Sfpd is Not in Compliance with State Fire & Safety Regulations for Local Detention Facilities Released May 28, 2003

The continued use of detention cells that do not have fire resistive exit corridors and do not meet state standards for fire resistance not only poses a danger of injury and death to arrested persons, station personnel, and other rescuers, but also creates potential financial liability for the City and County of San Francisco should such injury to or death of a person detained therein result from a fire in the station.

Continued use of the detention cells in the Northern, Ingleside, and Richmond district stations violates state regulations and is unnecessary as arrested persons can be transported directly to the county jail at 850 Bryant Street for booking and further investigation.

Taking prisoners directly to 850 Bryant Street would make the transporting officer unavailable for other duties for periods ranging from 30 minutes to an hour. However, if the use of the detention cells in the three non-complying district stations were discontinued, no booking and detention officer would have to be on duty in those stations, SFPD would save more than $500,000 in remodeling costs, and SFPD would save the costs associated with pick-up of arrested persons at those stations by the Sheriff for delivery to 850 Bryant Street.