Police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in San Francisco, California

| Police hiring, training, and discipline |
|---|
| • Police collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) • Ballotpedia CBA dashboard •Reform proposals •CBA areas of inquiry and disagreement •Arguments about police collective bargaining • Index of articles about criminal justice policy |
| Click here for more analysis of police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements by state and city on Ballotpedia |
This page provides an overview of policies related to the hiring, training, and discipline of police officers in San Francisco, Calif. It is part of an analysis of police union collective bargaining agreements and related arrangements with police unions concerning hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in the 50 states and top 100 cities by population.
Background
Through the lens of 40 research questions related to police hiring, training, and discipline, Ballotpedia examined the collective bargaining agreements, statutes, and regulatory codes governing the 50 states and the top 100 US cities by population.
Some of the hiring, training, and discipline standards for police officers not established by statutes or regulations arise from negotiations with police unions. Those negotiations are often codified in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Those agreements are the contracts that states and cities sign following negotiations with police unions. Some states and cities restrict collective bargaining, but may still negotiate with police unions using other methods. After negotiating with the unions, those jurisdictions sometimes establish police standards through documents including memoranda of understanding or meet and confer agreements.
Results
The tables below link to each question Ballotpedia used to analyze the states and cities and indicates how San Francisco handles police hiring, training, and discipline. To see the provisions Ballotpedia used to support these results, click here.
CBA basics
| CBA basics | Results |
|---|---|
| Is there a CBA with the police union? | YES |
| Is the current CBA publicly available online? | YES |
Discipline and accountability
| Discipline and accountability | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA forbid the transfer or reassignment of an officer as a form of discipline? | NO |
| Do officers have a right to request third-party arbitration for grievances, including over disciplinary actions? | NO |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to discipline for misconduct? | YES |
Primary discipline authority: City of San Francisco, Police Department; Types: Suspension, termination; Restricted aspects: N/A; Challenge/appeal process: N/AEmployee will be notified in writing of charges and material upon which disciplinary action will be taken. Discipline is not grievable. | |
| Does the CBA explicitly allow for a state ombudsman outside particular police departments to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct? | NO |
Legal limitations or provisions
| Legal limitations or provisions | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the city CBA prohibit felons from becoming law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Are there any statutes or regulations that prohibit collective bargaining with police unions? | NO |
Training and counseling
| Training and counseling | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require or incentivize college or post-secondary education? | YES |
Allows employees to receive tuition reimbursement up to $500 per year | |
| Does the CBA require or incentivize law enforcement officers to learn first aid skills? | YES |
Incentivizes POST certifications, which may include first aid training; POST certifications are required for certain positions | |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to firearms training? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to training with tasers or other nonlethal weapons? | NO |
| Does the CBA require law enforcement officers to learn any martial arts? | NO |
| Does the CBA require law enforcement officers to submit to regular psychological counseling/evaluation? | NO |
| Does the state/city CBA require law enforcement officers to do driving training regularly? | NO |
| Does the state/city CBA require law enforcement officers to do driving training regularly? | NO |
| Does the CBA require law enforcement officers to take regular mental health training? | NO |
Community relations and oversight
| Community relations and oversight | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA reference citizen review boards? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to community policing? | YES |
Mentions community relations officer | |
Investigations
| Investigations | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to misconduct investigations? | YES |
Employee has access to all evidence 72 hours before hearing. | |
| Does the CBA require notice to officers of investigations? | NO |
| Does the CBA determine a timeline for investigations? | NO |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to compensation during misconduct investigations? | NO |
Evidence and records
| Evidence and records | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA have provisions related to the use of body-worn cameras or body-worn camera video evidence? | NO |
| Does the CBA regulate processes for retaining officer disciplinary records? | YES |
Record storage: City-specific database; Storage authority: Personnel Division; Types of records: Formal reprimands; Timeline: Formal reprimands cannot be considered after 2 years; Access and use: N/A; Use in decisions: N/A | |
Qualifications and evaluation
| Qualifications and evaluation | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require performance evaluations? | YES |
Referenced in relation to step advancements | |
| Does the CBA restrict licensing procedures for law enforcement officers or departments? | NO |
Union authority
| Union authority | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA limit union authority to pay and benefits issues? | NO |
| Does the CBA give the union the power to approve or disapprove new training programs for law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions involving the union in the process for promotions, unit assignments, and transfers? | NO |
City will provide union with list of all available budgeted positions vacant for promotion at the union's request | |
See also
Footnotes
| |||||||||||||||||