The Sheriff’s Oversight Board of the City and County of San Francisco met in regular session on Friday, May 1, 2026, with President William Palmer, II presiding.
President Palmer called the meeting to order at 2:07 p.m.
ROLL CALL AND LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
On the call of the roll. Board Members Cuevas, Dignan, Lozano, Ortiz, Rosboro, Palmer, and Soo were noted present.
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 and televising the meeting on Cable Channel 26, and welcomed members of the public to attend board meetings and provide public comment in-person, 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 in person comment was limited to 2 minutes with General Public Comment taken at the end of the meeting.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
There was a request for correction from Member Soo on the March 6, 2026, Regular Board Meeting Minutes.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
Member Soo, seconded by Member Dignan, moved to approve the March 6, 2026 Regular Board Meeting Minutes with the stated correction. The motion carried the following vote:
Ayes: Dignan, Lozano, Ortiz, Palmer, Soo, Cuevas, Rosboro
Nays: None
APPROVED.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS
The Board welcomed its newest members, Carla Cuevas and Gale Rosboro, following their appointment by the Board of Supervisors. Both Member Cuevas and Member Rosboro introduced themselves and provided a brief overview of their professional backgrounds.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
PRESENTATION FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Chief Ramirez briefed the Board on the 24/7 law enforcement sobering RESET facility.
Questions and discussion from Members Dignan, Ortiz, Soo, Lozano, Rosboro, Palmer, and Cuevas.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
BOARD MEMBER REPORT
Member Ortiz gave a report on her presentation at the Southeast Community Facility Commission at their March 25, 2026, commission meeting.
President Palmer requested that his scheduled presentation be postponed and rescheduled for a future meeting.
Discussion and comments from Members Soo and Rosboro.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
RECESS
President Palmer requested a short recess at 3:39 p.m. The meeting reconvened at 3:45 p.m.
SHERIFF’S INSPECTOR GENERAL RECRUITMENT: LIAISON UPDATE
President Palmer led a discussion regarding the inspector general liaison role, with contributions from Members Soo, Ortiz, Cuevas, and Lozano. The Deputy City Attorney also provided input during the conversation.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
ELECTION OF VICE PRESIDENT
Member Soo nominated Member Dignan for Vice President, after which the Deputy City Attorney outlined the formal nomination and election procedures. Following remarks from President Palmer, the President nominated Member Ortiz for the same position. Both Member Ortiz and Member Dignan then shared comments regarding their respective qualifications for the role.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
On the call of the role on the nomination of Member Dignan for Vice President:
Ayes: Cuevas, Dignan, Soo
Nays: Lozano, Ortiz, Palmer, Rosboro
On the call of the role on the nomination of Member Ortiz for Vice President:
Ayes: Dignan, Lozano, Ortiz, Palmer, Rosboro
Nays: Cuevas, Soo
Member Ortiz has been voted as Vice President to complete the current term.
Upon her election as Vice President, Member Ortiz expressed her gratitude to the Board and briefly shared her vision for the remainder of the term.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Member Soo initiated discussion on future agenda items.
Discussion from Members Soo, Ortiz, Cuevas, Lozano, and Palmer.
Future agenda items discussed include:
- Training & Professional Development for SDOB Members
- Annual and Monthly Reports
- Community Meeting Follow-up
- Public Defender Update: regarding the impact of contempt proceedings on court access and jail stays.
- Conflicts Counsel Input: A report or weighing in from Conflicts Counsel regarding legal representation issues.
- Community Engagement Strategy: Discussion on strategies to improve mutual communication between the Board and the community.
- Policy & Jail Operations:
- Strip Searches: A report on current policies and execution of strip searches.
- Language Access: A report from the Sheriff’s Department regarding compliance with the Language Access Ordinance, the use of inmates for translation, and potential needs for more bilingual staff or funding.
- Inquiry to Prisoner Legal Services: Submission of specific questions regarding inmate rights and language access to be answered by the department in a future session.
- Review of Legacy Items: A review of the long list of "pending" policy topics and suggestions collected during President Palmer's term.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Chief Ramirez expressed a willingness to report on language access issues, acknowledging the challenges of the city's diversity while noting that systems are in place to address them. He invited members to submit specific inquiries in writing, either directly or through the secretary, to ensure comprehensive responses from the appropriate departments.
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
President Palmer commemorated May Day by highlighting its origins in the labor rights struggle and the ongoing fight for dignity. Wearing his prison-issued shoes as a symbol of remembrance, he challenged the city’s "sanctuary" status and called for substantive justice for black diaspora. He urged the Board to move beyond political symbolism by ensuring the Oversight Board is fully funded and independent, concluding that true freedom must be demonstrated through accountability and collective action.
ADJOURNMENT
Member Soo adjourned in memory of Andrea Shorter, honoring her two decades of service on the Commission on the Status of Women and her lifelong dedication to LGBTQ rights and juvenile justice.
There being no further business and no objection from any Member, the Board adjourned at the hour of 4:53 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 on July 24, 2026.
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Dan Leung, Board Secretary
Full video recording may be accessed at: https://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/player/clip/52323?view_id=223&redirect=true