Federal report finds San Francisco Police Department disproportionately targets minorities

A report by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Wednesday the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) disproportionately targeted minorities, especially the African-American community.

“There are numerous indicators of implicit and institutionalized bias against minority groups,” said the report, adding that the police department failed to adequately train its officers or investigate the use of force.

In the 400-plus-page report, the DOJ said African-American drivers were “disproportionately stopped compared to their representation in the driving population,” and along with Hispanic drivers, they were also “disproportionately searched and arrested compared to white drivers.”

Also, the report found that SFPD failed to adequately investigate officers’ use of force, among which the majority of deadly use of force incidents by the police involved persons of color.

“These are timely conversations because police-community relations in the United States have reached a pivotal moment,” the report said. “Trust is the key to the stability of our communities, the integrity of our criminal justice system, and the safe and effective delivery of policing services.”

(APD)