Posted on 02/22/2007 9:15:58 AM PST by SmithL
A tracking system to identify San Francisco police officers who resort repeatedly to force or exhibit other problematic behavior won Police Commission approval Wednesday -- four years after critics first urged its adoption.
The planned computerized system will track use of force, citizen complaints, internal department complaints, officer-involved shootings whether anyone is hit or not, legal claims and lawsuits against officers, on-duty accidents and vehicle pursuits.
Problem officers flagged by the system could be subject to counseling or retraining.
Mayor Gavin Newsom, who had pushed for adoption of the system by the end of 2006 after a Chronicle series on the use of force, praised the commission's vote in a statement.
"This system is an essential innovation that will allow the department to proactively identify any issues that arise,'' said the mayor, who successfully lobbied to set aside more than $1 million in the 2006-07 city budget for the system's startup costs.
Department officials say they expect the program, known as the Early Intervention System, to be fully operational by the end of the year.
The system, which attaches points to the behavior it tracks, will enable supervisors to review quickly the records of potentially problematic officers who could benefit from departmental intervention.
The 6-1 vote capped months of on-again, off-again negotiations in which the department met separately with the San Francisco Police Officers Association and the American Civil Liberties Union to try to work out a system acceptable to all. Commissioner David Campos voted no on the measure, saying he wanted a stronger system.
In his testimony, the Police Officers Association's general counsel, John Tennant, told the commission that his group would not challenge the system in its current form but reserved the right to challenge any changes proposed in the future.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Dirty Harry was unavailable for comment.
Just disband the Police Department in SF and be done with it.
Somehow I don't anticipate any good coming out of this in San Francisco of all places, but I can imagine it being useful for weeding out real bad apples is used wisely. Thoughts?
In Pasadena TX and officer got suspended for a week for not shooting someone. The guy had a knife and he talked him into surrendering. The stated reason was he could have thrown the knife and the officer was taking an unneccessary risk.
WHO in their right mind would EVR be a cop in san fran? WHO in their right mind would want to live there? The town stinks from liberals, street creeps and homos. P-U!
having a police chief named "Heather" just seems wrong - and so appropriate for SF
(sorry to all those who may be offended)
Can't win for losing.
But it's really beautiful.
Is this the case you were thinking of?
http://flyservers.registerfly.com/members5/policecrime.com/misconduct/Texas2_police.html
I wish we had the same program.
I can name a cop that would be walking tomorrow if we did. He has personally beaten two of may associates (work related). All the other cops I know, know he should be fired, but they are ALL dirty enough to cover for him. S.O.P.
In SF, all crime is the fault of the police. They mayor and the board of stupidvisors all think so, as well as the majority of SF'ers.
Glad I left in JUNE.
The FIRST thing I did when I moved to Santa Rosa was THANK A POLICEMAN! He was high ranking, I saw him near me in a shoe place and I said THANK YOU, and that I have seen MORE COPS in Santa Rosa than I ever did in SF.
I said I am a TOTAL police supporter, and a repub. He also admitted he was a Repub.
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