San Francisco Youth Commission
Youth Justice Committee
Minutes
Thursday, February 9, 2012
4:30-6:15pm
City Hall, Room 345

There will be public comment on each item.

1. Call to Order and Roll Call

The meeting was called to order at 4:40pm. Committee members present: Commissioner Carrion, Commissioner Holloway, Commissioner Ontiveros, Student Advisory Council Member Li, Student Advisory Council Member Portillo, Transitional Age Youth Advocate Sherreff. Staff present: Yedidia. 

2. Approval of Agenda (Action Item)

Commissioner Holloway, seconded by Commissioner Carrion, moved to approve the day’s agenda. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

3. Approval of Minutes (Action Item)

A. February 1, 2012

Commissioner Holloway, seconded by Commissioner Carrion, moved to approve the minutes to the meeting of February 1, 2012. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.

4. Public Comment on Items not on Agenda (Discussion Only)

There was none.

5. Business (All Items Below Discussion and Possible Action)

A. Preparation and study for joint hearing with Police Commission regarding youth/police relations

Committee members engaged in a slow, reasoned, group reading of the San Francisco Police Department General Order (DGO) 7.01, which outlines “Policies and Procedures for Juveniles Detention, Arrest, and Custody.” Taking turns, they read each section aloud and noted questions for each section. These questions included:

Re: III(A)6: WRITTEN STATEMENT. What is this written statement?
Re: III(B)6: TELEPHONE CALLS. How long is the juvenile allowed to have on the telephone?
Re: III(B)7: ACCESS TO BASIC AMENTITIES. Commissioner Ontiveros noted that he was never allowed access to the restroom during detainment.
Re: III(B)9: SUICIDE RISK AND PREVENTION. Student Advisory Council member Li expressed interest in reading General Order 7.02, “Psychological Evaluation of Juveniles.”
Re: III(S): REVIEW OF DEPARTMENT BULLETINS CONERNING JUVENILE PROCEDURES. Committee members resolved to figure out the expiration date of the DGO 7.01 and how this date and/or how review of the General Order related to the upcoming hearing.

Committee members established the following general goals for the hearing:

1) Raise awareness both among young people and youth service providers and among City policy makers on the existence of (and the importance of fully implementing) the DGO 7.01.
2) Getting the Police Commission and Police Department’s commitment to setting aside some kind of funding for fiscal year 2012-2013 for training officers on de-escalation tactics and adolescent brain development, and well as a plan/method of outreach between the department and the school district and community based organizations.

Committee members then agreed on proposing the following agenda for the hearing:

1) Introduction from Youth and Police Commissioners regarding the nature of the hearing. Committee members committed to crafting an introduction regarding disproportionate minority contact.
2) “Expert” testimony from (a) youth from certain community-based organizations and (b) academics/other experts.
3) Presentations from the Police Department and the Office of Citizen Complaints regarding the department’s implementation of the DGO 7.01.
4) Explicit asks by Youth Commissioners of the Police Commission and Police Department, including: (a) commitment to at least some kind of funding for training of officers in fiscal year 2012-2013 and (b) commitment to a training that focuses on adolescent brain development and de-escalation tactics.
5) General public comment (this requires outreach to community-based organizations!).
6) Conclusion—could include a vote on some sort of resolution.

Committee members directed staff to develop a flyer with the following information in order to attract community-based organizations to the hearing:

1) Are you aware of the special policies and procedures that police must follow when they arrest, interrogate and detain youth?
2) Come share your experiences interacting with the police!

Committee members then agreed to do outreach to, at minimum the following community-based organizations (after staff developed the flyer described above):

Community Youth Center (Bayview Youth Advocates, Richmond, Chinatown).
Precita Center
Brothers Against Guns
Community Response Network
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center
Vietnamese Youth Development Center
Samoan Community Development Center
Sunset Youth Services
B Magic
Mo Magic
Inner City Youth
Larkin Street
Center for Young Women's Development
Homies Organizing the Mission to Empower Youth
Omega Boys Club
Peer Court’s - Tony Litwak
Lavender Youth Information and Recreation Center
Japanese Community Youth Center
Instituto Familiar de la Raza
La Raza Centrol Legal
Juvenile Advisory Council

6. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 6:45pm.

Any materials distributed to the members of the Youth Commission within 72 hours of the meeting or after the agenda packet has been delivered to the members are available for inspection—along with minutes of previous Youth Commission meetings and all supplementary information—at the Youth Commission office during regular office hours (9am to 6pm, Monday—Friday). The Youth Commission office is located at:
City Hall, Room 345
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 554-6446, Fax: (415) 554-6140
Email: youthcom@sfgov.org
www.sfgov.org/yc

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE
(Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code)
Government’s duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people’s business. This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people’s review.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE OR TO REPORT A VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE, CONTACT THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE TASK FORCE, please contact:
Sunshine Ordinance Task Force
City Hall, Room 244
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102‐4689
Phone: (415) 554‐7724, Fax: (415) 554‐5784
E‐mail: sotf@sfgov.org
Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can be obtained from the Clerk of the Sunshine Ordinance
Task Force, at the San Francisco Public Library, and on the City’s website at
http://www.sfgov.org.

The ringing and use of cell phones, pagers, and similar sound‐producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. The Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound‐producing electronic device.

In order to assist the City’s efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity, or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical‐based products. Please help the City accommodate these individuals.

To obtain a disability‐related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, to participate in the meeting, please contact Mario Yedidia, Youth Commission Director [phone: 415-554 6254; email: mario.yedidia@sfgov.org] at least 48 hours before the meeting, except for Monday meetings, for which the deadline is 4:00 p.m. the previous Friday.