quickly it is tested makes all of this -- all of the difference. one of the issues i wanted to quickly address is the cost. i believe that this legislation can be implemented at no cost. we have a minimum staffing for police officers that can retrieve the samples. more was at of four additional dna testing with the goal of testing every sample. offering new dna testing accounts similar to the budget measuring process, the use of funds, and whether or not they are combining with projected. one more cleanup amendment on page 3, 15. rather than having the male role of court, it would be changed to the police department so that it would have the information on the first step of the process. i want to say that it was a

mistake to think that because the budget analysts -- sorry, because the mayor's budget office would be submitting his budget, we thought it was inappropriate place to have the mayor's office report. looking into it further, it probably is not. we are joined by the assistant chief. we can discuss the operational impact to the department and the appointee to the police commissioner. jim hammer is also here. he brought this issue to our attention. one more fact that i would like to bring up is that in new york city, where they started processing these kits quickly in alignment with what we are suggesting, they sought an increase in convictions. something that has been proven to work and something that is in my opinion important to the city and county of san francisco and as elected officials is our

responsibility to ensure the safety and health of the people that live in the city and county. with that, if i could do that, having the chief take the podium once more. >> thank you, i appreciate that. i wanted to say that to start this is a great undertaking. law enforcement, dna analysis is a vital tool and as a city we need to find a way to support the up loading. with respect to these crimes we have to find ways to streamline the procedures up loaded into the statewide data base, identifying suspects as quickly as possible. we are using dna collection as evidence with wall enforcement in general, collecting far more samples than we ever have.

we are training more of the line officers to collect it. still using experts to collect it. in our department we are about to launch a civilian first responder crime scene tech physician who will have as a part of their function, collecting this evidence. not in briefcases, but in others. coming the issue of case management, so essential to make sure that you are getting the best use of your crime laboratory to efficiently move evidence forward. something that we have worked very hard on. especially with the commander. it is a partnership between investigations and the crime lab. so that we are looking at each case individually and making sure the most probative evidence and the most probable evidence for giving us a good sample is being looked at as quickly as possible.

rate kits are the most valuable piece of evidence often in these cases. with respect to the ordinance itself and of the first portion, the rape kit collection, you should know that we support this 70 to our collection process and have instituted a program some time ago to make sure that we were collecting these kits from the provider within 72 hours. since the institution we have been able to meet that target in get these symbols with other evidence. they can be limited to the exam, or limited to other evidence as well. we are meeting the first portion of the ordinance before we start. with respect to the up loading within four -- 14 days, we are in the initial stages and had been able to analyze and identify profiles in several of

these. the steps that will have to be looked at is the technical review and of loading it to make sure that we can hit the 14 denmark so that we are meeting goals on the ordinance where we have to concentrate our focus and energy. with respect to the ordinance going on, it begins to discuss setting time goals for other evidence and other dna evidence in rape cases. i know that will take a lot of effort and energy on the part of the department. look at balancing the cases and priorities that we have. including burglary cases, from which we can also get good dna with samples of loaded quickly, giving us a way to close down. most criminals are not focusing on one crime only what are doing multiple crimes across the spectrum. we are trying to move the best evidence for were across the

most cases at any given time. the only point that i see on this that i want to make clear that the department does not want to see happen, this is a very forward-looking way to make sure that funding continues without looking at funding for a laboratory and criminals, that we are not already taking existing funds from the existing budgets this was they department priority, obligations as well as other victims. we need to not directed all

towards one type of crime at the laboratory. supervisor chiu: supervisor? supervisor alioto-pier: i was calling to thank the chief and ask if there were any questions. >> thank you. supervisor alioto-pier: commissioner hammer? >> thank you, supervisors. good morning. if i could just briefly put this in context, one of the issues that came to my attention was the problem of dna backlog. spending most of my career as a prosecutor, i know that speed the testing of dna and telling victims that speedy results can help the victim to come forward with conviction, in my meetings with community members six months ago the people that work in the field told me that they would tell rape victims, but it would ask when it would get the test back, to not expect speedy

results. i almost fell off my chair. they said the practice of the department -- not well, but until some time ago, was to get those samples once every week. and because the backlog had been so bad they had to tell victims not to expect speedy results. you can imagine the response of victims. they do not want to cooperate in a prosecution. the facts on the ground until recently were those. i have worked with steve schmidt and tremendous progress has been made by the apartment in the dna laboratory. these problems are real and they cost lives. one example that was well reported, march of 2007, just a couple of years ago, rudi [unintelligible] was raped and murdered in san francisco. samples were taken from the crime scene. they sat for two years at the crime lab.

during those years her killer and rapists continue to rape women in san francisco. if those samples had been tested within a few weeks or even a month, we would have gotten a hit because circular and rapists had spent time in prison for fleshing. his dna was collected as a part of his 2001 imprisonment. we could quickly apprehended him and those women would not have been raped. i think that other jurisdictions around the country are adopting these sorts of claims. thank you all for your attention to this. supervisor alioto-pier: thank you, commissioner. supervisor chiu: let's open it up to public comment. are there any members of the public that wish to speak on this item? seeing no one, public comment is closed. final comments? supervisor alioto-pier: not as

an official member of the committee, i cannot make a motion, but i do have an amendment, if we could pass the amendment. i would just like to thank you for your time. one thing that i do want to say is that we obviously talking about crimes that disproportionately affect women. not 100%, but disproportionately. from the experience i have had within my own community, this is on the forefront of women's minds. showing the people that perpetuate sexual assault are caught, imprisoned, and obviously convicted. i ask and hope for your support today. supervisor chiu: can i ask for the articulation on the specific amendment? >> thank you very much. after conferring with supervisor alioto-pier i wanted to read

the precise language. page three, lines 4 through 6, subsection , it shall now read a "accompanying the mayor's budget submission and continuing, the police department shall report on its performance in meeting the goals established by this section. supervisor chiu: could we have a motion? without of it -- without objection, the amendment shall be made. i understand that that is non- substantive. with that, if this item could be moved to the full board with recommendation? something for us to consider tomorrow. without objection, it is the case. madam clerk, item number four. wax item number four, -- >> item

#4. ordinance authorizing the san francisco police department, on behalf of the city and county of san francisco, to retroactively accept and expend grant funds in the amount of $424,107 from the united states department of justice/national institute of justice "solving cold cases with dna" grant program; and amending ordinance no. 191-10 (annual salary ordinance, fy2010-2011) to reflect the addition of three (3) part-time positions (1.50 fte total) in job classification q4 police officer iii in the san francisco police department. supervisor chiu: thank you, madam clerk. this is an acceptable spend grant regarding grant money from doj and we have a representative from the police department to explain. >> this is very timely based on the topic of dna. i will give you a brief background to let you know what this project entails. the background is that there was a grant applied on march 11, 2010. by then the commander and

national institute of justice award, the san francisco police department has 1151 unsolved homicides over the last 25 years and 900 reported but unsold rates over the past 10 years. there is a 10 year statute of limitations for rape cases. meaning that we would look at cases from 2001 through the present. during the two years from 2007 to 2009, 70% of the department investigating homicides or sexual assaults and as a result the district attorney's office was able to charge 33% of sexual assaults in and 60% of the homicides. the police department is very interested in obtaining resources to focus on cold cases to go after perpetrators before

they can offend again and not without the funding to hire three part-time experienced investigators with testing lab services and training and travel and we currently have four investigators. this project will enhance our knowledge base through cold case training, assisting the department in developing strategies for resolution of violence, sexual assault cases. many of the cold cases will be examined and 100 selected for further review. evidence will be submitted for the laboratory and a possible bulk loaded into our combined

dna index system. the police department crime lab does not have sufficient resources to investigate the backlog and in some cases will be tread -- contracted out. as we have been doing this year to eliminate the backlog. the crime lab also has as it -- evidence wearing nine-marker dna profile was developed. we are going to look at our dna and retrieve evidence that 13 marker profiles to be developed from. criminal cases where no suspect has developed biological evidence can be retrieved through dna typing where criminals search for evidence against the database. the department will review investigative results to actively pursue leads, interview witnesses, working with staff to pursue resolution. this is not only good for the

police department, but great for the city and county. we competed nationally for this grant and it was awarded. as a result we will be able to work to solve many of the cases and increase public safety in the city. at this time i will take any questions. supervisor elsbernd: just a quick budget question. these are new positions, not money being used to replenish the general fund or anything like that? >> this is new money, $424,000. supervisor elsbernd: this money was not on the revenue side back in july? it was unexpected? >> i am getting the fiscal director saying no. we were not anticipating this at all. supervisor chiu: these folks will be on staff under this grant for how long? >> 18 months, if i am not

mistaken. of course, low. supervisor chiu: -- of course, we will. supervisor chiu: thank you, cmdr. are there any members of the public that wish to speak on this item? >> supervisors, my name is san francisco [inaudible] whenever we get grants and they are applied directly to maintain standards, the consider and of san francisco is appreciated. what we would like to see in the southeast sector is empirical data on those that commit crimes linked to our children.

and i know that this grant does not specifically address that, but it does address cold cases. another thing that i am willing to state to the command group that is under growing -- undergoing and other changes, is that we need to have very high standards to make up for what has been going on at the crime lab. i do not know how you or the supervisors, the future mayor, think about the crime lab. i and my subjective opinion, we need to move. any laboratories that are at hunters point, that toxic cesspool over there, it needs to be moved away.

if we want to have something built at mission bay, we need a time line so that all of these future grants and standards can be resolved. supervisor chiu: any other members of the public? seeing no one, public comment is closed. can this be moved to the full board? without objection, that is the case. madam clerk, any more business before the committee? >> no, mr. chairman. supervisor chiu: thank you, this meeting is adjourned at this time.

>> san francisco's buses and trains serve many riders who are blind or how low vision. muni is their lives line to get around. simple act of courtesy can help them access muni services safely. it is not just courtesy. it is the law. >> i used to take the 21 airlock. >> lot of times, when i would be waiting at the bus stop, the door would open and the driver would announce the bus line. >> 71. >> it is easier and preferable

when a driver sees someone who is obviously visually impaired if they stop in front of me and say "this is the 71," "this is the seven." >> our buses are setup to announce the lines when we pull up. when i see a customer with a guide dog or cane, make sure i let them know what line i am. >> every time i get on the bus, i tell the driver where i need to get off, even if i think there digital voice system is going to announce that. just so they know in the event that it is not working. i would say a good amount of the time, i do get acknowledgment, actually. >> good morning. >> morning. is your announcements system working? >> i'm sorry, it is not. >> could you let me know when we get to van ness and sacramento? >> i sure will. >> i have had a number of drivers be really helpful in

terms of getting passengers to move down a few seats so i can sit in the front. >> can somebody give this lady a seat? >> the bus driver was say, "please wait a moment. i want to make sure you have a seat." and i hear him or her announced that he needs a seat for a person with a disability. >> as soon as the person gets on the bus, i ask the passengers if we can have a seat for this person. >> anybody help us? thank you, sir. >> thank you. >> sides, federal law requires that the customers give their seats to the elderly and disabled if they should need it. >> buses should stop in zones that can accommodate multiple lines will stop behind one another. i cannot see what bus is behind -- i'm not even sure if there is a bus behind. the second bus does not come up to the front.

oftentimes, it has caused me to be passed up by bosses, by trains, and again, it makes me late for appointments. it makes me late for my job. >> i'm often anxious that i'm going to miss the bus that i need, simply because i'm not fast enough to scamper down and find out which bus is lined up behind the bus that is currently in front of me. what i'm going to work and i take the van ness street buses to work, sometimes, one of them will pull up right next to the other one. not in a bus stop, but parallel to it. and i do not know it is there. i also do not feel comfortable walking out into the street. >> is that my boss over there? i think that is my boss -- bus. i'm going to miss it.

i don't know how many times i have missed buses because of this. >> i do not double park. it is not safe for our customers, and especially the visually impaired. anything could happen, and it is muni's policy not to double park. normally what i do, if i can safely go in behind, i pull in the zone, offload my customers, load the customers that are waiting for me. when the bus in front of the leaves, i will pull to the front for the customers that did not see me. >> sometimes, the bus pulls up, and there is stuff in my way because the boys -- bus has not pulled up right in front of me. i have to figure out how to get around or through. i have to navigate through all of that in order to get onto the bus. >> when i pick up a visually impaired customers, i like to pull up right in front of them,

make sure nothing is in the way so they can walk right on the coach. >> okay, take one big step forward. >> when i drop off a visually impaired customers, make sure you do not pull up at the shelter. you want to give them a straight shot so they can go to the left or the right. you want to pull in front or behind the shelter. never around any trees or pose. i usually let them know that they have about 10 feet before you. a straight shot, and wallace 10 feet away, and they can make the decision what they want to do from that point. every now and then, and visually impaired customer wants to be dropped off right at the shelter. so they can go to the left or the right from there. >> ok, you want to take one big step when you step off. the shelter is straight ahead. >> if i get on the bus and asked a bus driver to please tell me when to get off at seven

straight, the bus driver very often will tell me to just look at the sign, and i will say that i cannot see the sign because and visually impaired. sometimes, the bus driver gets it. some of the time, the bus driver does not get it at all. it is really difficult when you do not see well to understand where things are. it is one of those issues where people do not see it from the outside. so when they see me having problems stepping off of curbs or stairs or running into the side of a building or things like that, it would appear to them as though maybe i had been drinking, but the problem is that there is no contrast between a great building and a sidewalk. >> it is difficult for some drivers i think to understand that i am blind. although i may look like i'm getting along very well, and it did happen to me on several

occasions with drivers, questioning my ability to see. they would say, "well, you really are not that blind." not only is that infuriating, but it is just something that cuts to my core. >> there are times that visually impaired customers get on the bus, and they are moving so well that makes me wonder how blind they are, but that is not for me to decide. i'm just here to take them some point a to point b safely. >> i moved all the way across the country specifically to live in san francisco because i knew they had great public transportation. i had the greatest interactions with muni drivers because i was thrilled to be on a bus and be able to get some more independently. i think the drivers can really feel proud that they are making people's lives possible in a way that it is not possible in other parts even of this country. >> the americans with

disabilities act of 1990 is a wide-ranging federal civil- rights law that prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. title two of the ada addresses access to public services, including public transportation for persons with disabilities. tips for respectful communication for people with disabilities brochures are available. call sfmta accessible services at 415-701-4485 for copies. >> thank you.

good afternoon and thank you for coming out on this wet day to the last disaster council of 2010 and the last for gavin newsom. i am calling this meeting to order. we go to item three. the after-action reports. the d.e.m. services director will work with us on that. >> we are going to get high- level on the after-action discussion around the world series. the reports are being worked on. they will be circulated for comment. i want to talk about some of the lessons