I want to start by thanking the SFPOA membership for your support and trust to continue to lead this association. I’m most proud of the level of engagement and participation our members showed during the election process. It was inspiring to see, and it is what we need given the challenges we face in policing in America and the conditions in San Francisco specifically.
In short, showing up matters.
There was no better display of this then on February 20, 2020, when members of the SFPOA packed the courtroom during the re-sentencing hearing of the attacker of Sergeant Alex Kwan. Dozens of SFPOA members crammed into the courtroom to show solidarity and support for Alex, but also to bear witness for how our newly elected District Attorney and the judge would treat crime victims.
Mr. Boudin instructed his prosecutor not to oppose a defense motion to lower a prison sentence to probation. This comes after front-line prosecutors got the actual sentence they requested late last year, following a jury trial. I have little doubt that Boudin was hopeful no one would notice. But we did.
Once we posted the latest Boudin Blunder on our accountability website www.BoudinBlunders.com, KTVU Ch 2 did a five-minute segment on Boudin’s early start as Public Defender running the DA’s office. This caused Boudin to show up in the courtroom where he had to see the friends and colleagues of the VICTIM in this case, Alex. Showing the courage of her convictions, Judge Puri held firm to her original sentencing decision of prison time for the defendant. I believe firmly that your presence mattered in the final outcome. It definitely mattered to Alex.
Over the next three years, I and your SFPOA Executive Board are going to be presenting you with more ways to get the membership directly involved in what we do. It may mean more massing of SFPOA members to make a public statement, it might mean directly contacting a city or state official, and it might mean assisting us with the extensive charitable work SFPOA engages in.
We want you engaged because this is your union. We want you engaged because it helps us be successful in the goals we seek to accomplish. And we want you engaged so you can have a direct hand in strengthening our profession, protecting our working environment and ensuring the officer next to you is able to support their family, come home safe and after serving our citizens enjoy a dignified retirement.
We all have busy lives and competing stresses. But only when we stand together, can we truly leverage the strength of this organization and achieve results that protect and promote SFPD officers and our community.
