Nearly three years after its creation by San Francisco voters, the board established to provide civilian oversight of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department is mired in internal squabbles and has yet to complete its primary task — hiring the person who can investigate misconduct at the department.
The delay means that the oversight body cannot probe incidents like the fatal crash on May 23 that occurred as San Francisco police officers and sheriff’s deputies pursued a man accused of stealing a city vehicle. While being chased, the suspect crashed into a bus stop, killing 58-year-old Victor Nguyen and injuring three others.
Sheriff’s deputies — whose main role in San Francisco is working in the jails and guarding county buildings — don’t usually participate in these types of pursuits. But there can be no investigation or change in department policy until the oversight board hires an inspector general — something they’ve been debating since last August.
“I think the board meetings could have been smoother and less contentious,” acknowledged Board president Jayson Wechter, who argued that he’s been the subject of personal attacks by other board members. “People can disagree respectfully, and that would be the best way forward.”