The San Francisco Institutional Police / Sheriff's Department Merger
Has Been Completed!!!
After 6 years of extensive negotiations, policy development, legislation, lobbying, and transition, the Officers of the Institutional Police are now employees of the Sheriff's Department!
Supervisor Aaron Peskin introduced legislation which transfers the employees and function of the Institutional Police to the Sheriff and this legislation was passed and signed by the Mayor on April 3, 2003
Three 8304 Deputy Sheriff's have been transferred to the SFGH to begin their FTO training to fill the more than 10 vacancies that are at SFGH, Laguna Honda and the DPH Clinics.
There are 50 new Sheriff's Employees: An Institutional Police Lieutenant, Sergeants, Officers, Public Safety Officer's, and Dispatchers. They are in the Field Support and Services Division, under the command of Chief Hennessy, Captain Waters, and Lt. N. Williams III. Sgt. M. Lee oversees the Clinics, and Sr. Deputies Hardy and Quinn are assisting the operations of SFGH and Laguna Honda, respectively.
This was a labor driven proposal from the beginning. This process met MANY roadblocks. If not for the leadership of the Sheriff, the fortitude of the Union officers, and the personal commitment of some key figures, this merger would not have happened.
We must thank Captain Waters - SFSD, Dave Wong - SFDSA, Sheriff Hennessey, Jean Mariani - SFSD, Gary Kong IPD, Eli Santiago IPD, the IPOA Transition Board, Dale Butler Local 790, Ed Lieberman - OE3, and the many others for their hard work.
Congratulations! We're MARRIED!!!!
-Sr. Deputy Dave Hardy #1197
UPDATE: 11/2001
The Sheriff's Department has entered into an agreement with the
Department of
Public Health to undergo an extensive 6 month feasibility study and
merger transition
period beginning in October. During this period, the hospital has
agreed
to support a Sheriff's Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant, and Sr. Deputy (SFSD
Transition Team) in managing the operation of the Institutional Police at
DPH.
These Sheriff's personnel have been deployed and are conducting a top to
bottom
review of all aspects of the police services provided to the DPH, and the
accompanying personnel issues. The Sheriff's Department also
continues to
meet with the SFIPOA and Local 790 to resolve labor issues. The Sheriff
remains committed to the transition of the IPD function to the Sheriff's
Department, provided it meets the needs of the DPH, that it is not cost
prohibitive, and that all the various labor units continue to support the
transition. The immediate goals of the Transition Team are:
Analyze the working conditions of the IPD Officers, and make suggestions for improvements as needed.
Obtain from the DPH detailed expectations as to the police services required from the IPD.
Conduct a detailed staffing analysis based on the above expectations to determine immediate personnel needs.
Make recommendations for short and long term improvements of the safety and security of the DPH operation.
Report back to the DPH and the Sheriff on the feasibility of the merger, and make final suggestions and recommendations at the end of the 6 month period.
For 25 years, various suggestions have been made surrounding the consolidation of the operations of the San Francisco Institutional Police into the Sheriff's Department. Most notably, Prop K, defeated in the late 80's would have merged the Institutional Police at San Francisco General Hospital and Laguna Honda Hospital into the Sheriff's Department.
Campaign
Button for Prop K.
The merger would represent a broad step forward in improving the police services provided to the City's Public Health facilities. The already capable and trained officers of the Institutional Police would have their training and equipment upgraded ever further to the standards of a Deputy Sheriff. In addition, San Francisco General Hospital and Laguna Honda hospital, as well as the City's health clinics, would have the additional resources of the San Francisco Sheriff's Department at their disposal. The goal would be to provide the best police services possible to the Department of Public Health so that they can in turn deliver health services to the Citizen's of San Francisco in a safe, secure environment.
After years of speculation and suggestion, it appears that this merger is closer than ever to becoming complete.
At the direction of Mayor Willie Brown, The various involved parties met to see if an accord could be reached which would be acceptable. They are:
The Department of Public Health
The San Francisco Sheriff's Department
The San Francisco Deputy Sheriff's Association. Inc.
The San Francisco Institutional Police Officers' Association, Inc.
Service Employees International Union Local 790
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 3
For over a year, the above listed parties met and reduced to writing, all of the key transitional issues that would have to be addressed should this merger take place. These issues were boiled down to two "accords." These accords, between the Sheriff and the respective bargaining units of the Institutional Police employees, represent the most significant portion of the merger process. The Sheriff wanted to insure that the Institutional Police were as comfortable as possible during the transition into the Sheriff's Department. The respective bargaining units wanted to insure that the interests of their constituents were respected during the process. This process was long and difficult. The resulting accords have been embraced by all parties as the founding principles and spirit of this proposal.
DSA President Dave Hardy, SFIPOA President Gary Kong,
Officer Elias Santiago, and Sgt. Eric Cranston sign the last of the accords.
Pending approval by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors, the Sheriff's Department will begin a process of transitioning the Institutional Police into the Sheriff's Department. This process could begin as early as January 2001.
For more information on the SFSD/IPD merger email: ipdsfsd@sfdsa.org
