SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco Mayor, Ed Lee and his new Acting Chief, Toney Chaplin addressed a great number of recruits within the San Francisco Police Academy on Thursday afternoon.
It has been at least 20 years since the San Francisco Police Academy had five classes of recruits getting trained at the same time.
Mayor Lee and his new Acting Chief Chaplin took advantage of speaking to 200 future San Francisco police officers by addressing the recruits directly, letting them know what is expected of them, especially in the wake of recent fatal police shootings.
Lee addressed the recruits at the police academy that the department’s improved and modernized training means the department is to focus on the sanctity of life and de-escalating crisis situations. “When you are called in to confront people at their challenging moments, you are now being trained that we place the sanctity of life as the core value, everybody’s life.”
Lee’s message of change in training is in direct response to a series of fatal police shootings that led to the resignation of Chief Greg Suhr and the appointment of Acting Cheif, Toney Chaplin.
Lee advised the recruits to not focus on police controversies and instead do their job, “Do not pay attention to those headlines.”
Acting Chief, Chaplin, addressed the recruits, “If you remember the core reason that you are here, is to help people, you will never lose these battles.”
Both Lee and Chaplin told recruits in late August of 2015 that officers on the streets will begin wearing new body cameras.
Cheif Chaplin said it will be a benefit to both officers and those they come in contact with. “People on both sides of the camera tend to behave better when these things are deployed.”
SFPD is several hundred officers shy of the mandated amount, of 1971. Mayor Lee said during his address on Thursday to the recruits, that the department should get up to that mandated number by a year and a half from now.
