San Francisco Police Department LGBTQ+ Advisory Forum
Chief William Scott, SFPD
The formation of the SFPD LGBTQ+ Advisory Forum is a vital part of ensuring community input to department policies and procedures that impact our diverse communities. San Francisco is seen worldwide as a safe and welcoming place for LGBTQ+ people, and I am committed to partnering with the community as we continue the work of the collaborative Reform and becoming a model of 21st Century Policing.
Captain Chris Del Gandio, the SFPD highest ranking LGBTQ+ member and Executive Sponsor of the SFPD LGBTQ+ Advisory Forum, will meet with community members who are answering the call to serve their city and their community as potential members of the forum.
Some of the work that has been done thus far has made tremendous progress in building trust and legitimacy with the SFPD and the LGBTQ+ community. This work includes training department members in principled policing and implicit bias, training every member on the history and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, being one of the first departments in the national to have a comprehensive policy on interacting with transgender and non-binary people, and being the first department to authorize its members to wear Pride patches during the month of June. We are indebted to the community members, City leaders and LGBTQ+ SFPD members, past and present, who started this work.
The last few years have shown us as a city and policing, as a profession, that the work of police reform and building trust with diverse communities is ongoing and that we can never lose focus on doing what is best for our diverse communities. I want to thank all of the LGBTQ+ community members who are stepping up to serve. The work that you are signing up for is work that will make San Francisco safer for all people and help the SFPD live up to its commitment of delivering Safety with Respect.
Thank you for stepping up to serve your city and your community. Together we will continue to make our city safety and celebrate that diversity that makes San Francisco a welcoming city for all.
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Forum History
Forum SFPD Co-Chair, Captain Christopher Del Gandio
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Forum Community Co-Chair, Chief Greggy Carey, Castro Community On Patrol
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Forum Community Co-Chair, Chief Ken Craig, Community Patrol Service
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The Forum was first created under then Chief George Gascon in 2010, and functions as a liaison and conduit for communication, support, and exchange of ideas, and raising concerns directly with the command staff and the Chief of the Department.
The Forum is comprised of members of the LGBTQ+ community, drawn from the broadest possible demographic to ensure all voices are heard. Forum permanent members are unpaid volunteers who dedicate their time and energy through regular meetings, special events, and outreach efforts. The Forum is also comprised of SFPD Officers who offer their insights, guidance, and knowledge to benefit the permanent community members.
All Chiefs of the SFPD have supported the Forum since it was first formed in 2010, and the Forum has successfully implemented a number of initiatives with the full support of the Chiefs and their Command Staff personnel.
How The Forum Works
The Forum works by welcoming permanent members from the broadest LGBTQ+ diversity, representing all areas of the city and all demographics as much as possible.
These permanent members meet regularly with the SFPD Co-Chairperson and other SFPD Officers to identify concerns, express compliments, or criticism, suggest changes in policy and/or procedure, and so on. They also identify and agree on special projects to develop, educational opportunities to promote, and invite special guests to broaden the Forum members understanding in any given topic.
Permanent members are asked to represent the Forum to their own community and friends, and to bring both compliments, complaints, and suggestions to the Forum on behalf of the broader LGBTQ+ community.
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Past Projects Of The Forum
Hate Crime Indication Check Box On Reports
The Forum recommended that SFPD update their field report formats to include a check-box for HATE CRIME as a data marker and a focus for additional attention and investigation. Previously this indicator was not on the form and was likely very often overlooked as a contributing factor.
Hate Crime Symposium
The Forum organized and presented a “Hate Crimes Symposium” which included panelist from the FBI, US Attorney’s Office, and the SF District Attorney’s Office to discuss the legal requirements for a Federal “Hate Crime” statute prosecution and to highlight the cooperation between the SFPD, SFDA, FBI, and US Attorney’s Office on all cases involving hate motivation.
Compton’s Café Riot Recognition
The Forum provided support for the creation and installation of the plaque recognizing the Compton’s Café Riot in 1966 in the Tenderloin, which predated the Stonewall riot in New York City. This event was of huge significance to LGBTQ+ and especially Transgender history.
LGBT Murder Cold Cases
The Forum supported the work of cold-case investigators who were looking into prior LGBTQ+ murders within the city by republishing details and seeking new witnesses and information.
LGBT Safe Zone Program
The Forum created the LGBT SAFE ZONE program, the first in the Nation, to ensure members of the community that Police Stations are truly places of sanctuary when they are being harassed or abused. With the full support of Chief Suhr and his command staff, the program was successfully implemented in all ten District Police Stations, with prominent signs posted.
SFPD LGBTQ+ Advisory Forum Challenge Coin Program
In 2023 we designed and minted our very own, unique, Forum challenge coin to provide as a promotional gift to other departments and Officers, and as a means of developing esprit-de-corps within Forum members.
How To Join The Forum
If you would like to apply as a permanent member of the Forum, please complete this SFPD LGBT Forum Membership Application and send it to LGBTQ.Forum@SFGOV.org. We will reach out to you by email to discuss your possible participation with us in the Forum.
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CONTACT US AT:
SFPD Co-Chairperson Captain Christopher Del Gandio – LGBTQ.Forum@sfgov.org
Community Co-Chairperson Ken Craig – CommunityPatrolService@gmail.com
Community Co-Chairperson Greg Carey – Info@CastroPatrol.org
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Historical Forum Newsletters
We produce a newsletter following each formal meeting of our permanent membership, as a way of keeping track of our projects and activities for any members who were unable to attend any given meeting. Our forum was reconstituted in 2023 following a closed period during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Feel free to check out our newsletter archive below:
