. I toured department
facilities, including the Hall
of Justice Courts, county jails, and the Zuckerberg
San Francisco General Hospital, where the
department provides patrol services. More
importantly, Core was where I felt connected and
part of the team.
Next, I
transitioned to our Jail Training Officer (JTO)
program. On JTO, I was taught how to maintain
the security and safety of the jail. I was
assigned to County Jail #2 and for six weeks, I
shadowed seasoned deputies while learning jail
operations. I worked within a pod, moved inmates
around the facility, and monitored the entire
jail through central control.
Training
taught me new skills that I will utilize the
rest of my career. I am looking forward to the
opportunities available within the Department as
I continue to grow and mature as a deputy
sheriff. |
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Five
Keys Student Artists' Works Featured in Art
Showcase
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From left:
Public Defender Jeff Adachi, Five Keys teacher
and show curator KR, artist Fred Ross, curator
Andrei Glase, artists James Flanagan and Barbara
Jordan, Five Keys teacher and curator Suzanne
Motley and artist Deonte Releford at the Five
Keys artists'
reception.
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By Andrei
Glase
The art styles in
the show featured an eclectic collection of
paintings, drawings, collages, photography,
printmaking and wall hung sculpture that
represented realism, abstraction and
pointillism.
The Kings Gallery
occasionally hosts art shows that have a social
justice or interfaith content.
The show also
premiered a full-length documentary in June
titled " The
Corridor," which followed a Five Keys class
to graduation. A panel discussion followed
the movie with Assistant School Director Terese
Bravo, Five Keys teacher Tyson Amir, Lieutenant
R. DeBiasio, Bethany Vollmer (a student in the
film) and filmmakers Annelise Wunderlich and
Richard O'Connell.
Additionally, the
gallery hosted an artists' reception also in
June, which included poetry and spoken word by
the artists and curators. Remarks by Public
Defender Jeff
Adachi commended the Sheriff's
Department's role in creating Five Keys and its
teachers who inspire the students. He stated
that it is "a really fine program that helps
artists find themselves through the magic of
art."
A special thanks
to everyone involved in making these events a
success.
Andrei
Glase is an art educator who initiated these
events at Kings
Gallery. |
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Sheriff's
Department Holds
Recruitment
Event
Sheriff
Vicki L. Hennessy invites all interested in
becoming a deputy sheriff to check out the
department's recruitment booths. Recruiters are
available to answer questions and offer advice
at the following community events:
- Southeast
Sector Health Fair, October 28, 10
a.m.-2 p.m., 1800 Oakdale Ave.
- Veterans Day
Parade, November 10, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Civic
Center Plaza
Deputy
sheriff applicants must meet these minimum
qualifications:
- Be at least
20.5 years or older and a U.S.
citizen
- Possess a
high school diploma or GED
- Cannot have
any felony convictions
- Have a valid
Class C driver's license
For
up-to-date information on recruiting events,
contact Senior Deputy D. Novak at
doug.novak@sfgov.org or (415) 554-7217, or visit
the Sheriff's Department
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Welcome,
New Cadets!
Please
welcome our group of new cadets, who recently
completed their weeklong orientation. They are
assigned to Zuckerberg San Francisco General
Hospital, Hall of Justice lobby, City Hall
security, Civic Center Courthouse and the Field
Operations Division Administration. Back row,
from left: G. Gee, J. Artuz, I. Abu-Arafeh, E.
Gataveckas, J. Carranza and M. Reid. Front row:
N. Musto, A. Arrescurrenaga, L. Jones, C.
Fields, A. Machado and C.
Harrington. |
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Bringing
the Bard to County Jail #5
The Sheriff's Department and Five Keys
Schools and Programs brought a taste of
Shakespeare to County Jail #5 in September. Nine
inmates acted out selected scenes from
"Hamlet."
They performed Act I, scene 2, and Act V,
scene 2. They also recited two soliloquies, from
Act II, scene 2, and Act III, scene 1, which has
the well-known "To be or not to be"
line.
The production came about when Director
Herb Felsenfeld became interested in teaching a
class at the jail after learning about Five Keys
from his then-neighbor, former Sheriff Michael
Hennessey. Felsenfeld discussed the possibility
of creating the class with Five Keys Executive
Director Steve Good, then founded the Supported
Shakespeare program at County Jail #5 in
December 2015.
The inmates met with Felsenfeld several
times a week to rehearse. He taught them acting
techniques that included what he called the
"holy trinity" of acting - thought, action and
behavior. "I was always pushing them to go
deeper into the action of the text," he said.
"Motivating the actors is a complex process that
involves creating strong
relationships."
Felsenfeld said he selected Shakespeare,
specifically "Hamlet," to "set the bar high," he
said.
An inmate said the production had changed
his life. "It was altering," he said. "It had a
synergistic effect. It started as something
simple that then caused me to dig deeper in
myself. It opened my eyes to a bigger
world." | |
and
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