Tracy McCray - SFPOA President

We are hitting the summer months and as the 4th of July approaches, many of us look forward to celebrating our nation’s birthday with barbecues, music and laughter either in our backyards or at parks with family and friends. While we gather to enjoy these parties, police officers will be diligently working to ensure everyone can enjoy a peaceful and uneventful holiday. However, those of us in law enforcement know that beneath the surface, the potential for violence always lingers.

In supporting a mayoral candidate, the elements of experience, trust, and betrayal carry significant weight.

Experience underscores the candidate’s capability to navigate the complexities of governance and effectively address the city’s challenges. Voters seek a candidate with a proven track record, someone who has demonstrated the ability to lead, make tough decisions, and enact positive change.

Trust is paramount; constituents must believe in the candidate’s integrity, honesty, and dedication to serving the public interest.

In the ongoing struggle to combat human trafficking, particularly the abhorrent practice of exploiting minors, California finds itself at a critical crossroads. Amidst the corridors of power in Sacramento, legislative battles are being waged over bills aimed at strengthening laws to safeguard vulnerable youth from falling prey to this insidious crime. At the forefront of this fight is Senate Bill (SB) 1414, a bipartisan effort led by State Senator Shannon Grove to impose harsh penalties on those who seek to buy minors for sexual exploitation.

As we have heard by now, Measure E passed, and with it comes the challenge of defining and implementing details of the measure in our police work. This got me thinking about using AI (artificial intelligence) in policing. Specifically, how we apply these changes in the lens of AI. Soon we will be meeting with the department about which of our general orders will be reviewed and update based on Measure E’s passage. How we can speed up our ability to capture complete and relevant information, but also not be weighed down by paperwork!

By the time this edition of the Journal is published, it will be approximately four days until the March 5, 2024, Primary Election. There are several local measures that will impact the path forward for both our city and the San Francisco Police Department, specifically Measures B (NO) and E (YES).

As of January 1, California’s police officers are free to partake in the off-duty use of marijuana thanks to legislation amending the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. Imagine, law enforcement officers are now able to recreationally consume a federally recognized Schedule One controlled substance. Wow, what a concept!

For the first time in what seems like forever, we are making progress on San Francisco’s public safety issues. Illegal drugs are being seized by the kilo, Get-out-of-Jail Free cards for drug dealers are revoked; smash and grab crooks are being tied to bigger retail theft operations; and San Francisco residents are breaking their silence and demanding from city leaders’ safe neighborhoods.

What a year it has been for the Association, I was already serving as the Acting President and Co-Chair of the Negotiating Committee trying to get a contract nailed down for the membership, when my term began. With an excellent team at the table and a great Co-Chair, Vice President Kevin Worrell, we set our sights on getting the best outcome for our members out of the City. As somewhat of a perfectionist, I always think: what more could we have done? At the end of the day, what we did get was excellent.

“The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries.” We hear this phrase on the evening news describing the medical status of a crime victim, and we collectively breathe a sigh of relief. We tell ourselves that because the person did not die, everything will be all right.

It’s a lie. It’s important that we all know that. We’ve convinced ourselves that non-life-threatening injuries for a crime victim mean a clean bill of health instead of what they are for most victims: life-altering injuries.

What does that mean?

SF Residents Engaging in Public Safety Policies