San Francisco County Grand Jury
1995-1996
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Additional Recommendations
10
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
The District Attorney must keep accurate, auditable records of the work flow through their office. This should include such categories as the number, classification and Criminal Code sections of arrests, bookings, re-bookings, dispositions, etc. These records also should be indexed to the personnel who handle the cases at each stage and accountable to the time spent on each case by each employee -- as in any private law practice.
R2:
Disposition information must be routinely relayed to the Police Department so that their records may be completed.
R3:
An annual statistical report should be published containing this data. One year following the full implementation of this recommendation, an outside performance audit should be performed.
R4:
The Police Department should keep detailed records of each police arrest, including such facts as the charges and disposition. Information from the District Attorney's Office should be recorded before any file is closed. This information should be kept in an auditable manner by Criminal Code section, station, officer, and case.
R5:
An annual statistical report should be published containing data by station and department. Officer information should be made a part of each personnel file. Two years following full implementation of this recommendation an outside performance audit should be performed.
R6:
The San Francisco Police Department should redouble its efforts to improve police incident reporting. This can be accomplished through a dual approach. First, by using technology to reduce the paperwork burden on the criminal justice system and instituting better management controls (supervision, mentoring, rewarding) over the chain of command responsible for the arresting officers. Secondly, all reports which are not re-booked should be reviewed by a designated police officer at the level of sergeant, lieutenant or inspector, and that designated officer should keep a statistical analysis identifying the reasons the reports were not re- booked. All reports not re- booked should be reviewed by the station Captain.
R7:
Because of jail overcrowding, suspects must be released after 48 hours if a case is not filed against them. There are over 80,000 police reports per year. We recommend that the Police Department utilize Section 849b [4] of the Criminal Code to a much greater extent than they are now doing, particularly in non-violent transgressions. This would go a long way toward weeding out cases. Arresting officers can take the suspect to the station, issue an 849b citation and release the suspect with the advisory that, "You may be hearing from the District Attorney.", i.e., issuance of a warrant. This procedure would ease the pressure of jail overcrowding and considerably lower the costs of incarceration during the development of the case.
R8:
It is our recommendation that the Police Department hire more investigators and provide them with adequate transport, lap-top computers and a sufficient number of telephones and desks with which to conduct their investigations in a professional manner. Top echelon officers of the Police Department need to show the citizenry that they are really serious about the implementation of a Centralized Investigations Unit; they need to do more than merely pay lip-service to this concern.
R9:
At this critical juncture in the governance of the City and County of San Francisco, we feel that the confluence of a newly-elected Mayor, a newly-elected District Attorney, and a restructured Police Department with a new Chief of Police, makes it timely and imperative that an insightful effort be undertaken to streamline the Criminal Justice System. The Mayor is the key player. He must fully support a concerted effort (by a special commission or through an ad hoc study) to coordinate the activities of the District Attorney and the Police Department. The process of arrest-booking- incarceration-trial is seriously flawed. This effort to streamline the criminal justice system should be initiated no later than September 1996; should take into account prior studies; and should be approved by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors. Enabling legislation or an executive order should be forthcoming within one year of the date of this Civil Grand Jury Report.
R10:
The District Attorney's Office and the Police Department should begin a more respectful dialogue at the highest levels with attention given to cooperative interaction between patrol officers and assistant district attorneys. The departments should encourage police patrol "ride-alongs" for assistant district attorneys, and police sergeants should work in the Inspections Bureau before reviewing incident reports. The District Attorney should redeploy some assistant district attorneys to police stations in order to complement the work of the police at the station level. By instituting such procedures, the District Attorney could learn more about crime problems at the community level. It would also be conducive to preventing problems from proceeding downtown.
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Findings & Recommendations
3 findings
F1:
EIPSC has failed in its mission to craft a citywide master plan for information technology; failed to provide leadership to advance a citywide agenda for technology; and failed to adequately address the needs of smaller city departments. The weaknesses of EIPSC have likewise been identified in the KPGM-Peat Marwick "Strategic Plan for Information Technology" (1996), a consultant's report crafting a roadmap for future direction of the city's information technology systems and services.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
A new position of Chief Information Officer (CIO) should be created to provide strategic planning and leadership for information technology as it pertains to conducting the city's business. This executive level position should be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors. A candidate for this position must possess relevant training and expertise. The CIO should serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.
F2:
The Civil Grand Jury Survey (see Appendix A) revealed the following: Only half of the respondents used some kind of Quality Assurance process. ISD has adequately documented the Change Control Management Process describing how changes are introduced to the computer production environment. The Source Material Migration Process (ISD Quality Assurance documentation) was found to be incomplete as of March 1996. The Job Control Language Migration Procedures and Control Card Migrations were missing from the city's mainframe operations manual. ISD has been ineffective in transferring technology to smaller city departments.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
The CIO should serve as the Department Head of a new Department of Information Technology (DIT). Those functions now assigned to the Department of Electricity and Telecommunications (DET), the Electronic Information Processing Steering Committee (EIPSC), and the Information Services Division (ISD) would be transferred to DIT.
F3:
The Civil Grand Jury survey (see Appendix A) reveals a few disturbing results: - 35% reported no specific written job classifications; - 48% reported no job performance criteria; - 40% reported no specific written job descriptions; - 57% reported no tracking of hours spent on IS projects. Many smaller city departments, particularly those totally dependent on the General Fund, have no information technology personnel on staff. The Civil Grand Jury Survey (see Appendix A) collected comments from smaller city departments that indicate an imperative need for rethinking how the city allocates computer staffing.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
As an initial project, DIT should have an information management audit conducted of all city departments to determine needs for citywide planning and budgeting as related to information technology goals. CITY CONTROLLER Summary In order to assess the next direction for technology in city government, better accounting and inventory must be prepared for strategic decision making. The City Controller, as the city's chief fiscal officer and auditor, does not currently maintain adequate records or budget information concerning city computer assets. Historically, the City Controller has relied on EIPSC's three- year master plan documents to serve as a register of departmental ownership of computer equipment and software. However, this component of the master plans has not been maintained, nor required, for several years. The inability of the city to collect an inventory of what computer assets it owns is a serious problem. Without such an inventory, the city cannot know if theft occurs or how to plan for upgrading equipment. The city's annual budget request process does not adequately address how much is spent on computer technology. The City Controller is unable to determine how much of the General Fund is appropriated to computer technology due to inadequate accounting procedures.
Additional Recommendations
11
Not linked to specific findings.
R4:
The Controller should develop an inventory of all city-owned and leased computer assets. This inventory, once created, should be annually updated and incorporated as part of the annual budget request process.
R5:
The Controller should standardize the nomenclature of computer assets and develop better accounting practices for citywide technology expenditures. TRAINING Summary Technology and training have become vitally linked in today's competitive workplace. Rapid change in technology demands that city information technology personnel have access to state-of- the-art training. City funds for computer training are scarce and in decline; yet demands for more training grow with new advances in emerging technology. Creative solutions to fund training must be sought.
R6:
The City Purchaser, in cooperation with EIPSC, should require a training set-aside component as part of the computer procurement bidding process. INFORMATION SERVICES DIVISION (ISD)
R7:
ISD should operate, using standard service-level agreements, so as to ensure customer satisfaction and better accountability.
R8:
ISD, whose role it is to advance information technology, should make one of its main priorities the promotion of improved Quality Assurance standards, both within ISD operations and citywide.
R9:
ISD should develop better strategies to assist smaller city departments in their acquisition and use of appropriate technology. In order to achieve this objective, ISD should conduct a needs assessment within these smaller city departments to determine their budgetary and personnel issues pertaining to technology. DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES Summary During July 1996, the Department of Human Resources is scheduled to implement a new pilot classification structure for information systems (IS) personnel. It is important that this reclassification project's first-year implementation have oversight. Additionally, there is a need to account for personnel time devoted to information technology projects and a need for new procedures to share IS positions among smaller city departments. Anything less will perpetuate a flawed personnel system that does not serve the technology needs of San Francisco government. The current civil service pay structure for IS positions exists in an environment of departmental parochialism. It is common practice for departments to focus on their perceived uniqueness in terms of staffing, rather than on the greater needs of the city. The concept of a "citywide employee" does not seem to exist in the organizational practices of city managers. Departments with alternative sources of revenue expand autonomously while smaller departments, dependent on the General Fund, are left with minimal resources with which to update their IS capabilities.
R10:
The Department of Human Resources should monitor the first-year implementation of the new information systems reclassification series and report to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors on its progress by October 1, 1997.
R11:
The Department of Human Resources should develop a citywide tracking and accounting system for personnel hours spent on projects by classified information systems personnel.
R12:
The Department of Human Resources should develop procedures for the sharing of classified information systems personnel among smaller city departments. PUBLIC ACCESS ISSUES Summary The City and County is moving incrementally towards building a "virtual city government". However, this effort will not succeed without more attention being given to wider access to electronic mail (e-mail) and the Internet by the entire city workforce. For example, the Mayor's Office and the Board of Supervisors do not have access to either of these basic technological tools. ISD should expand the city's World Wide Website to include more useful and complete city information. The city's website should also be improved to allow for greater citizen involvement by adding interactive features that support and encourage participation. Demands for electronic city-owned data by commercial ventures should not be ignored. City policies should be crafted balancing the Sunshine Ordinance with the possible commercialization of city-owned data, as appropriate. Revenue raised by marketing value-added city-owned data can supplement the General Fund.
R13:
The City and County should make optimal use of e-mail and the Internet to foster interactive communications between the citizens and their government.
R14:
The City and County, in consultation with the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, should investigate the retailing of city-owned data products and services in support of the General Fund.
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Additional Recommendations
10
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
No automatic extension should be granted to the SFCTA. This issue should be put to the voters in a general election ballot measure and should attain a two-thirds affirmative vote of the citizens in order to be extended beyond 2009.
R2:
The SFCTA should not issue any bonds whatsoever. Its bonded indebtedness is now limited to a maturity of 14 years (the time remaining for the life of the SFCTA). Some projects now being considered as long-range projects, such as the Four Corners Plan, might extend well beyond 2009. Management Performance Audits
R3:
The SFCTA should be subject to the same type of performance reviews by the Budget Analyst as is required of other City departments. Such reviews should be no less frequent than every five years due to the limited (14 years) remaining tenure of the SFCTA. There should not be a cap placed on the amount to be spent on such audits. The complexity and completeness of the audit should not be compromised. Citizen Participation
R4:
A citizens commission, appointed by the Mayor, with the full authority and power of such a commission, should be established as soon as possible. The City Attorney should be asked for an opinion as to the simplest and most direct way of accomplishing this in conjunction with the current changes in the City Charter. Paratransit Program
R5:
SFCTA, as mandated by Proposition B, should continue to fund the Paratransit Program at the present 8% rate. The ADA requirements will put a strain on the present budget. Therefore, constant vigilance should be maintained to prevent abuse. We recommend that the periodic audit of the SFCTA specifically include the expenditure of funds allocated to the paratransit program. Outside Vendor Bidding Process Background and Finding Currently all outside vendor contracts are negotiated through a Request for Proposal (RFP). It appears that a proper bidding process is being followed. The continuance of this process should be verified by the periodic audits. Paid Lobbyist
R6:
The SFCTA should investigate utilizing the Mayor's California lobbyist, who is already in Sacramento, thus saving $50,000 a year that could be used for other projects. Ethics -- Conflict of Interest
R7:
All vendors and consultants to the SFCTA must adhere to ethical principles and avoid any conflict of interest, including the perception of conflict of interest. Travel and Seminar Expenses
R8:
What is considered ordinary, necessary and reasonable travel expenses needs to be defined. Expenses incurred by SFCTA directors do not appear to be unusual or excessive. It is recommended that closer scrutiny and oversight be implemented to control the area of growth in the total travel budget of SFCTA Commissioners -- from 13% to 51% in three years. Salaries and Budget
R9:
Extreme care should be exercised by the SFCTA to keep their policies and costs in line with compensation policies and fringe benefits of the miscellaneous city employees whose positions are funded through the General Fund. SFCTA costs should be kept in line and, if possible, disparities corrected. Funding Sources
R10:
Proposition B established the SFCTA as a 20-year entity, and there is concern regarding the sunsetting of this entity. The SFCTA has accepted additional responsibilities and funding sources. While these complement the original role envisioned, the added funds from other sources do not have a similar time frame. It is recommended that the SFCTA clearly regulate itself consistent with its legislated 20- year life span and not take on projects and responsibilities which give it the appearance of growing toward self-induced immortality.
Findings and recommendations not yet extracted.
Findings and recommendations not yet extracted.