San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee proposes police reform budget
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Under a new budget plan introduced by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, community violence prevention programs would get most of the $17.5 million he's proposing for the next two years.
The funding boost addresses the call for police reform after officer-involved shootings. "Our budget over the next two years reflects some $17.5 million dedicated to police reform and violence repression.
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There are 200 recruits at the academy and they are receiving training that all the officers on the force will soon receive.
The mayor and police chief have been extremely vocal about this kind of training, which they hope will reduce officer-involved shootings.
The bulk of that money will go toward city funded and community programs that help prevent violence.
Community groups told the mayor, violence prevention programs were essential in re-building trust. "San Francisco is showing that it's a city that knows how to deal with flawed situations," San Francisco NAACP Chapter President Rev. Amos Brown said.
"We cannot rest until every person in the city enjoys relationship of trust with not only the police department, but with our greater justice system," San Francisco Police Commission President Suzy Loftus said.
Training has already started at the police academy, with simulators on how to de-escalate tense situations. And there will be more specialized programs to educate officers on racism and bias. "The department will spend $1.4 million over the next two years on direct training for staff with regard to implicit bias," San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr said.
The budget will buy more bean bag projectiles, stun guns and something called a net gun. "A wide spread net that comes out of a projectile type device that will actually envelope the suspect and again allow us time to subdue that person," Suhr said.
The key to the new training Lee said is that the sanctity of life should be the center of every decision a cop makes on the streets.
