Rules Committee advances ordinance to let sheriff contract private parties for supplemental enforcement

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee on Nov. 8 advanced an ordinance that would authorize the Sheriff to enter contracts with private individuals and private entities to provide supplemental law enforcement services, a measure the sponsor said is aimed at a recent uptick in retail theft.

"This type of brazen theft has impacted the well-being of our frontline workers," Supervisor Safae said, describing a working group co-chaired by Police Chief Bill Scott and including the sheriff, business groups and labor that helped shape the proposal. Safae said the change seeks to expand the pool of officers available to respond to retailer requests, and stressed the proposal "is not about going back to the days of over incarceration."

During public comment, caller David Pilpow praised the concept but urged drafting changes and clearer findings. "I'm wondering if that could be reasonably interpreted that I or anyone else can hire the sheriff's deputies to serve as private security," Pilpow said, urging the committee to limit the definition of "requester" to entities or clarify that individuals can only request services on behalf of an organization.

Clerical and technical edits were adopted. Chair Aaron Peskin moved to amend the draft to correct a drafting reference (inserting "10 a 0.5"), a change the committee adopted by roll call. The committee then voted to send the amended ordinance to the full Board as a committee report. The roll calls recorded affirmative votes and the motions passed without objection.

Labor and administrative-process questions remained. Artis Graham of the Department of Human Resources said DHR had received the legislation and was evaluating a request from the POA (identified in the hearing as a bargaining unit) to meet and confer; Graham said DHR had not yet received a written meet-and-confer request. Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson advised the longstanding practice of holding items until meet-and-confer is resolved but said the committee could still send the item to the full board with instructions not to vote until the question is settled. The committee chose to forward the item to the full Board with a recommendation.

The committee record includes a list of stakeholders and working-group participants cited by the sponsor: Sheriff Miyamoto, Police Chief Bill Scott, the San Francisco Hotel Council, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, the Council of District Merchants, several community benefit districts including Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf, the NAACP and labor unions UFCW Local 5 and Local 648, and the Deputy Sheriffs Association.

The ordinance will next appear before the full Board of Supervisors. DHR's pending review of whether meet-and-confer is required and any written request from the POA remain open matters that could affect the timing of a full Board vote.