Remember the non-binding resolution, introduced by Supervisor John Avalos, that caused a stir among the SFPD and its union back in December? Well, the Examiner has now unearthed the strong-arming emails in which a consultant to and former president of the Police Officers Association (POA) generally threatened long-term backlash and retaliation from the cops if certain supervisors voted in favor of the resolution.
The resolution said, among other things, "since 2000, 97 San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) officer-involved shootings have occurred, resulting in 33 deaths and 35 people being injured," and it urged the Department of Justice to "expedite its investigation of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, to initiate reforms of the Ferguson Police Department and St. Louis County Police Department, and to investigate the St. Louis County Grand Jury process."
The emails, mostly sent by former POA prez Gary Delagnes, sometimes Cc-ing current president Martin Halloran, were sent first to Supervisor Malia Cohen who cosponsored the resolution with John Avalos, and who happens to be African-American and then to Scott Wiener, Mark Farrell, Katy Tang, and London Breed, all of whom, along with Cohen, ultimately caved to the pressure and voted down the resolution.
Delagnes told Cohen and the others "I cannot emphasize enough the devastating effect this [resolution] would have on the men and women of the SFPD," and "I am sure all of you understand that working together in the future with anyone who signs on to this legislation would be impossible." He reserved some especially strong language for Cohen, to whom he said, "My thought is that you must have lost your mind. If you become involved in this legislation you can rest assured that any relation with the POA is over. We went above and beyond for you and this is how you repay us. You had better think long and hard before lending your name to this. I am astounded that you would involve yourself in this absolute bull shit."
Avalos drafted the resolution initially in the wake of the Ferguson case, but added more language to the final version following the death of Eric Garner and all of the subsequent Bay Area protests last fall.
Ultimately the resolution, which would have had no actual effect on the police or city government, was defeated 7 to 4 in a show of deference to the SFPD. Avalos tells the Ex that he isn't surprised at how it all went down, but "Without stronger organized pressure from people calling for greater police accountability here in San Francisco, they may just keep down the same path."
Previously: Police Officers Pissed Over Board Of Supervisors Resolution Supporting Protests