been exchanging ideas and of how positive and spirited discussions with the police department in city hall, the police department is an institution. in some ways, they do not have the luxury or liberty to speak their mind in the way you would with may be a general citizen. to have that kind of repartee, we are not going to benefit from, in the way i think you would in a more intimate setting, when those of you who are screening potential applicants could really learn from that level of history and detailed in a way we might not benefit from. i think that was where some of the impetus was coming from. great hopes, i think, are placed on this process to be able to really be able to learn from, gleam information, and apply it to larger principles and

strategies. i just thought i should clarify that. president mazzucco: thank you. i have in my prior employment worked as a prosecutor here. we have one of the most talented police departments i have ever seen. i compare our officers to federal agents i have worked with. there is a lot of talent. the reverse. different education backgrounds. it was tough to make a decision about who we were going to interview. but we had the baseline of 10 years of significant command experience. we have taken that seriously. effect came up. the san francisco police department is different than a lot of departments. a retired deputy chief said san francisco police officers since the '70s have been peace officers. they are not an occupying force. there are peace officers who work within the community. that is not lost with any members of the commission. that dovetails into what you're

talking about. we are taking this seriously. none of us have had a free night in quite a while. we appreciate your input. the common theme has been coming up in some of our interviews. our candidates have been talking about working with the board of supervisors, assigning somebody to be assigned to each member of the board of supervisors. we are hearing good things. chairperson mirkarimi: are you saying that to make me feel good? [laughter] since these are anonymous comments anyway. so savvy. supervisor campos: thank you very much. i want to thank president mazzucco for being here, and interim chief godown, as well as members of his command staff and members of the police commission, including

commissioners hammer, dejesus, and chan. we really want to hear from the public. many people came here, as you can see. for those of you who are watching, not only is the entire chamber of the board of supervisors pact, but you have an overflow room. that tells you the level of interest people have in community policing. the reason that we in my office wanted to have this hearing prior to the police commission sending names to the mayor for a recommendation is because we wanted to make sure that as we are choosing a chief, as we as a city are choosing a chief, that the person who is selected is going to have as much of a commitment to community policing as possible you mention that you want, or some folks indicated that you want a cop's cop, which is something i appreciate.

but you can see here in this chamber people are wearing a sticker that says "we want a community police chief." they want a community cop as well. [applause] i hope that you understand the significance of why this hearing is taking place today, before those names are forwarded. we want to make sure that whoever is elected is going to be someone who is truly committed to making community policing as much of a reality in san francisco. president mazzucco: i could not agree with you more. if you notice from the list i read, the profile for the chief of police, the very first criteria is community- focused/community policing and engagement. no candidate we have spoken to or are going to talk to has not already overcome that hurdle. supervisor campos: the last thing i would say, speaking as

someone who previously served on the police commission, in the last few years the police commission has undertaken many changes within the police department, a lot of innovation, a lot of things that allow this department to be the best department possible, to think outside the box. i hope that going forward we are also going to select someone who is going to continue those efforts, because it is important for us to make sure that as a department will continue to move forward. president mazzucco: in response to that, we have looked at candidates that will embrace the changes made by chief gascogne. there were structural changes in terms of inspectors being out in the stations, comstat. they have to embrace those changes or their names will not be sent to the mayor. chairperson mirkarimi: thank you, mr. president. we appreciate that. i do not believe there is any

more commentary. we are going to segue into the fulcrum of what this hearing is about tonight. we will come up with chief godown in a second. if my colleagues want to speak to any primer points, i want to set up one particular point that might assist in the discussion that i think the chief is going to share with us. this document is called "community policing and problem solving." it was advanced by then-chief -- chief ribera in 1973. it crystallized the beginning of what community policing was in concept, literally 18 years ago. there were a few lines within the department general orders, which is essentially the operetta and bible. it is a good document. it was, in my opinion, cutting

edge in 1993. if you looked at the general orders to date of the san francisco police department and look at what is in this document, there has been little that has ever been institutionalized manually that really obligates or establishes any level of accountability. that is a shame. i know that recently in a community meeting with chief godown and senior members of district stations in our area and the police department, chief godown hit the nail on the head by saying to a group of over 100 people that if he asks them for their definition of community policing he will get 100 different answers. everybody agreed with that. there was consensus of the fact that there is a diverse understanding of what that is.

often we hear about is that when captains are changed in the 10 different stations that almost resets the community policing strategies that have been -- [applause] -- that have been established and devised. we hear about this all the time. some stations are lucky enough to get captains that have been there several years. that level of continuity, because they might be gregarious or extroverted, or were able to establish that level of relationship in a way that bread that kind of trust and the level of confidence between community and police. other stations have not been so lucky. there is a question sometimes of continuity and stability or the lack thereof. and when we hear from constituents, they really want to be able to establish

something and be part of the solution, not of the problem. it sometimes can follow them in a very convoluted or schizophrenic way. and it is essential, i think, that if the next mayor, the next police chief, or the remainder police chief or any elected official -- somehow, we are obligated to do at this juncture, 18 years later, is to provide some level of expectation and accountability about community policing. it did not start with chief gascogne. it started well before chief ribera, but he thought to write it down. it is not going to stop with chief godown. but it is important that we find a way the citizenry knows what community policing means.

i want to say thank-you to supervisor campos for helping speer had this hearing, and his staff bringing together the facility and foreign tonight. -- forum tonight. [applause] secondly, when the public or police here and the supervisor or elected official decry the fact that they want to see more police, and i was someone who went out on a limb by this, much to the chagrin of many in the force, by saying, "get out of their cars and get to know the public." it was not meant to be punishment. it was actually a compliment. we wanted to see more of a relationship between sfpd and the community, so it would foster the relationship that had been absent in areas that people, i think, were craving. the way i think some people

within the department or culture of the department think that what policing is a luxury it -- that mystifies me. i know there are other cities who do not. i am hoping that here tonight we will be able to figure out what is the sweet spot that helps to identify community policing that also is able to be supported by the resources of staffing and the budgetary resources, so that this is seen as a wise and practical endeavor. i want to thank the chief and everybody else for being here. supervisor campos: chief, again thank you for being here. before we begin with the hearing, i wanted to provide some from work or how we got here, why we are here. for those of you who are looking at the agenda, there are three items on the agenda. one of the items we just went through, which is a report on the process of selecting a chief.

the other item is a hearing on a body that was created by then- chief gascogne, the community police advisory boards, which were created as the cornerstone for community policing within the department. we thought it was important for us to get an update on how those bodies are doing, how they are functioning, and to hear not only from the police department, but more importantly to hear directly from the community. to the extent that this is the cornerstone of community policing in san francisco, we want to know how that are going. the second item is an item we introduced along with supervisor mirkarimi, which is to have a discussion about what we mean when we say "community policing," to finally come up with a definition that makes sense for san francisco, knowing that we say a lot about

community policing and do not really know what we mean when we say "community policing." what does it mean citywide? what does it mean in each one of the district stations? that definition is something we believe it is important to codify so there is uniformity at least in terms of the concept of community policing in the city and county of san francisco, recognizing that community policing will look differently, depending on the characteristics of a specific neighborhood. i want to provide that context. if i may ask, chief, after you're done with your statement -- i know you have a number of members of your staff who are here. we do have some youth from bernal heights who have come here to provide their perspective. with school in session, they have to leave very shortly, so i was hoping that once you have the opportunity to make a

statement we could take a few minutes before we continue with the rest of the presentation to hear directly from those youth so we have an opportunity to hear their perspective on why we are here. thank you again for being here. chief godown: it is my pleasure. supervisor campos: we also have some of the mission girls, who are facing the same time constraints. my apologies. chief godown: i will be quick. i have a large amount of staff here. i have the community policing expert -- chairperson mirkarimi: a little higher with the microphone. sorry. chief godown: i will have to leave -- lean over. we will provide a power point presentation in a couple minutes to talk about community policing. it will give you an update on where we are. we will also talk about how many foot beats we step on a daily basis, based on some of the criteria in the community policing literature.

i think that what will happen at the end of the evening is we might still be sitting here trying to define what community policing is. everybody has their own definition. the reality is community policing in its basic form is any time we go out and talk to the community. when we engage the community in and the police function, it is the worst form of community policing. community policing to meet -- i agree the officers need to get out of their cars. the cornerstone of our philosophy is community policing. an important aspect for me is to get the community involved in the day today actions of what the police department does. the community needs to be more involved. there are other things we can do and other ways that we can better ourselves with community policing. we have a substantial community policing policy in our department. i think the power point you were

going to see is very robust and will answer a lot of questions. when you talk about the definition, everybody is going to have a definition of what they think it should be. with that, i am going to allow you to bring up your speakers. then we will have the power point. afterward, we will come back up. supervisor campos: thank you. we have 13 youth from the bernal heights neighborhood center and three youth from mission girls. i would ask them to come up. you each have two minutes. i want to make sure you get home in time to do your homework and everything you need to do to make sure you do well in school tomorrow. if i can ask those young people to please come forward, you each have two minutes. and if you would like to bundle your testimony and maybe speak, not individually, but as a

group, that is also appropriate. >> hello. how are you guys doing today? i wanted to just say thank you so much for having some time for us. my name is aylid. i am the coordinator for the youth employment and education program at the omi. i have a lot of youth that will come up here and be speaking. i and the part-time public safety coordinator at the excelsior and bernal heights neighborhood center. we want community policing to involve community members, and it should have partners with

community-based organizations. as an integral part of community policing, we want community- based violence prevention programs and access to youth programs. we want all police to be trained in labor relations and working with diverse communities. race, class, age, sex, mental health issues, and so on. there should be an emphasis on serving the community, and not simply fighting crime. we want a more pro-active approach to public safety that holds intervention above reaction. here we are, people that want a safer san francisco who will prove the kind of dedication we can show. we live here and want to play an active role in making sure it is safe for our families, our neighbors, and our communities. in order to have a truly safe

neighborhood, we need the police. but the police also need us. thank you so much. [applause] supervisor campos: if i may ask the next youth to please come forward. again, if you can bundle your testimony so we move the hearing quickly, thank you very much. do not be nervous. if you can speak into the microphone, raise the mike. thank you. >> my name is nicky hatfield. i am part of the justice program and the neighborhood center. this is what i think community policing should be in our neighborhoods. police should take the initiative to break-barriers. i think it is sometimes an us and them thing, and i want a we environment. i believe in prevention and social justice programs. everyone should have the right

to feel safe in their neighborhood. supervisor campos: thank you. >> my name is diamond white. i am 15 years old. i go to lowell high school. what i wanted to talk about is when i was researching what community policing was. it pretty much had said that the police officers were respectful to us. but the way i see it, they are not respectful at all when they tied to talk to us and approach us. the police officers pretty much just want to get paid and get it over with. they are not dedicated to helping us youth and the community members. supervisor campos: next speaker. >> good evening, board of supervisors and community. my name is michaela.

i am 16. i am coordinator in training. i have researched community policing on the internet, and it is a particular area that is being watched by the same policemen so they can be comfortable with the residence. that is a way of reducing crime and violence in that neighborhood. yet i do not see it in a lot of neighborhoods, especially mine. it would be nice if some policemen would be friendlier toward youth. this would help our community have a better relationship toward each other, and that can prevent crime. it would be better if there were more activities going on after school. this would keep the youth occupied and help them learn positive stuff that would also keep them from the streets. the social justice in bernal heights center is a good example. there should be more options for other youth as well. thank you. supervisor campos: next speaker.

>> hello, board and the community. i am 16 years old. i go to balboa high school. i am also in omi and the social justice program at the neighborhood center. i am here to add my input into what community policing should be in our neighborhood. i think that we want to be -- we want community policing to be focused on prevention rather than intervention. we also want more officers participating in community meetings. that way, we can build relationships between youth and the community and the police as well. thank you. supervisor campos: thank you. next speaker. i would ask -- if you can hold

your applause so that the hearing can move more quickly, i know that many people are here and want to speak. if you can hold your applause so that the curing can move quickly, thank you. >> my name is joshua will lead. i am 16. i go to lowell high school. supervisor campos: into the microphone, please. >> you guys are not friendly around the neighborhood. you guys are not friendly with the people around the community. you guys walk around and watch the area. i think you should interact with the community a bit more. that is about it. supervisor campos: next speaker, please. >> my name is christopher eng. i am a participant in omi.

i would appreciate it if more police would walk around the community and got to know us. because right now in my community, i see a few of them walking around, but usually when i pass by, they do not end up saying hello or anything. they just look at you and go away. supervisor campos: thank you. next speaker. next speaker? >> hello. my name is keshaun washington. i am 15. i am here to say there should be more police protection in my neighborhood. where i am from, the last three years i have seen people getting robbed and not reporting to police because they were scared that they would not follow through and catch the people. so just more police protection in my neighborhood would be great. thank you. supervisor campos: next speaker.

thank you. >> hello. my name is leila ramos, and i am also a participant in omi. my statement would match josh and chris's. police should show up to community events. i feel like if some of us recognize some of their faces at community events we would feel more on a different relationship than how it is if we just see them randomly. supervisor campos: thank you. >> my name is sansa hernandez. something i would like to point out is you know how the law now is that if you are caught on the phone driving you get a ticket? i actually see a lot of police officers doing that when they are driving, on their phone. i actually think that is not right. [applause]

the visit. -- that is it. >> my name is ramon and i'm with omi. i am here to say that when i am walking on the street, i see cops. i feel, like, offended. every time i walk by, i am scared of the police and think they are going to stab me or something. i just what the police to be trained more so they know how to respond to youth. supervisor campos: thank you very much. next speaker, please. >> hello. my name is wendy. i am a participant in omi. tonight i am here to advocate for my fellow peers about what we would like the police to do in our community. we would appreciate it if there are more police on foot patrol rather than simply driving in their cars, because we know that

when you are driving there are blind spots in the field of vision that you cannot see. as a result, you can sometimes miss out on what is really going on in the streets. having more police on foot patrol not only makes us feel safer, it also makes us feel less afraid to communicate with you guys. you guys have a stigma of imposing fear on to us. in order to break that stigma, we have to be closer and communicate with each other. thank you. supervisor campos: thank you very much. did you want to add something, chief? chief godown: what i need all these folks to do is this fine officer standing behind me -- we're going to have an upcoming community youth forum and i would like all of you to participate in it. we are trying to get the message out. as you finish speaking, walk over to that officer and he will take your information and you will be invited to an upcoming community youth forum. supervisor campos: thank you. as you finish speaking, make

sure you sign up. thank you very much. >> hello. my name is malina herrera. i am with the social justice program from bernal heights. this is what i think we need to have really good community policing. it is somebody who comes from within, somebody that walks around, somebody that talks to us, someone that communicates with us and comes to our meetings and talks to us. when the police that -- hey, that is john, my police friend. hey, john, how is it going? someone who always says hello to us, someone we know, a police who can be our friend. i think that is what the youth need. i think you. supervisor campos: thank you very much. before we continue, that was very well done, chief. i also believe the head of the department of public probation is here, as well as someone from

the mayor's office of criminal justice. >> i was going to reload my memory card. my name is leah white. i am the youth empowerment coordinator for normal heights neighborhood center -- bernal heights neighborhood center. i think the youth represented themselves very well and that is what i would have said it i was the only one speaking here. more community programs would be nice, more involvement with police acting -- interacting with what cbos are doing. we all want to see a separate community. we are doing it in a way that prevents for later on. there is a lot of interaction that happens, but it does not help for another, like -- for where the future of our city is going. "we are trying to look for is a community policing definition that will