In a significant move aimed at addressing racial disparities in law enforcement practices, the San Francisco Police Commission has voted to enact a new policy designed to curb the use of racially biased pretexts in stops conducted by the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD).
The decision, announced in a Friday press release from the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to reform policing practices in the city.
The newly enacted policy, known as department general order 9.07, is the result of a rigorous public input process spanning over a year, coupled with nearly a year of negotiations with the Police Officer’s Association. The policy specifically targets the practice of using minor traffic violations as a pretext to investigate other crimes, a tactic that has been criticized for disproportionately targeting Black and Brown communities.
“The Police Commission’s vote to restrict pretext stops is an important step towards reducing racist policing tactics where police officers disproportionately stop and search Black and Brown people under the guise of traffic enforcement,” stated Yoel Haile, Director of the Criminal Justice Program at the ACLU of Northern California.