As the November election grows closer, some elected officials will sink to desperate levels in their attempt to garnish any type of support. The antics of some politicians are predictable, but the recent antics of Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi are shameful and despicable.
On August 22, 2015, a rally was held at 24th and Mission Streets. The theme of this gathering was Stop Murder By Police/Stop Police Terror. This group of less than 200 people marched to Mission Station where they chanted the names of individuals that they claimed were murdered by the police. Who was in the middle of this march to Mission Station while names were read aloud? None other than the elected Sheriff of San Francisco County, Ross Mirkarimi.
Having no direct knowledge of any of these cases, or the specifics facts that led to any of the confrontations, Mirkarimi decided to lend his voice to this cause. By doing so, he has become part of the lynch mob that often reacts on rumors and emotions rather than facts and truth. By his participation in this event, he has turned his back on all law enforcement officers in San Francisco.
Mirkarimi said, "I believe that us and law enforcement have an obligation, a responsibility, to achieve many of the ideals and realities that I think people are talking about here."
What about his responsibility and obligation to the men and women in his own department and all of law enforcement in California? It's too bad he didn't feel any responsibility or obligation to attend the Peace Officer Memorial ceremony in Sacramento earlier this year. It would have been nice if he voiced his concern about those officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. Perhaps that was not important to him since there were no votes to be had by pandering to that crowd.
Now, the Sheriff wants his department to patrol the streets of San Francisco. It is a bit ironic that Mirkarimi is going down this path since, per the City Charter, the responsibilities of patrol clearly belongs to the SFPD, and he would be ineligible to become a San Francisco police officer based on his domestic violence conviction and prior suspended drivers license.
This scheme is also questionable considering that Mirkarimi claimed that he had inadequate staffing levels when Chief Suhr requested assistance from the SFSD in the transportation of prisoners and the guarding the prisoners at San Francisco General Hospital. How does the Sheriff intend to patrol the streets when he can't maintain minimum staffing in the jails without forcing his deputies into mandatory overtime?
These appear to be desperate acts by a desperate candidate. Either way, his actions are shameful and political posturing for a lost cause.
Slainte!
