By a vote of 9-1, the Supes have approved a memorial for
Alex Nieto, the young man our trigger-happy cops murdered on March 21, 2014. The Department of Parks and Recreation was ordered to proceed with an installation at the site on Bernal Hill where Nieto was killed. This bitter sweet victory for Nieto's family, friends, and allies is the result of months of organizing against the SFPD's casual use of deadly force in Latin and Black communities. Nieto supporters held his picture high while the pols discussed.
Termed-out Supervisors Avalos, Campos, and Mar, along with still-serving Supervisor Cohen, were co-sponsors. The only opposition came from Supervisor Farrell who is apparently sucking up for the endorsement of Police Officers Association when he makes his rumored run for mayor.
Supervisor Campos called out the police union for its claim that remembering a young man who died at police hands implied that the Supervisors did not adequately appreciate cops' service. Supervisor Cohen, who was subjected to POA bullying during the discussion that led to
declaration the declaration of a day remembering Mario Woods -- another SFPD victim -- agreed, asking the cops to remember that their victims were human beings. The POA didn't bother to show up for the Nieto memorial vote.
San Francisco's usually impotent Office of Citizen Complaints has meanwhile found that one of Nieto's killers, Officer Roger Morse, had "reflected discredit on the department" by
gloating on Facebook after a suburban jury cleared the uniformed shooters in a civil trial. OCC findings rarely result in discipline -- absence of effective penalties is why bigotry and excessive force never seem to get rooted out from the SFPD.
Meanwhile, San Franciscans await the Mayor's decision on who to appoint as new chief of the department. Any appointment from inside, including Acting Chief Toney Chaplin, would signal continuation of dirty business as usual under the continued sway of the Police Officers Association.
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