2 San Francisco Co. jails locked down due to series of inmate attacks on deputies and staff
There have been 9 attacks on deputies at the jails in 3 weeks, SFDSA says
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Two San Francisco jails are on lockdown because of recent attacks on deputies inside, according to the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs' Association.
The group is now calling for the immediate use of the California National Guard.
Escalating violence has been seen at San Francisco County Jail 3 in San Bruno and County Jail 2 on 7th street in San Francisco.
"In 2023 alone, there were 240 reported incidents of prisoner fights, representing a 58% increase from the previous year," said Ken Lomba, the president of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs' Association.
"Their presence is crucial to provide immediate relief and enhance the safety and security of our facilities for all personnel and inmates," Lomba said in the letter posted on the union's website.
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Seven staff members were injured in attacks since March 29.
"It's a scary time. We've had nine attacks in three weeks on deputies. There have been prisoner fights. There have been civilian staff injured. This is a really violent time," Lomba said.
Lomba has sent a letter to San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, calling for the help of the California National Guard until low staffing levels can be addressed.
As to the deputies who say they were assaulted by prisoners...
"We had several dislocated shoulders. We had deputies punched in the head severely. We had a deputy bitten with the skin broken. I mean, these are peace officers, deputy sheriff's that are protecting the public, and they are under attack," Lomba said.
The San Francisco Sheriff's Office released a statement Sunday saying, "We believe that our current internal response strategies will immediately address the increase in assaults on our members."
The statement went on to say, "We understand that the DSA also ties the recent incidents into low staffing levels and has called for immediate staffing. The National Guard is not the answer to the staffing shortage. The Sheriff continues to be committed to filling vacancies, recruiting, and hiring."
We asked the sheriff's office why there has been a rise in violence, but they did not respond to that question. Lomba says the staffing problem isn't new, but it's has never been this low. He says the San Francisco Sheriff's Office is now 178 people short of where it should be and believes that is why we have seen these issues.
"Recently, the sheriff's office has made changes internally, and they have cut positions, moved assignments. And, quite frankly, the inmates are seeing the vulnerability in our staffing. We need the mayor to step up. We need the sheriff to step up and get aggressive at hiring," Lomba said.
The jail assaults are now under investigation, according to the sheriff's office.
This is the full statement from the San Francisco Sheriff's Office:
In light of recent incidents in our jails, the Sheriff's Office is actively working on comprehensive plans to address the issues raised by the DSA (Deputy Sheriff's Association) regarding the safety of staff members and incarcerated persons in our custody and care.
We believe that our current internal response strategies will immediately address the increase in assaults on our members. We are coordinating our resources and will have enough staff for upcoming operations. Assistance from other agencies is contemplated during planning, but only in exigent circumstances or incidents.
The request for National Guard resources for the jails is premature and not necessary at this time.
We understand that the DSA also ties the recent incidents into low staffing levels and has called for immediate staffing. The National Guard is not the answer to the staffing shortage. The Sheriff continues to be committed to filling vacancies, recruiting, and hiring.
The Sheriff's Office shares the DSA's concerns for the safety of the jails and its members. We are confident that recent safety issues and behaviors by those incarcerated will be addressed by our internal response.
The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs' Association released a statement. A copy of the letter to the sheriff is included here.
In addition to serving as jail guards, deputies provide security to city hall and county courts.
The jail's inmate population stood at 1,137 as of Friday, according to the sheriff's department's website.
An announcement on the website on Saturday said visits to inmates by members of the community and parent-child visits were cancelled through Monday.
The county operates jails in downtown San Francisco and in San Bruno, in San Mateo County.
Bay City News contributed to this report
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