MARIJUANA OFFENSES
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
MINUTES
March 27, 2008, 10:00 am - 11:30 am
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton Goodlett Place, Rm. 278
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The meeting of the Marijuana Offenses Oversight Committee was called to order at 10:08 a.m. by Michael Goldstein, Committee Co-Chair.
Present:
Camilla Norman Field, Committee Co-Chair
Michael Goldstein, Committee Co-Chair
Mira Ingram
Patt Denning
Catherine Smith
Richard Rendon
Absent:
Aleem Raja
2. Discuss and Approve Minutes from November 1 and February 28 Meetings
Minutes from February 28, 2008 meeting were presented. Ms. Denning moved to approve, Ms. Ingram seconded, and these minutes were approved. It was suggested that the November minutes need a rewrite.
a. Public Comment: There were no comments from the public on this item.
3. Committee Updates
District Attorney/Pretrial Diversion Project/Public Defender's Report: Mr. Rendon reported an email to Sharon Woo of DA's office on issues of data collection raised by her presentation to the committee last time. The committee is trying to uncover what data can be made available to the public regarding misdemeanor court records, bookings, and how many marijuana cases are in the courts. Mr. Rendon discussed the possibility of extrapolating marijuana court cases from pretrial data from Pretrial Diversion Project interviews. The data will be crude and confidential (no names). Mr. Rendon needs a letter from this committee to Pretrial Diversion Project. Mr. Rendon outlined the email data request to determine raw numbers of arrests by H&S code. Should be a quick turnover to get data quickly.
a. Public Comment: There were no comments from the public on this item.
Community Report: Ms. Ingram reported she's doing outreach to dispensaries; gave them info about the Committee and how to contact us. ASA has counselors who could carry incident report forms when interviewing clients. A lot of people don't know about this committee, or the lowest priority law. Committee members discussed ideas about distributing the incident report forms for maximum visibility. Mr. Goldstein commented that since we have no staff to go through reports, we'll have to do it ourselves and must plan time for that. We must make forms available more broadly than just at MCDs. Ms. Denning offered to train people at Mission and TL health centers, interviewing in particular.
a. Public Comment: Several people suggested that certain medical marijuana test cases could be used to assess the incident report form.
SFPD/Commission: Mr. Goldstein suggested that it appears the police tend to lump all pot cases together. There exists an appearance of poor reports from police. Can we get anything from the Tenderloin task force? Gang Task Force? Northern Station? Several members discussed neighborhoods and corners where Marijuana is often sold.
a. Public Comment: Several people suggested that the committee should check to see if crime goes down in a neighborhood when an MCD improves security on the block; and Erik Levy offered to put information on websites or can help the committee set up a website itself if needed.
5. Discuss Distribution of Community Incident Report Form
The committee reviewed the Incident Report form changes that were voted on last meeting. Ms. Field reported she mailed it to assistant city attorney Mariam Morley for legal review. Mr. Rendon brought up an issue of validating the forms. If there is no interviewer, what's to prevent a person from filling out 100 different forms in different names? Ms. Denning expressed concern about security, where the forms containing confidential information are kept and who sees them. Committee members discussed where the forms can be made available and where they should be sent to, perhaps in pre-stamped envelope.
Ms. Denning presented a list of places where the form could be distributed, as well as a list of resources from which the committee might draw information. Others suggested places such as police stations, doctor's offices, DPH and the card desk at SF General, Bay Area Police Watch.
a. Public Comment: Suggestions were made that the form be published in a local newspaper, placed in a box at MCDs with a little display card or placard giving the law with a stack of forms to take (and mail in later), and making the form available online. Erik suggested links to SB420 and to the text of the ordinance.
6. Discuss Future of Committee
Future committee meetings are scheduled for the last Thursday of each month: April 24, May 29, June 26, July 31, August 28, and September 26.
a. There were no comments from the public on this item.
7. General Public Comment: There were no comments from the public on this item.
8. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 11:40 AM
