Millions Wasted On SFPD Overtime Abuse – Hearing This Week
As the City faces a massive deficit, an explosive audit revealed that the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) broke laws and policies related to overtime spending while failing to provide oversight on overtime usage and approvals.
I commissioned this audit while Chair of the Government Audit and Oversight Committee after SFPD overspent its overtime budget by $55.6 million in March 2023. With the Board of Supervisors approving a mid-year supplemental of $25 million to cover the gap, it was clear there needed to be transparency about how overtime dollars are spent at SFPD.
It’s no wonder former Mayor Breed and SFPD slow-walked the audit until after the election. The findings were jaw-dropping:
Overtime spending hit $108.4M in FY 2022-23
Just 12% of officers were responsible for 32% of SFPD’s total overtime hours
Sick and injury-related leave by SFPD sworn staff increased 77% over 5 years, with potential abuse patterns
SFPD ignored absenteeism and/or failed to adequately monitor attendance
SFPD violated key provisions of the MOU with the POA, allowing 51,000 ineligible 10B overtime hours between 2020-2023
13% of overtime cards were improperly signed, including lieutenants or sergeants approving their own overtime
No performance metrics for "special initiatives," despite $30.8M spent on 319,945 overtime hours.
Curiously, Mayor Lurie has not uttered a word about the audit or proposed reforms. When asked, he did exactly what SFPD did: ignore the audit and talk instead about understaffing and hiring more officers. Not a word about the audit findings, accountability, or reforms. The new Mayor went a step further, seeking in March yet another massive sum for overtime overruns, this time $61 million, without addressing any of SFPD’s documented overtime abuse.
With services for our most vulnerable neighbors on the chopping block, it is more important than ever that the Mayor and Board of Supervisors hold SFPD accountable and address its widespread overtime abuse. We can work toward public safety while not allowing the police department to keep racking up limitless overtime hours while failing to seek the required approval for their massive cost overruns, and stop them from spending tens of millions of dollars without oversight, transparency, or strategy.
When I called for the audit, I knew it was bad, but not this bad. The violation of laws and contracts, the lack of oversight, and the abuse of overtime are alarming and require immediate intervention and oversight.
It says a lot that since the audit came out, and despite the audit’s 30 recommendations, not a single reform has been announced to address the issues raised.
I applaud Supervisor Walton, Chair of the Rules Committee, and co-sponsor Supervisor Fielder, Chair of the Government Audit and Oversight Committee, for holding a hearing on this important topic. Anyone who cares about the City’s budget and/or public safety should read this audit and demand answers, accountability, and reform.
