Two commissioners walked out of Wednesday night’s Police Commission hearing in protest after a fellow commissioner lambasted a controversial proposal from Mayor London Breed to expand police powers in San Francisco and potentially curtail the oversight body’s powers.
Commissioner Max Carter-Oberstone, a mayoral appointee who has become an outspoken critic of Breed’s, said the mayor’s proposal is “not so much about public safety as it is about politics.”
The proposal, announced by Mayor Breed on Tuesday, would make the police department’s vehicle-chase policy less restrictive, and ease its use-of-force reporting requirements, which she called “too burdensome.”
The mayor’s proposal will head to voters as a ballot measure in March, Breed said.
In a statement yesterday, Carter-Oberstone called Breed’s proposal “a slapdash, scattershot proposal that is largely redundant of work the commission is already doing.”
“It’s about blaming the commission,” Carter-Oberstone said at tonight’s meeting. “If Mayor Breed had reached out to the commission, she actually would have discovered that the commission has already either accomplished all of those things, or is actively working on those things.”
His colleague, Debra Walker, another Breed appointee, objected to the discussion of the ballot measure, and asked the City Attorney present whether it was appropriate.
City Attorney Alicia Cabrera said that Carter-Oberstone could address the impacts of the ballot measure, but could not discuss a topic off-agenda or use city resources to advocate for or against a ballot measure.
When Carter-Oberstone began to speak again, Walker interrupted: “I object to this discussion about the ballot measure.”
Carter-Oberstone attempted to continue speaking, and Walker stood up and walked out of the meeting room at City Hall.
As she left, she motioned repeatedly to Commissioner James Byrne to join her. If he did, it would mean the meeting would no longer have quorum. Byrne, another appointee of Breed’s, stayed seated.
Instead, Commissioner Larry Yee, also a mayoral appointee, stood and left in solidarity, bringing the meeting to a halt for a few minutes.
The police department’s car chase policy has been in effect since 2013. It calls for police to “safely apprehend a fleeing violator without unnecessarily endangering the public and/or officers,” and directs officers to initiate a chase when a felony is suspected, or when there is reasonable belief that the person poses a risk to public safety. Breed apparently wants even fewer restrictions.
Breed also said the civilian Police Commission should have to follow a public outreach process before implementing policies. Although not required, the Police Commission often holds community outreach meetings, most recently on a traffic stop policy that was approved after months of community input in January.
Carter-Oberstone said that the commission already reduced reporting requirements last year, and noted outreach efforts — to the public and within the San Francisco Police Department — taken by the commission when developing or revising new policies.
“Just last week, I and Commissioner Benedicto met with 25 officers to get their feedback on the vehicle-pursuit policy,” Carter-Oberstone said in his statement. “I wish the Mayor had reached out to the Commission before publishing this.”
Walker and Yee remained outside of the meeting hall for about five minutes. Ultimately, Commissioner Byrne went outside, and apparently brought them back in.
Carter-Oberstone said he would postpone his response until a future meeting, presumably when commissioners Cindy Elias and Jesús Yáñez would be present to keep a quorum, or — “until my colleagues won’t scurry out of the room before I can finish a sentence.”
Do we know whether or not London Breed had her appointees Debra Walker and Larry Yee sign undated letters of resignation as a condition of their sitting on the Police Commission? It’s weird that this delusional Mayor thinks accountability and oversight bodies like the Police Commission exist to rubber stamp her political grand standing. Imagine what would have happened if Max Carter Oberstone had not revealed (after being falsely accused of “lying” by the Breed administration) the truth about Breed’s bizarre (and illegal) practice of pressing appointees to sign undated letters of resignation.
Has anyone ever seen Debra Walker take the initiative on anything over the past 25 years?
Walker’s gone along and gotten along by knowing and being exactly what her patrons want her to be and do.
Debra Walker does not need to be told, that is her “value proposition.”
Debra Walker throws a hissy fit. Film at eleven.
Isn’t it particularly irrational to be making the vehicle chasing policy *less* restrictive after multiple innocent bystanders have been injured and killed just this year in police chases?
Lemme see,
The Mayor controls the Police Chief.
She’s mad cause Carter-Oberstone took away her Police Commission majority.
So, she anoints Commissioner Debra Walker to lead a walk-out of London’s other two Loyal Commissioners.
They want to shut up the powerful young and playful lion cub lawyer, Carter-Oberstone who is head and shoulders beyond them on measures of smarts and ethics if you can believe it.
One Breed appointee, Byrne simply refused to follow Walker’s emphatic wave for him to follow him like a flunkie and it finally took some of Debra’s prodding to get the other Mayoral appointee, Yee reluctantly out of his seat and into slow dragging walk out of the chambers, assuring a lack of quorum cause Elias and Diamond were missing …
Should be noted that the Sergeant acting as clerk (they need civilian) and the City Attorney were all in with the stunt and had the legal precedent ready to justify shutting down the Police Commission by invoking a loophole to enforce Minority Rule.
Only person caught unawares as planned was Commissioner Max Carter-Oberstone.
Did not phase him one bit.
Mayor and her lawyers say if she can’t control the Commission then she’ll shut it down via Walker who used to be a leading Prog who sparred with Joe O’Donoghue.
Further, she’ll attempt a Charter Change at the poles where she’s running for Re-election for Mayor against me and others …
In short, London’s moving her brand further to the Right for next year’s election.
Like Newsom but he went further cause he’s moving up and becoming a National Bully of the Poor and not Just a State and Local one.
We should elect our Top Cop like we used to.
Copy the Sheriff’s department.
Give us a Patrol Schedule from 1950.
We’re still 49 1/2 Square miles.
Maybe AI will save us.
Go Niners !!
h.
We need a Strong Reform Elected Police Chief !!
Presently, we have a nice guy (Scott) who is out of the loop on SFPOA intrusions.
Former Sheriff, Michael Hennessey’s idea.
Even former SFPOA point guys, Halloran and Delagnes agree.
They think their candidate would win.
I don’t.
I agree with Hennessey that it might take an election cycle or two to get a Chief who actually governs according to their platform plank promises.
To change the culture, recruit at Law Schools and convents.
There is such a glaring missing link here.
That would be a Chief who can act decisively.
Go Niners !!
To read my numerous comments here that are spiked go to sfbulldogblog.com.
h.
Where is President Cindy Elias? She has been MIA since the commission’s summer break in August, missing at least 5-6 straight meetings. If appointed to any commission position you need to be able to fulfill the heeds of the appointment at the very
Least making the meetings in person
We need police. We don’t need this Police Commission. They are part of the problem.