Supervisors press SFPD for measurable plan after decade‑long decline in traffic citations

Supervisor Mandelmann led a hearing on traffic enforcement and street safety that reviewed a decade‑long decline in traffic citations and recent spikes in pedestrian fatalities. Commander Nicole Jones of SFPD’s Special Operations Bureau summarized causes the department cites for the decline: staffing losses (SFPD reported being 606 officers below baseline), additional administrative time required by stop‑data reporting (AB 953) and body‑worn camera processing, COVID‑era deprioritization of traffic stops, and changes in traffic patterns post‑pandemic.

Jones said SFPD has increased directed enforcement operations at identified high‑injury corridors and that, in the first two quarters of 2023, the department performed 1,600+ warning/advisement stops and 2,751 citations (a year‑over‑year improvement). She also reported planned internal accountability meetings and urged better data on educational enforcement (warnings/advisories) so their impact can be assessed.

Supervisors pressed for a measurable enforcement plan and asked for more granular data (citations by location, time, directed‑operation details, and red‑light/automated enforcement coordination with SFMTA). Mandelmann asked the department to return in early 2024 with a detailed, trackable plan; the committee continued the item to the call of the chair.