City and County of
San Francisco
Office of the Sheriff
Established 1850
May 15, 2020 San Francisco Sheriff's Office Newsletter Issue 73
A Message from Sheriff Paul Miyamoto
COVID-19 Accelerates County Jail #4 Closure
Dear Friends,

I hope you continue to be well as we adjust to the new normal -- living with COVID-19.

Recently, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed legislation that directs the Sheriff’s Office to close County Jail #4 by November 1, 2020.

Thanks to the public's advocacy and support, Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer listened to our concerns and amended her original legislation to ensure the Sheriff’s Office will have the flexibility to accommodate any future fluctuations in the jail population.

As elected officials, it is our responsibility to listen to everyone and make thoughtful and measured decisions and plans. Please continue to share your concerns with me and other elected representatives. You are making a difference..

Before the global pandemic set in, San Francisco already had one of the lowest incarceration rates in the nation. The decision to reduce the jail population further has broadened the conditions under which people may be released and requires us to maintain a delicate balance between public safety and public health. 

The increase in our responsibility to monitor and supervise justice-involved persons who are not incarcerated is challenging. I want to reassure all of you that we remain committed to keeping everyone safe.

As we move forward, we will look to you to provide input on how these decisions impact our neighborhoods and City. 
Sheriff's Deputies Safely Resolve Critical Incident
San Francisco Sheriff's deputies, Special Response Team and Emergency Services Unit negotiators, responded to and resolved a critical incident yesterday afternoon on upper Market St. in San Francisco where a man barricaded himself in a motel and threatened violence.

Click here to read the SF Chronicle's news story. Thank you to our SFSO team for their quick and professional response in de-escalating and safely mediating a difficult situation.
SFSO City Hall Patrol Unit 'Flattens the Curve'
Bust some moves while you shelter in place!

Watch the dance video below from our City Hall Patrol Unit as they show us all how to flatten the curve and beat back COVID-19.

Stay safe and be well.
Sheriff Miyamoto Recognizes Nurses on National Nurse Day
When you think of heroes during this global pandemic, nurses top the list. They care for patients in hospitals, clinics and non-traditional settings like jails. They comfort and console and lighten our burden.

On National Nurses Day, Sheriff Miyamoto shared a special message of appreciation to our community of nurses who do so much to keep the people in our jail safe and well.
Public Safety Agencies Honor Health Care Workers
In the early morning hours of Friday, May 1, San Francisco's public safety agencies turned out in full force to honor and thank the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, lab technicians, LVNs and other medical staff during their change of shift at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFGH).

Members of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, San Francisco Fire Department, San Francisco Police Department, Department of Emergency Management, SF Park Police and UCSF Police fanned out along Wells Fargo Plaza and adjacent streets bordering the ZSFGH campus.

Smiles, laughter and tears of gratitude filled the air as public safety colleagues cheered on the front line medical staff coming to work.

Special thanks to Sheriff's Office staff who organized this event and to Sgt. Fabian Perez who created the original artwork that was displayed on signs to honor the medical workers.
Learn About Five Keys' Navigation Centers for Unsheltered Persons
The San Francisco Sheriff's Office has partnered with Five Keys Schools and Programs for nearly two decades, providing justice-involved persons an opportunity to earn a high school degree.

Five Keys recognized that the Bay Area's lack of affordable housing forces many of their incarcerated students into homelessness when they are released from jail. Five Keys began working with the City to open and manage navigation centers for unsheltered people.

Please see the video below to learn more about Five Keys' work.
Sheriff Launches Free Video Visits for Moms on Mother's Day
On Mother's Day, the Sheriff's Office rolled out the first phase of our free video visit program, giving justice-involved moms the opportunity to connect with their children over video.

It was with a heavy heart that we put our in-person visiting program on hold during March because of COVID-19 concerns. Since that time, our staff has worked around the clock to set up video visits in jail -- building WiFi networks where none existed, purchasing tablets and negotiating vendor licenses.
 
Sheriff’s rehabilitation service coordinators scheduled the video visits in 30-minute increments, and along with our dedicated IT staff, received heartfelt notes of appreciation for devoting their Mother's Day to facilitating these visits.

The Sheriff's Office will expand video visits to the other facilities within the coming weeks. 
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Like other group celebrations during the COVID emergency, APAH month is being celebrated virtually.

The APA Heritage Foundation has organized an online guide that is guaranteed to boost your APA IQ and appreciation for Asian Pacific American culture.

Sheriff Miyamoto also created this fun video to help you celebrate.
Information: 415-554-7225
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