San Francisco City Charter

SEC. 4.127.POLICE DEPARTMENT (in relevant part referring to the Patrol Special Police):

PATROL SPECIAL POLICE OFFICERS. The Commission may appoint patrol special police officers and for cause may suspend or dismiss patrol special police officers after a hearing on charges duly filed with the Commission and after a fair and impartial trial. Patrol special police officers shall be regulated by the Police Commission, which may establish requirements for and procedures to govern the position, including the power of the Chief of Police to suspend a patrol special police officer pending a hearing on charges. Each patrol special police officer shall be at the time of appointment not less than 21 years of age and must possess such physical qualifications as may be required by the Commission.

Patrol special police officers may be designated by the Commission as the owners of a certain beat or territory which may be established or rescinded by the Commission. Patrol special police officers designated as the owners of a certain beat or territory or the legal heirs or representatives of the owners may dispose of their interest in the beat or territory to a person of good moral character, approved by the Police Commission and eligible for appointment as a patrol special police officer.

Commission designation of beats or territories shall not affect the ability of private security companies to provide on-site security services on the inside or at the entrance of any property located in the City and County.

(Amended November 2003; March 2004)

SEC. 4.109. POLICE COMMISSION.

The Police Commission shall consist of seven members appointed pursuant to this section. The Mayor shall nominate four members to the commission, at least one of whom shall be a retired judge or an attorney with trial experience. The Rules Committee of the Board of Supervisors, or any successor committee thereto, shall nominate three other members to the commission. Each nomination shall be subject to confirmation by the Board of Supervisors, and the Mayor's nominations shall be the subject of a public hearing and vote within 60 days. If the Board of Supervisors rejects the Mayor's nomination to fill the seat designated for a retired judge or attorney with trial experience, the Mayor shall nominate a different person with such qualifications. If the Board of Supervisors fails to act on a mayoral nomination within 60 days of the date the nomination is transmitted to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, the nominee shall be deemed confirmed. Appointments to fill a vacancy on the commission shall become operative on the date the Board of Supervisors adopts a motion confirming the nomination, or on the 61st day following the date a mayoral nomination is transmitted to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors if the Board of Supervisors fails to vote on the nomination prior to such date. Confirmations of nominations to fill a vacancy that will be created upon the expiration of a sitting member's term shall become operative upon the expiration of the sitting member's term, or, if the Board of Supervisors fails to act on a mayoral nomination to fill such anticipated vacancy, on the 61st day following the date the nomination was transmitted to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors or on the expiration of the sitting member's term, whichever occurs later. The terms and tenures of all members sitting on the commission as of the effective date of the amendments to this section approved at the November 2003 election shall terminate at 12 noon on April 30, 2004. To stagger the terms of the seven members thereafter, of the first four members nominated by the Mayor, two members shall serve terms of two years and two members shall serve terms of four years, and of the three members nominated by the Rules Committee, one member shall serve a term of one year, one member shall serve a term of two years, and one member shall serve a term of three years. The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors shall designate such initial terms by lot. All subsequent appointments to the commission shall be for four-year terms.

The tenure of each member shall terminate upon the expiration of the member's term. The Mayor shall transmit a nomination or re-nomination to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors no later than 60 days prior to the expiration of the term of a member nominated by the Mayor. For vacancies occurring for reasons other than the expiration of a member's term, within 60 days following the creation of such vacancy, the Mayor shall nominate a member to fill such vacancy if the vacancy is for a seat filled by nomination of the Mayor.

The District Attorney, Sheriff and Public Defender may recommend persons to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors for nomination or appointment to the Police Commission.

The Mayor, with the consent of the Board of Supervisors, may remove a member the Mayor has nominated. The Board of Supervisors may remove a member the Rules Committee has nominated.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter, the Chief of Police may be removed by the Commission or the Mayor, acting jointly or separately of each other. In addition to any other powers set forth in this Charter, the Police Commission is empowered to prescribe and enforce any reasonable rules and regulations that it deems necessary to provide for the efficiency of the Department, provided that the civil service and ethics provisions of this Charter shall control in the event of any conflict with rules adopted under this section.

(Amended November 2003)