Front page (left image) and back page (right image) of the Quick Guide to Police in San Francisco

Pushing the boundaries of the Quick Guide to the San Francisco Police

As part of our initiative on Policing Practices the League of Women Voters created a one-pager about the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). Topics in the one-pager include: current police issues, police district meetings description, ways to take action, and a map delineating all San Francisco police districts. After making our first draft we partnered with Project Read, the adult literacy program of the San Francisco Public Library, to get feedback from their students on the content and design. Each student read the flyer and afterwards we asked them the following five questions:

1. What was the most helpful information in the flyer? Why?
2. What was the least helpful information in the flyer? Why?
3. What was something new you learned about the police?
4. What are your personal concerns around the police?
5. What other topics would you like to learn more about the police?

Below are some notable responses we received from students:

• There is a lack of urgency by the police in responding to crimes, specifically complaints done by residents at public housing- it seems that these residents are less important.
• I would like to better understand what happens when the police is found to have violated justice.
• I would like the police to do more engagement at schools and with other residents, so that these audiences are not afraid of the police. The police should build community, trust + respect.
• The police have not been held accountable, including past injustices (bias based).
• I would like to learn more how the police is trained, and who does the training.
• The police could make more drug busts of street dealers, they are not doing enough in that area.

Some highlights of what people found useful in the flyer:

• It is good to know that you can reach your police district, that they have a public monthly community meeting where your voice can be heard.
• The information regarding police “implicit bias” training and why it makes police practices more transparent.
• That the police reduce crime, if they don’t people will take the law into their own hands.

You can download the “Quick Guide to the San Francisco Police” here.

Thanks again to Project Read for partnering with us.

Interested in joining us and educating the community about how they can engage with the police? Learn about the opportunities at https://www.lwvsf.org/police/ or contact us through volunteer@lwvsf.org.