Sheriff presents equipment-use policy to Rules Committee; item continued for edits after public concern

Sheriff Paul Miyamoto and staff presented a comprehensive equipment inventory and proposed use policy required under state law (Assembly Bill 481) to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee on Jan. 23, 2023. The presentation covered unmanned aircraft systems (drones), recon robots, mobile command vehicles, breaching shotguns, specialized firearms (including patrol rifles and sniper platforms), diversionary devices and less-lethal launchers.

Miyamoto told the committee the department’s small unmanned aircraft systems are used for search-and-rescue, disaster response and scene assessment, and that the department does not employ facial-recognition software or use drones for First Amendment activities. He described the recon scout robot as a camera-only device with no audio or offensive capability and said it is currently obsolete and awaiting repair rather than augmentation. Miyamoto emphasized that many platforms are restricted to the special response team (SRT) or the Emergency Services Unit (ESU) and outlined Post-certified training, biannual qualifications and other training requirements for authorized personnel.

Community groups and public commenters raised several concerns. Arthur Koch (representing a local Quaker meeting and working with the American Friends Service Committee) warned against “militarizing” robots and criticized the department for submitting equipment information on short notice, arguing the public was denied a full 30 days for comment. Jennifer Tu of the American Friends Service Committee and John Lindsay Polanum (California Healing Justice Program) urged the committee to narrow the policy’s "authorized use" language so that it matches past deployments and does not permit new forms of crowd surveillance or expanded use in confined jail settings where detained people may include people with mental illness or disabilities.

Miyamoto acknowledged concerns about targeting and confined spaces, explained that 37mm impact munitions are trained to target lower extremities, and said complaints about equipment use are currently handled by the Department of Police Accountability and may later involve an inspector general once that office is established. He provided staffing figures for the Sheriff’s Office (authorized for over 960 sworn positions, current on-duty range of roughly 670–700, staffing at about 72%) and said the ESU has about 120 members with an SRT of about 15 deputies.

After questioning and public comment, Chair Aaron Peskin directed Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson to draft non-substantive recital edits, asked staff to explore aligning the sheriff’s and police department annual reporting cycles where feasible, and recommended the AB 481-required community engagement meeting be held at the sheriff’s voter-approved oversight board. Sheriff Miyamoto agreed. The committee moved to continue the item to Jan. 30, 2023, to allow one more round of edits and stakeholder convening; the motion passed unanimously.

The continuation means the committee will consider revised language addressing authorized uses, reporting, and the forum for community engagement when the item returns.