Members Present: Ovava Afuhaamango, Scott Dignan, 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, November 14, 2025, with President William Palmer II presiding.
President Palmer called the meeting to order at 2:06 p.m.
ROLL CALL AND LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
On the call of the roll. Board Members Afuhaamango, Dignan, Ortiz, 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.
President Palmer delivered a statement on behalf of the Board acknowledging recent news reports of an alleged altercation between a deputy and a person in the Sheriff’s custody. President Palmer noted that the incident is under active investigation and that neither the Oversight Board nor the Sheriff’s Office can comment at this time.
President Palmer stated it is in communication with the Sheriff’s Office and is closely monitoring the matter, reaffirming its commitment to transparency, accountability, and ensuring safe and humane conditions within the Sheriff’s Office.
WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBER
The Board welcomed Mayor appointee Scott Dignan to the Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board. Member Dignan introduced himself and shared a brief overview of his professional background and experience.
Board members welcomed Member Dignan.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
IN MEMORIAM
The Board recognized and commemorated San Bernardino County Deputy Sheriff Andrew Nunez, whose end of watch was Monday, October 27, 2025.
Member Soo and President Palmer thanked Deputy Nunez’s for his service and extended condolences to his family, colleagues, and community.
PUBLIC COMENT:
There was no public comment.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
There were no discussion or requests for corrections from any Board Members on the October 3, 2025, Regular Board Meeting Minutes.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
Member Soo, seconded by President Palmer, moved to approve the October 3, 2025 Regular Board Meeting Minutes, as presented. The motion carried the following vote:
Ayes: Afuhaamango, Dignan, Ortiz, Palmer, Soo
Nays: None
APPROVED.
PRESENTATION BY PHYLLIS BOWIE
Phyllis Bowie, founder of Living with Phyllis, provided a presentation on her mission to promote wellness through nutritious, affordable, and culturally inspired meals. She described her efforts to address food insecurity, which led to the creation of Sankofa Urban Farms, an initiative focused on teaching community members to grow their own food. Ms. Bowie discussed how food education, outreach, and community engagement can support healing, empowerment, and overall well-being.
Discussion by Members Soo, Ortiz, and Palmer.
PUBLIC COMENT:
Theirry Fill, said it doesn’t matter where you are from, it is what you do. He passed out a flyer to the public and board members.
REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY
Marshall Khine, Chief of Staff at the Department of Police Accountability, provided an update on investigations involving the Sheriff’s Office that were managed by the DPA during the third quarter of 2025. Mr. Khine summarized the status of cases, key findings, and ongoing investigative work.
Discussion by Members Soo, Afuhaamango, Ortiz, and Palmer.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
INSPECTOR GENERAL HIRING UPDATE
Member Julie Soo provided an update on the status of the Inspector General hiring process. She reported on the progress and next steps in the recruitment timeline. No action was taken.
Discussion by Members Afuhaamango and Ortiz.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
BOARD MEMBER REPORT
Board Member Ortiz provided a brief report on the discussion topics and outcomes from the Latino Task Force Re-Entry and Violence Prevention Committee meeting. Her update included key points raised during the meeting and issues relevant to re-entry and violence prevention efforts and the desire to work collaboratively with the Board.
Discussion by Members Soo and Palmer.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Veronica, mother of an incarcerated individual, spoke in Spanish which was translated by Kathy, says she cares about her son and other incarcerated individuals; thanked Member Ortiz for attending the Latino Task Force meeting, and thanked the Board for trying to improve the conditions in the jails.
Antonio Mercer, service coordinator with Roadmap for Peace and part of the Latino Task Force Reentry Commission, thanked Member Ortiz for attending the Latino Task Force meeting and hearing their voices and getting their input on the hiring of an inspector general; he looked forward to working with the Board to better the conditions in the jails.
Kathy Alimentaires, works with the Latino Task Force and the Roadmap for Peace initiative, spoke about the interruptions to programs because of lockdowns.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
President Soo initiated discussion on future agenda items.
Discussion from Members Ortiz, Palmer, and Afuhaamango.
Future agenda items include:
- December presentation from Prisoner Legal Services
- An invitation to Dr. Hilary Kunins on mental health
- Presentation on the Mayor’s sobering centers
- Bringing SDOB to the schools, or having them attend a meeting to educate students about SDOB
- Drafting a fluid timeline and priorities for 2026
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
President Palmer commemorated the passing of his father.
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business and no objection from any Member, the Board adjourned at the hour of 4:35 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 December 5, 2025.
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Dan Leung, Board Secretary
Full video recording may be accessed at: https://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/player/clip/51148?view_id=223&redirect=true