Race Talks: San Francisco Leaders Chart a Path Forward on Racial Justice
One month after the killing of George Floyd, San Francisco leaders are working together on a shared vision for rooting out racial injustice.
Activists, law enforcement officers, legislators and watchdogs all have a role to play in building a more just society. At Race Talks, the first in a series of United Democratic Club panels focused on racial justice, San Francisco officials and community leaders voiced a clear consensus: the status quo isn’t acceptable, but the current moment represents a real opportunity to make lasting change.
“When you look at truth and reconciliation, the first step of that is acknowledgement,” said Bill Scott, San Francisco’s Chief of Police. “We have to acknowledge our past, and we have to acknowledge that policing has not been particularly kind to black people in this country.”
In response to protests in San Francisco and nationwide, Sup. Shamann Walton, also on the panel, introduced a resolution to prohibit the Police and Sheriff’s Departments from hiring personnel with histories of serious misconduct. Together with Mayor London Breed, Walton also committed to redirecting a portion of police funding to San Francisco’s long-disenfranchised Black community.
“We’re going to be going through the police department budget, and seeing where we can move resources from one area to make a bigger investment in prevention, in keeping people safe and providing opportunities,” said Walton, emphasizing that systemic racism extends far beyond just policing. Decades of disinvestment in Walton’s District 10, home to the largest Black population in the city, have left the community more isolated and less safe.
“This is a race issue,” added Mattie Scott, community organizer and president of the Brady campaign’s San Francisco chapter. “We have to look at it across this nation, and I’m sure that with the right people at the table, and working with the community, we can get there.”
Statewide, lawmakers have introduced a number of bills aimed at mitigating bias in criminal justice, education, health care and the electoral process. One such bill is SB 1421, which requires law enforcement agencies to disclose complaints and other records. Other active bills in the California legislature include ACA 6, an amendment to California’s constitution to allow parolees to vote; SB 144, ending the collection of many administrative fees in the court system; AB 1994, expanding health care access to juveniles upon release from a public institution; and AB 2019, increasing access to community college to students in juvenile court or alternative schools.
Independent oversight helps at the local level, as well as educating the public about avenues for reform, said San Francisco Police Commissioner DionJay Brookter. SF’s Police Commission evaluates disciplinary actions and other police matters, while the Department of Police Accountability investigates police complaints and conducts periodic audits of SFPD.
“I really think a lot of it has to deal with the education piece, and understanding what these tools and outlets are,” said Brookter. Advisory boards also give folks on the ground an outlet to observe and express concerns about police conduct, he said.
Prosecutors also play an important role in holding police accountable, said San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin.
“We have a memorandum of understanding with the police department that allows our investigators to show up on scene of any officer-involved shooting and do their own investigation,” said Boudin. “It’s that kind of independence that I think the public needs.”
Thank you to our panelists for participating and sharing their perspective: Bill Scott, San Francisco Chief of Police; Shamann Walton, San Francisco District 10 Supervisor; Chesa Boudin, San Francisco District Attorney; Dion-Jay Brookter, San Francisco Police Commissioner and Young Community Developers Executive Director; and Mattie Scott, Community Activist and Organizer.
Thank you to our Events team for coordinating everything, and to Noelle Bonner, our VP, Events, for moderating.
The full recording of the event is available here on the United Democratic Club YouTube channel.
