Latest news with #SanFranciscoPoliceOfficersAssociation
San Francisco Chronicle
07-07-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco to hire retired police officers for events, shelters amid staffing shortage
San Francisco will soon hire recently retired police officers to staff concerts, other events and homeless shelters — the city's latest effort to grow the ranks within its short-staffed police force, the mayor's office announced Monday. Officials said the plan, which the city and police union agreed upon late last month, is expected to free up current officers for patrol and investigative duties and cut down the use of overtime, which the department oftentimes relies on to provide security at events and locations such as shelters. The city plans to hire and deploy retirees by the fall, according to Mayor Daniel Lurie's office. The retirees — projected to total about 50 to 100, or more if necessary — will work in a part-time capacity as needed and collect an hourly salary, without benefits. They will be in uniforms and equipped like any other officer, assigned to events such as concerts, parades and festivals, as well as shelters and navigation centers, a type of shelter that offers intensive case management services. The program is open to retirees with state certifications, which generally remain active for three years after retirement. The plan represents a new strategy to beef up staffing at a time when the department faces a shortage of about 500 officers and a reliance on overtime to fill gaps. A recent audit found that SFPD's overtime spending surged from $52.9 million in 2018 to $108.4 million in 2023. Lurie and interim Police Chief Paul Yep described the move as a smart way to beef up the department's ranks to cut down on overtime, free up current officers and avoid burnout. 'We are meeting the serious staffing shortages with urgency, innovation and results,' Lurie said in part in a statement. 'It's a practical, effective solution to the staffing challenges we face,' added Yep, who developed the plan after he joined Lurie's administration as chief of public safety. The department required officers to work overtime to beef up staffing and keep crowds safe during several recent large-scale events, including the Chinese New Year Parade, NBA All-Star Weekend and San Francisco Pride celebrations. The program for retired officers is expected to accomplish the same results 'without burning out the current force' during upcoming events that are expected to draw large crowds to the Bay Area, including the 2026 Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup, Lurie's office said. Tracy McCray, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, lauded the program as a 'great example of collaboration between the mayor, the SFPD and the SFPOA to address our staffing challenges in a thoughtful' way. 'This program will help ensure public safety during large-scale events while we continue working to rebuild and grow the department,' McCray said in a statement. Lurie first announced the idea for the program in May, when he outlined several plans to grow the ranks within the police department and sheriff's office. Lurie's directive also called for the creation of a group of police and sheriff's officials who will look at opportunities to partner on investigations and patrol duties. Lurie's office also announced a surge in interest in the police force. In the first six months of the year, the department received 2,155 applications, compared to 1,311 during the same period last year. The department also is on track to hire more officers from other agencies this year than last year, the mayor's office said, adding that the department hired 30 officers from other agencies during the fiscal year that ended a week ago, compared to eight during the previous fiscal year. The department also is speeding up the hiring process. This month the department will host 'one-step testing days,' which will allow applicants to complete multiple steps, including fingerprinting for background checks, physical abilities tests and oral interviews in one day. The efforts are the city's latest to attract and retain officers. Under former Mayor London Breed, San Francisco became the city with the highest starting pay for new officers in the Bay Area. The city also approved a contract that gave officers retention raises. The sheriff's office has seen similar progress in beefing up its ranks. The office hired 96 deputies during the latest fiscal year, the highest total and, with 64 retirements and resignations taken into account, the largest gain in the past 10 fiscal years. Lurie's office attributed the staffing boost to changes intended to speed up the office's hiring process. 'The message is simple: We are rebuilding the ranks, and it's working,' Lure said Monday.
CBS News
21-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
San Francisco police union tells embattled Sheriff Corpus not to attend upcoming event
San Francisco's police union is letting embattled San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus know in no uncertain terms that she won't be welcome at an upcoming event to honor women patrol officers. Corpus had apparently RSVP'd to attend the Celebrating 50 Years of SFPD Women on Patrol event on March 5. When union leaders found out, they didn't mince words in a letter rebuking the sheriff on Thursday. "Do the right thing for once, respect the contributions of these women, stay home on March 5, and work on your resume," according to the letter from San Francisco Police Officers Association President Terry McCray. The union president said Thursday that he didn't want the event to become "a political spectacle for someone trying to cast a good light on themselves at the expense of the public servants we are honoring." In his letter to the sheriff, McCray referred to Corpus' feuds with unions, referencing Carlos Tapia, one of her biggest critics and president of the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff's Association. Tapia was arrested by the sheriffs office last November on charges that were later dropped by the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. "We are a union that is sickened by your lust for power so strong that you would use that power to arrest the president of the union who represents your deputies," McCray said in the letter. Corpus didn't immediately respond Thursday evening to a request for comment on the union's letter. Corpus has faced mounting calls from local and state leaders to resign in the wake of a 400-page investigation into her administration that was released in November, containing findings of abuse of power, retaliation, and intimidation in her office. Corpus has refused to resign and said the attacks on her are politically motivated because she is a female sheriff up against a group of officers who are part of a "good ol' boys club." The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors doesn't have the authority to remove the sheriff or any other elected official, so they put the issue on the ballot in a special election set for March 4. Measure A, a ballot initiative that will allow the Board of Supervisors to remove the embattled sheriff. Last week, Belmont, Redwood City, and South San Francisco .
