Proudly Serving the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs since 1952
Remember every rescuer who died in honor. Remember every American that was taken away from us and remember every family that lives in grief. But most of all, remember that Men NEVER Die Until They Are Forgotten!!!
This is “Unshaken Courage”, an original documentary by Nine Line, in remembrance of those we lost on Sept. 11th, 2001 and those still affected.
I want to thank Mr. Collins and Mr. Nadler for putting this together. But as I sit here today, I can’t help but think what an incredible metaphor this room is for the entire process that getting health care benefits for 9/11 first responders has come to. Behind me, a filled room of 9/11 first responders and in front of me, a nearly empty Congress.
Sick and dying, they brought themselves down here to speak to no one. Shameful. It’s an embarrassment to the country and it’s a stain on this institution. And you should be ashamed of yourselves for those that aren’t here. But you won’t be because accountability doesn’t appear to be something that occurs in this chamber.
We don’t want to be here. Lou (Alvarez) doesn’t want to be here. None of these people want to be here. But they are, and they’re not here for themselves. They’re here to continue fighting for what’s right.
Lou’s going to go back for his 69th chemo. The great Ray Pfeifer would come down here, his body riddled with cancer and pain, where he couldn’t walk, and the disrespect shown to him and to the other lobbyists on this bill is utterly unacceptable.
You know, I would be so angry at the latest injustice that’s been done to these men and women. Another business card thrown our way as a way of shooing us away like children trick-or-treating rather than the heroes that they are and will always be. Ray would say, “Calm down, Jonny, calm down. I got all the cards I need.” And he would tap his pocket where he kept prayer cards. Three hundred forty-three firefighters.
The official FDNY response time to 9/11 was five seconds. Five seconds. That’s how long it took for FDNY, for NYPD, for Port Authority, EMS to respond to an urgent need from the public. Five seconds. Hundreds died in an instant. Thousands more poured in to continue to fight for their brothers and sisters.
The breathing problems started almost immediately and they were told they weren’t sick, they were crazy. And then, as the illnesses got worse, and things became more apparent, “Well, okay, you’re sick, but it’s not from the pile.” And then when the science became irrefutable, “Okay, it’s the pile, but this is a New York issue. I don’t know if we have the money.”
And I’m sorry if I sound angry and undiplomatic. But I’m angry, and you should be too, and they’re all angry as well and they have every justification to be that way. There is not a person here, there is not an empty chair on that stage that didn’t tweet out “Never Forget the heroes of 9/11. Never forget their bravery. Never forget what they did, what they gave to this country.” Well, here they are. And where are they? And it would be one thing if their callous indifference and rank hypocrisy were benign, but it’s not. Your indifference cost these men and women their most valuable commodity: time. It’s the one thing they’re running out of.
This should be flipped, this hearing should be flipped. These men and women should be up on that stage and Congress should be down here answering their questions as to why this is so damn hard and takes so damn long, and why no matter what they get, something’s always pulled back and they gotta come back.
Mr. Johnson (R-La.), you made a point earlier and it is one we’ve heard over and over again in these halls, and I couldn’t help but to answer it, which was you guys are obviously heroes and 9/11 was a big deal but we have a lot of stuff here to do and we’ve got to make sure there’s money for a variety of disasters, hurricanes and tornadoes. But this wasn’t a hurricane. And this wasn’t a tornado, and by the way, that’s your job anyway. We can’t fund these programs. You can.
Setting aside that, no American in this country should face financial ruin because of a health issue. Certainly 9/11 first responders shouldn’t decide whether to live or to have a place to live. And the idea that you can give them only five more years of the VCF because you’re not quite sure what’s gonna happen five years from now. Well, I can tell you, I’m pretty sure what’s going to happen five years from now. More of these men and women are going to get sick and they are going to die. And I am awfully tired of hearing that it’s a 9/11 New York issue. Al Qaeda didn’t shout “Death to Tribeca.” They attacked America, and these men and women and their response to it is what brought our country back. It’s what gave a reeling nation a solid foundation to stand back upon. To remind us of why this country is great, of why this country is worth fighting for.
And you are ignoring them. You can end it tomorrow. Why this bill isn’t unanimous consent and a standalone issue is beyond my comprehension, and I’ve yet to hear a reasonable explanation for why it’ll get stuck in some transportation bill or some appropriations bill and get sent over to the Senate, where a certain someone from the Senate will use it as a political football to get themselves maybe another new import tax on petroleum, because that’s what happened to us in 2015.
And we won’t allow it to happen again. Thank God for people like John Feals, thank God for people like Ray Pfeifer, thank God for all these people who will not let it happen. They responded in five seconds. They did their jobs with courage, grace, tenacity, humility. Eighteen years later, do yours. Thank you.
Crime seems to be out of control in San Francisco. Yet in some cases the SF Crime Data states crime is decreasing. The question then becomes is that accurate, if not why isn’t it accurate.
We all have been watching and reading the news and on top of that we have been talking to the people in the communities. All we hear is how much crime there is. The main topics have been violence, illegal drug use and sales, thefts and car break ins.
“I had a discussion with my team on this topic and what we believe is happening is that the people of San Francisco are increasingly not reporting crime since San Francisco has become extremely lenient on criminals with little to no consequences. An increasing percentage of people in SF figure what’s the use of reporting it when nothing will be done,” said Ken Lomba San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association President.
We conducted a poll on our 
Facebook Fanpage (please like our page) asking our visitors “When your car is broken into do you report it to the police?” We had 223 people participate in the poll. 119 people marked “Yes, I report it.” 104 people marked “No, waste of time.”
What this tells us is that all the reported data given to the public stating that there is a decrease in Car Break Ins is missing something and may not be very accurate since there is no data on victims increasing or decreasing in reporting crime. This is an omission to the data presented to the public.
So what we are telling you is the crime rate in San Francisco may be worse than what is reported. For example the Car Break In number of 63 reported Car Break Ins a day is not the actual amount of Car Break Ins in San Francisco per day. It could be twice that amount, possibly 126 a day.
So what is the solution, the solution is to fix San Francisco’s broken criminal justice system starting this year by voting in a working district attorney. A district attorney that is not controlled by other politicians, a district attorney that is an experienced prosecutor not a public defender.
It’s time for someone that will fix our broken criminal justice system. It’s time for someone new, it’s time for a prosecutor who is the real deal. It’s time for Leif Dautch for District Attorney.
“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC. Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”
More and more car break in’s, now electric car batteries are being stolen! Is everything free in SF for criminals, meanwhile the law abiding person has to pay fines, tickets and deductibles!
Thieves in San Francisco are reportedly targeting Toyota Prius hybrids–and stealing their battery packs and catalytic converters. These items are worth big money when they sell there loot. These stolen Prius parts are sold to mechanics, recyclers’ and sold via online classifieds.
San Francisco is the most lenient on crime in the Bay Area, if not the state. The lack of consequences for crime in SF makes the criminals even more brazen and you end up footing the bill. Whether its replacing stolen items, fixing your car or paying the insurance deductible. You are not only the victim of the criminal, you are victim of San Francisco’s broken criminal justice system.
In the Wild Wild SF owners of vehicles just about beg criminals not to break into there cars. Should it really be this way?
Or should the people of San Francisco stand up and make a difference with there power of the vote. We need to vote for someone that will stop the car break ins. Someone that will hold repeat criminal offenders and organized crime accountable.
It’s time for someone that will fix our broken criminal justice system. It’s time for someone new, it’s time for a prosecutor who is the real deal. It’s time for Leif Dautch for District Attorney.
“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC. Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”
Over the last two years data has been reported that Car Break Ins are decreasing and that San Francisco is just under its epidemic level that was reported in 2017 when there were 85 reported car break ins a day. Since then reported data in the news showed fluctuations in the data from 60 car break ins a day to now up to 80 at day.
We are very impressed with NBC’s report. They have put together a very thorough investigation of the San Francisco car break in epidemic. President on the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association stated in a previous article, “I believe there is a cycle of crimes that relate to this starting with illegal drug use. Since Prop 47 when felony drug possession and felony property crimes were changed to misdemeanor crimes it had reduced the length of the prison sentence too, in some cases, a citation and probation. Couple that with extreme reformist district attorneys declining to prosecute crimes, dismissing criminal charges, and offering lenient plea bargains is another issue. Lack of consequences has emboldened criminals. The ease of illegal drug use with highly addictive drugs perpetuates car break-ins to fund the habit and in some cases it perpetuates violent acts because of the effects of the illegal drugs. And on top of that, there is organized crime taking advantage of San Francisco’s leniency on crime. All of this puts San Franciscans in danger,” says Ken Lomba.
NBC reported, “San Francisco’s nearly 30,000 car break-ins last year shattered previous crime records and illustrate an organized and elaborate crime operation that law enforcement calls an “epidemic.”
Of the nearly 30,000 car break-ins in San Francisco last year, the police department made arrests in just 1.7 percent of cases, totaling 790 arrests, according to data provided by the police department and district attorney’s office. Of those taken into custody, most were never sentenced to jail time.
The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit installed four hidden cameras inside a vehicle to expose a rising surge of car break-ins across San Francisco
By Bigad Shaban, Robert Campos and Anthony Rutanashoodech
Published Feb 25, 2018 at 10:56 PM | Updated at 1:35 PM PDT on Mar 12, 2018
We fear that some of the victims of the car break ins are not reporting the crime. It is as almost this has become the San Francisco norm. Recently the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association had started a poll on its Facebook Fan Page and the results have been surprising. If you have a Facebook account we encourage you to like our page and take part in the poll. Our polling is trending surprisingly high, showing a trend of victims not reporting car break ins because they feel nothing is being done about it. That means the amount of car break ins can be extremely higher than what the data is reporting. This unfortunately means San Francisco car break ins are a Free for All.
Our association has a political action committee and we will be accepting donations to our PAC to advocate for legislation changes and politicians that will do something about this epidemic. Our fundraising site can be found at sfdsapac.com
The way to fix this is first to elect a stable and well balance district attorney like Leif Dautch. One that will be a working district attorney that has a plan to stop the car break in epidemic. The next step is we have to tighten up some of the laws that were changed under Prop 47 and enhance penalties for violating ankle monitoring and for violating probation. There also needs to be an escalation in punishment for repeat offenders to deter future crimes to “slow down the revolving door.”
With a District Attorneys election coming in November, two out of four of the candidates being a Politician and a Public Defender it may get worse because their policies may encourage crime. The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association vetted all the candidates and found the best one to be Leif Dautch for District Attorney.
“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC. Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”
What do you do when there is an Active Shooter? How do you react? Violence can occur for many reasons whether it’s a violent rage, hatred, a disgruntled employee, or mental illness.
In many cases, there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and these situations are, by their very nature, unpredictable and evolve quickly
This Twenty to Ready video helps you know what to do if you find yourself in a mass shooting incident.
The Run Hide Fight video demonstrates possible actions to take if confronted with an active shooter scenario. The video also shows how to assist authorities once law enforcement enters the scene.
“Law enforcement will respond to save lives and stop the shooting. These are the heroes that run towards danger, while everyone else is running to safety,” said Ken Lomba, President of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association.
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Recently in San Francisco there have been 2 pedestrian deaths by vehicles. For the year 22 people have died on the city streets outpacing 2018. Several politicians have come together demanding a solution to reduce vehicle versus pedestrian injury accidents. Some have demanded a Traffic State of Emergency.
We want to share with you what existing tools that work and some new tech ideas. Other than law enforcement of traffic violations, here are a couple proven deterrences to get drivers to be aware of there speed and get them back on track.
Vehicle feedback speed display signs
A tool that can be used to calm a road with many speed violators is using a vehicle feedback speed display sign. Solar powered vehicle feedback speed displays signs are proven to slow down drivers and make them more attentive.
Many are portable and can be placed temporarily on just about any road so that they can be used to both calm traffic and collect data at many locations around the city.
While vehicle feedback speed signs calm traffic they also collect data that identifies problem areas and helps law enforcement departments prioritize enforcement and utilize their resources more effectively.
Vehicle feedback speed display signs have become web-enabled so you can track the traffic volumes and speeds in real time. There is no need to drive out to the sign to download the data as it is available on any internet-connected computer. The signs alert you to low battery and tampering, saving unnecessary trips to the sign. They can even alert you to high speed violators and congestion.
Studies conducted both in the UK and in the US have found radar speed signs to effectively slow traffic down. Although the overall speed reductions are generally less than those resulting from physical measures, the signs have the greatest effect on those drivers that are exceeding the posted speed, or traveling within speed transition zones.
Vehicle feedback speed display signs are a cost effective and quickly implemented solution to traffic calming and can be a great complement to longer term engineering solutions. They can help extend limited resources at a very cost effective price.
Embedded flashing crosswalk lights
Compared with other types of warning devices, the effectiveness of the embedded pavement flashing light system seem to be high. When approaching a crosswalk with an embedded pavement flashing light system, drivers are more apt to slow down and yield to pedestrians than when drivers approach a crosswalk with another type of lighted warning device. Also, compared to a crosswalk with no warning device, drivers are more likely to slow down and yield to pedestrians when the embedded pavement flashing light system is in place.
New Tech Controlling Traffic Lights Based on Behavior
This technology is perfect for one way streets where the intersections are set to be green lights by groups in one direction this is called traffic signal synchronization. The purpose of that is to move traffic efficiently but the problem is the straggler that is trying to catch up to the intersection because the light is changing from green to yellow then red.
The straggler car then speeds to attempt to drive through the intersection before the light turns red. This is what creates a risk of violating a red light and an accident occurs, a side collision also called the “T bone accident.”
What if technology was able to detect the straggler car speeding trying to catch up to the synchronized green lights. Well there is such technology by Iteris. The City of Folsom has recently installed it. See video explanation.
The City of Folsom engineered and installed a series of new traffic signals to further increase motorist, pedestrian, and cyclist safety on Empire Ranch Road. The new signals will also support the safest emergency vehicle access at Folsom Fire Station 39 on Empire Ranch Road at Ritchie Street.
The City incorporated the most advanced technology available for the operation of the new Empire Ranch signal system. The new signals have high-definition detection cameras, closed caption TVs, advanced controllers, and fiber optic connections. This technology allows the Public Works Department to remotely monitor and adjust traffic timing and provide proactive maintenance from the Traffic Operations Center.
The timing technology is expected to assist with smooth and safe travel through the area, allowing drivers to maximize the number of green signal lights they pass through while driving at the 45 miles per hour speed limit. Once a driver reaches speeds over the designated limit, the traffic light timing will help to slow down speeding drivers. This system is not used by law enforcement, it is used for distracted drivers to reduce the amount of unsafe speeding vehicles and for the intentional speeders.
SF Weekly reported, “Safe Streets Advocates Demand S.F. Declare a Traffic State of Emergency”
In an interesting turn, advocates also ramped up calls for police and the District Attorney’s office to investigate and prosecute deaths resulting from traffic violations in the same manner as they would a homicide. At the very least, citations of traffic violations must increase, they said.
Ida Mojadad and Nuala Sawyer, 2019 Safe Streets Advocates Demand S.F. Declare a Traffic State of Emergency
Retrieved from: http://www.sfweekly.com/news/safe-streets-advocates-demand-s-f-declare-a-traffic-state-of-emergency/
San Francisco is at the extreme on leniency of crime, we need to swing the pendulum back to the middle with a fair and just system to protect San Francisco.
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Concerns are building about violence against the Chinese Community becoming the new norm. With decriminalization of laws, extreme leniency and little consequences for crime in San Francisco, will attacks on the Chinese Community go unnoticed in SF’s lenient Justice System?
Sasanna Yee, “Unfortunately, violence on the Chinese community is becoming the norm. It is occurring almost daily and increasing in brutality. Why is that? This is a serious problem that needs to be examined and stopped. How can we bring more peace and safety to communities living in fear of the next attack?”
“I believe there is a cycle of crimes that relate to this starting with illegal drug use. Since Prop 47 when felony drug possession and felony property crimes were changed to misdemeanor crimes it had reduced the length of the prison sentence to, in some cases, a citation and probation. Couple that with extreme reformist district attorneys declining to prosecute crimes, dismissing criminal charges, and offering lenient plea bargains is another issue. Lack of consequences has emboldened criminals. The ease of illegal drug use with highly addictive drugs perpetuates car break-ins to fund the habit and in some cases it perpetuates violent acts because of the effects of the illegal drugs. And on top of that, there is organized crime taking advantage of San Francisco’s leniency on crime. All of this puts San Franciscans in danger,” says Ken Lomba President of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association.
On Wednesday, Jan 9th, an 88 year old elderly woman, Grandma Huang Popo Wong was clinging to life after she was brutally assaulted at a park near her home in San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley.
Explaining the photo Marlene Tran said, “Granddaughter, Sasanna Yee’s, capture of the TENDER moments between her Grandma Wong (on bed) and Grandma Yee (sadly, recently passed) makes all of us think of our elderly relatives and especially concerned because of the recent brutal crimes against our Chinese seniors!”
Leif Dautch candidate for District Attorney stated, ”We must send a clear message that violence against the elderly or targeted at a particular ethnic community will not be tolerated in San Francisco, and we must work to expand language access for 911 dispatchers, police officers, and prosecutors so that all victims of crime feel comfortable reporting. Prosecutors can and should explore a wide array of charges for the attackers, from robbery and aggravated assault to enhancements for great bodily injury and elder abuse. These attacks are examples of why I’ll create an Elder Justice Coordinator in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office to oversee prosecutions involving elderly victims, to coordinate services, and to interface with community groups and leaders. The status quo simply cannot stand. ”
Sasanna Yee conducted a Visitacion Valley Public and Personal Safety Workshop to empower seniors to speak up. Many seniors shared their experiences of being robbed and bullied while living in fear in their own community.
The way to fix this is first to elect a stable and well balance district attorney like Leif Dautch. One that will be a working district attorney not a politician (she will jump at every political issue) and not a public defender (he will be focused on how to release the criminals). The next step is we have to tighten up some of the laws that were changed under Prop 47 and enhance penalties for violating ankle monitoring and for violating probation. There also needs to be an escalation in punishment for repeat offenders to deter future crimes to “slow down the revolving door.”
With a District Attorneys election coming in November, two out of four of the candidates being a Politician and a Public Defender it may get worse because their policies may encourage crime. The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association vetted all the candidates and found the best one to be Leif Dautch for District Attorney.
“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC. Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”
Approximately 8 violent crimes this year that targeted seniors in the Chinese community. We have listed some of the violent attacks that occurred this year.
The World Journal Newspaper, Singtao Newspaper and Skylink TV reported that on Monday, July 15th in the afternoon two Chinese community leaders were violently attacked and robbed in Chinatown by four men.
They were attacked and thrown to the ground suffering from serious injuries. Both men were taken to the San Francisco General Hospital emergency room.
In May, a 74-year old woman was kidnapped and raped in Excelsior on her way to a park for exercise. The brutal crime has alarmed senior residents of the neighborhood, who are still reeling from January’s attack on an 88-year-old grandmother near a Visitacion Valley Playground. Reported by Ashley McBride SF Chronicle.
On Wednesday, Jan 9th, an 88 year old elderly woman, Grandma Huang Popo was clinging to life after she was brutally assaulted at a park near her home in San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley.
On Wednesday, January 2 in the afternoon, a man entered the apartment of a 99 year old women and sexually assaulted her. This occurred in Chinatown at the Ping Yuen housing projects.
President of the Chinese American Democratic Club Josephine Zhao stated, “SFPD has done a tremendous job on solving these violent crimes targeting the seniors in the Chinese community. SFPD has sent Chinese-speaking officers to work with the community and spent nonstop hours in every one of these cases. SFPD has apprehended most of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes so far. While we need more police to patrol the community, we also need to understand why there are so many similar incidences. We are asking help from all communities get to the root of these senseless attacks. “
“Josephine brings up a good point, why are there so many similar incidents? It might be because the pendulum has swung to far on leniency on crime,” said Ken Lomba the President of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association. He said, “There is a District Attorney election coming up. The District Attorney is the prosecutor of crime if the wrong person is elected for the job their policies can encourage crime. We don’t need a politician nor a public defender as a district attorney. We need someone that will do the job of a district attorney. That is why we endorsed Leif Dautch.”
Leif Dautch candidate for District Attorney stated, ” The recent violent attacks on members of the Asian American community are tragic and senseless, and they demand a swift and strong response from city leadership and the criminal justice system. We must send a clear message that violence against the elderly or targeted at a particular ethnic community will not be tolerated in San Francisco, and we must work to expand language access for 911 dispatchers, police officers, and prosecutors so that all victims of crime feel comfortable reporting. These attacks are examples of why I’ll create an Elder Justice Coordinator in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office to oversee prosecutions involving elderly victims, to coordinate services, and to interface with community groups and leaders. The status quo simply cannot stand. ”
If you compare two justice systems, San Francisco’s compared to our neighbor Daly City in San Mateo County you will find a big difference. Neighborhood Scout database rates San Francisco a low 2 out of 100 (100 being safest) on it’s crime index. San Francisco is safer than 2% of all US cities. The chance of becoming a violent victim in SF is 1 in 138 people.
Neighborhood Scout database rates our next door neighbor Daly City a 39 out of 100 (100 being safest) on it’s crime index. Daly City is safer than 39% of all US cities. The chance of becoming a violent victim in Daly City is 1 in 397 people. A very big difference between neighboring cities.
Fuming Zhang, President of the Chinese American Association of Commerce, expressed: “We urge the Mayor, Supervisors and City Officials to work with our community and take actions to stop these spreading crimes. We implore the City to provide more funding for the law enforcement and the District Attorney, in order to strengthen the public safety and bring justice to the victims. “
San Francisco is at the extreme on leniency of crime, we need to swing the pendulum back to the middle with a fair and just system to protect San Francisco. Maybe it’s time San Francisco fixes its justice system with techniques/ideas that are working in San Mateo County.
“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC. Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”
The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association is pleased to announce its endorsement for San Francisco District Attorney. “Leif Dautch represents the strongest candidate for District Attorney in San Francisco,” says SFDSA President Ken Lomba.
“Leif was spectacular in all areas of our process. He was very articulate and well versed on the duties and responsibilities of a District Attorney. What we liked most of all about Leif Dautch was his experience as a prosecutor and that he will be a working District Attorney focused on results to better the public safety for San Francisco. We found that he has the best plan to attack the car break in problem, he has a plan against environmental law violators, and a goal to build an effective and efficient District Attorney Office that San Francisco will be proud of. We are proud to endorse Leif Dautch for District Attorney,” he says.
Take a close look at Leif Dautch! It’s Time for Change. It’s Time for Leif Dautch! Leif Dautch will be a working District Attorney. He is compassionate to first time offenders yet he will hold repeat criminal offenders and organized crime accountable. Endorse and Vote for Leif Dautch for District Attorney!
The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association went through a rigorous process to arrive at its endorsements. The SFDSA Political Action Committee thoroughly researched candidates and invited each candidate for district attorney to participate in a questionnaire addressing important public safety issues. Our Board of Directors considered the recommendations of the committee and voted to endorse Leif Dautch for San Francisco District Attorney
“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC. Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”
