Introduction
Charter Section 4.137 (b) (5) mandates that the Sheriff's Department Oversight Board (SDOB) Prepare and submit a quarterly report to the Sheriff and the Board of Supervisors regarding the SDOB evaluations and outreach, and OSIG (Office of Sheriff's Inspector General¹) reports submitted to the SDOB.”
Charter Section 4.137 also mandates that the SDOB:
(2) Evaluate the work of the Sheriff's Inspector General (SIG) and may review the SIG's individual work performance.
(3) Compile, evaluate, and recommend law enforcement custodial and patrol best practices.
(4) Conduct community outreach and receive community input regarding SFSD operations and jail conditions, by holding public meetings and soliciting input from persons incarcerated in the City and County.
Evaluations of the SIG During Q2 2026
The position of Sheriff's Inspector General remained vacant throughout the second quarter of 2026. Inspector General Terry Wiley resigned effective January 10, 2025, and no successor has been appointed. Because there was no sitting Inspector General during the reporting period, the Board conducted no individual performance evaluation this quarter.
As reported in the Board's 2026 Q1 report, the Mayor's Office paused the search for a new Inspector General due to budget reductions.
At the May 1 regular meeting, 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 discussion.
The Board identified the scheduling of community meetings for public input on the Inspector General search as a continuing priority, and identified the establishment of board best practices to maintain functionality during the vacancy as a matter for future consideration.
No further consideration of the Inspector General vacancy was possible during the quarter, as the Board's April and June meetings were cancelled for lack of quorum.
Evaluations of Law Enforcement Custodial and Patrol Best Practices During Q2 2026
At the May 1 regular meeting, Chief John Ramirez of the San Francisco Sheriff's Office briefed the Board on the 24-hour law enforcement sobering facility known as the RESET Center. Members Dignan, Ortiz, Soo, Lozano, Rosboro, Palmer, and Cuevas participated in the questions and discussion that followed.
The Board identified a number of custodial policy matters for review, including current policies and execution of strip searches; compliance with the Language Access Ordinance, including the use of incarcerated persons for translation and the potential need for additional bilingual staff or funding; the impact of contempt proceedings on court access and length of jail stays; and legal representation issues on which the Board sought input from Conflicts Counsel. The Board also determined to review the accumulated list of pending policy topics collected over the course of President Palmer's term.
The Board took up no further custodial or patrol matters during the quarter, as its April and June meetings were canceled for lack of quorum.
SDOB Community Outreach
At the May 1 regular meeting, Member Ortiz reported to the Board on her presentation to the Southeast Community Facility Commission at its March 25, 2026 commission meeting. Members Soo and Rosboro offered comments and discussion. The presentation itself was made during the first quarter and is reported in the Board's 2026 Q1 report.
The Board identified community engagement strategy as a future agenda item, specifically the development of strategies to improve mutual communication between the Board and the community, and the scheduling of community meetings for public input on the Inspector General search.
No further outreach was conducted during the quarter. The community meetings the Board identified as a priority were not scheduled, as the Board's April and June meetings were canceled for lack of quorum.
Community Input Received
The Board received no public comment on any agenda item at its May 1 regular meeting.
During general public comment at that meeting, Chief Ramirez expressed willingness to report to the Board on language access issues, acknowledging the challenges presented by the city's diversity while noting that systems are in place to address them. He invited Board members to submit specific inquiries in writing, directly or through the Board Secretary, to ensure comprehensive responses from the appropriate departments.
Because the April and June meetings were canceled for lack of quorum, the Board provided one opportunity for public comment during the quarter, and no member of the public addressed the Board on any agenda item at that meeting.
Input Solicited from Persons Incarcerated
The Board resolved at its May 1 meeting to submit specific written questions to Prisoner Legal Services regarding the rights of incarcerated persons and language access, to be answered by the department at a future session.
The Board did not conduct jail visits during the second quarter.
SIG Reports Submitted to SDOB Q2 2026
No reports were submitted to the Board by the Office of Sheriff's Inspector General during the second quarter of 2026. The office has been without an Inspector General since January 10, 2025.
The Department of Police Accountability did not present its quarterly report on Sheriff's Office investigations during this period. The Board's April and June meetings, at which such a presentation would ordinarily have been received, were canceled for lack of quorum.
Summary of Monthly Board Meetings
The Board held one of its three regularly scheduled meetings during the second quarter. The regular meetings scheduled for April 3 and June 5, 2026 were both canceled for lack of quorum.
April
The regular meeting scheduled for April 3, 2026 was canceled for lack of quorum. No meeting of the Board was held during the month of April.
May
The Board met in regular session on May 1, 2026. Members Cuevas, Dignan, Lozano, Ortiz, Palmer, Rosboro, and Soo were present. The Board approved the March 6, 2026 regular meeting minutes with a correction requested by Member Soo.
The Board welcomed its newest members, Carla Cuevas and Gale Rosboro, following their appointment by the Board of Supervisors. Both members introduced themselves and provided an overview of their professional backgrounds.
Chief John Ramirez briefed the Board on the 24-hour law enforcement sobering RESET facility, with questions and discussion from all members.
Member Ortiz reported on her presentation to the Southeast Community Facility Commission at its March 25, 2026 meeting.
President Palmer led a discussion regarding the Inspector General liaison role, with contributions from Members Soo, Ortiz, Cuevas, and Lozano, and input from the Deputy City Attorney.
The Board conducted an election for Vice President. Member Soo nominated Member Dignan. Following remarks from President Palmer, the President nominated Member Ortiz. Both nominees addressed the Board regarding their qualifications. On the nomination of Member Dignan, the vote was three ayes (Cuevas, Dignan, Soo) and four noes (Lozano, Ortiz, Palmer, Rosboro). On the nomination of Member Ortiz, the vote was five ayes (Dignan, Lozano, Ortiz, Palmer, Rosboro) and two noes (Cuevas, Soo). Member Ortiz was elected Vice President to complete the current term, and addressed the Board regarding her vision for the remainder of the term.
During general public comment, President Palmer commemorated May Day, addressing its origins in the labor rights movement, the City's sanctuary status, and the need for the Oversight Board to be fully funded and independent.
The Board adjourned in memory of Andrea Shorter, in recognition of two decades of service on the Commission on the Status of Women and her work in LGBTQ rights and juvenile justice.
June
The regular meeting scheduled for June 5, 2026 was canceled for lack of quorum. No meeting of the Board was held during the month of June.
Other
The Board returned to its full complement of seven members during the second quarter with the appointment of Members Carla Cuevas and Gale Rosboro by the Board of Supervisors, and filled the office of Vice President, vacant since the resignation of Vice President Ovava Afuhaamango in January, with the election of Member Estela N. Ortiz on May 1, 2026.
The Board identified the following matters for future agendas during the quarter: training and professional development for Board members; annual and monthly reports; follow-up on community meetings; an update from the Public Defender regarding the impact of contempt proceedings on court access and length of jail stays; input from Conflicts Counsel regarding legal representation issues; community engagement strategy; a report on current policies and execution of strip searches; a report from the Sheriff's Office regarding compliance with the Language Access Ordinance; a written inquiry to Prisoner Legal Services regarding the rights of incarcerated persons and language access; and a review of pending policy topics accumulated during President Palmer's term.
The Board notes that two of its three regularly scheduled meetings this quarter were canceled for lack of quorum. Several matters the Board had identified as priorities, including community meetings on the Inspector General search and requested reports on strip search policies and language access compliance, were consequently not taken up during the reporting period