Members Present: Scott Dignan, Diane Lozano, Estela Ortiz, William Palmer II, and Julie D. Soo
The Sheriff’s Oversight Board of the City and County of San Francisco met in regular session on Friday, March 6, 2026, with President William Palmer, II presiding.
President Palmer called the meeting to order at 2:04 p.m.
ROLL CALL AND LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
On the call of the roll. Board Members Dignan, Lozano, Ortiz, and Palmer were noted present. Member Soo arrived at 2:06 p.m.
A quorum of the Board was present.
Dan Leung, Board Secretary presented the ancestral homeland acknowledgement of the Ramaytush Ohlone, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Board Secretary Leung further thanked SFGovTV for recording, moderating, and televising the meeting on Cable Channel 26, and welcomed members of the public to attend board meetings and provide public comment in-person, remotely, by email at sdob@sfgov.org, or by US Postal mail addressed to the Office of the Inspector General, 1 South Van Ness Ave, 8th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103; and noted that public comment was limited to 2 minutes with General Public Comment taken at the end of the meeting.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
There were no discussion or requests for corrections from any Board Members on the February 6, 2026, and February 12, 2026, Regular and Special Board Meeting Minutes.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
Member Soo, seconded by Member Lozano, moved to approve the February 6, 2026, and February 12, 2026, Regular and Special Board Meeting Minutes, as presented. The motion carried the following vote:
Ayes: Dignan, Lozano, Ortiz, Palmer, Soo
Nays: None
APPROVED.
PRESENTATION BY THE SAN FRANCISCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Chief Jim Quanico presented the Sheriff’s Office 2025 Annual Report to the Board.
Discussion from Members Soo, Dignan, Lozano, Ortiz, and Palmer.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Antonio, representing Roadmap to Peace and the Latino Task Force, is calling for greater transparency regarding jail lockdowns, as these disruptions frequently halt essential rehabilitation services. He highlights critical issues with staffing shortages, unanswered grievances, and difficult clearance processes for community partners. Ultimately, he urges the Sheriff’s Office to prioritize accountability and funding for in-custody programming over street deployments to ensure those incarcerated receive the support they deserve.
Joanna Hernandez, speaking as a mother and grandmother, is demanding an end to the prolonged administrative segregation that has kept her son isolated for a year despite regular reviews. She describes the emotional toll on her family, specifically highlighting how restrictive visiting policies deny her grandson the ability to hug his father. Vowing to continue her advocacy at every public meeting, she calls for policy reform and greater responsiveness from officials to address these inhumane conditions.
Irina Rodriguez, representing the organization La Raza, emphasizes the need for better visibility and communication regarding available opportunities for incarcerated youth. She highlights that many working families are unaware of the programs their children can access within the system. As a liaison, she aims to bring information back to these families to ensure they stay informed and connected to the support services discussed.
PRESENTATION BY THE DEPARTMENT OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY
Marshall Khine, Chief of Staff at the Department of Police Accountability, presented DPA’s 2025 Q4 and Annual Report on Sheriff’s Office investigation statistics, including SDOB requested data points, project updates, developing a new interagency collaboration, and findings and recommendations for the SFSO.
Discussion from Members Soo, Ortiz, and Lozano.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Jessie Stout denounced inhumane conditions and a 2025 mass strip search incident at the San Francisco women’s jail. He called for the removal of abusive deputies and urged public attendance at a Board of Supervisors hearing on March 12, 2026, to demand accountability.
INSPECTOR GENERAL RECRUITMENT STATUS
Member Julie Soo reported that the Mayor’s Office has paused the search for a new Inspector General due to budget cuts. She warned that moving the office out of the City Charter would destroy its independence and urged the board to fight for its oversight authority.
Discussion from Members Palmer. Lozano, and Ortiz.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
Member Soo left the dais at 4:26 p.m. but remained in the audience for the duration of the meeting.
COMMUNITY MEETING PLANNING
Member Ortiz led the discussion on the discussion on the Southeast Community Facility Commission’s invitation to be placed on their agenda for their March meeting.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Julie Soo said that the entire board should attend the upcoming meeting so the community can get to know the newer members. She emphasized that the meeting should be publicly noticed to ensure transparency and allow for board participation and community interaction.
Member Lozano, seconded by Member Dignan, moved to designate Member Ortiz as the representative at the SE Community Facility Commission’s March meeting. The motion carried the following vote:
Ayes: Dignan, Lozano, Ortiz, Palmer
Nays: None
APPROVED.
RECESS
President Palmer requested a short recess at 4:36 p.m. to confer with the deputy city attorney. The meeting reconvened at 4:40 p.m.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Discussion from Members Ortiz and Palmer.
Future agenda items include:
- Trauma-informed training: Recommendations for training requirements for Sheriff's deputies.
- Program Updates: A presentation from Director of Programs Allie Riker to clarify if jail programming is paused until July and how services are being delivered.
- Standing Budget Updates: Regular reports on the current budget status, barriers, and city-level funding requests.
- Expert Presentations: Inviting specialists to advise the board on how to effectively advocate for funding from the Mayor’s Office.
- Advocacy Strategy: Prioritizing discussions on how to prevent the "streamlining" of the board and ensuring they have a functional budget.
- Board member presentations regarding their participation in community events or local initiatives.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
There were no public comments.
ADJOURNMENT
Having completed the agenda and there being no further business, the Board adjourned at the hour of 4:45 p.m.
N.B. The Minutes of this meeting set forth all actions taken by the Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board on the matters stated.
Approved by the Sheriff's Department Oversight Board with one modification on May 1, 2026.
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Dan Leung, Board Secretary
Full video recording may be accessed at:
https://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/player/clip/51938?view_id=223&redirect=true