How to Participate

Prepare a 2-minute public comment using these Talking Points. Your voice can make a difference!

IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND IN PERSON - please email sfpd.commission@sfgov.org ASAP with the subject line: Public Comment – Vote NO on Current SFPD DGO 5.20 Language Access Policy

Background

About 2 years ago, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and the Language Access Network of San Francisco worked with Supervisor Walton’s office to update the Language Access Ordinance (LAO). Following this effort, as part of encouraging implementation, we began participating in a San Francisco Police Commission Working Group to update SFPD’s Department General Order (DGO), which are the regulations that guide how SFPD officers implement the City’s LAO. This DGO has not been updated since 2007, 19 years ago!

The Working Group, which also included OCEIA, former police officers and others, proposed an updated version for the Police Commission to consider in Feb 2025 (Feb 2025 Version of SFPD_DGO_5_20_PublicReview_20250204.pdf). The Commission spent the next several months reviewing and debating the DGO language.

In November 2025, the Commission shared a version of the DGO (Nov 2025 version of DGO 5.20 Language Access Services_11.14.25.pdf) that not only excluded some of the best thinking from the working group but was even more regressive than the 2007 version of the DGO. For example, a paragraph explaining how officers can identify a limited-English-proficient (LEP) person was reduced to one sentence.

In response, CAA/LAN, along with several organizations, submitted a letter in December 2025 (LAN Sign On Letter - SFPD DGO Language Access.pdf) expressing our disappointment, sharing line-by-line suggestions, and requesting a meeting.

Earlier this week, the recently installed SFPD Chief Lew’s office responded with a letter (SFPD Response to LANSF_DGO_5.20_1.26.26.pdf) that aimed to discredit our work and dismiss our concerns.

CAA and LAN are appalled — and need your presence and your voice to show the Commission that language access is a public safety issue that cannot be ignored.