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FILE.- A San Francisco MUNI bus travels along an empty California Street during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on April 6, 2020. Shortly after the SFMTA announced they would no longer transport police officers to protests, the SFPOA lashed back on social media.
lessPhoto: Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesFILE.- A San Francisco MUNI bus travels along an empty California Street during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on April 6, 2020. Shortly after the SFMTA announced they would no longer transport police
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FILE.- A San Francisco MUNI bus travels along an empty California Street during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on April 6, 2020. Shortly after the SFMTA announced they would no longer transport police officers to protests, the SFPOA lashed back on social media.
lessFILE.- A San Francisco MUNI bus travels along an empty California Street during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on April 6, 2020. Shortly after the SFMTA announced they would no longer transport police
... moreAs part of an ongoing service equity strategy shared by SFMTA in response to nationwide demonstrations against police brutality, Muni will no longer transport police officers to protests. This decision didn't appear to sit well with the San Francisco Police Officers Association, who replied to the transit agency on Wednesday morning.
"Hey Muni," wrote the SFPOA. "Lose our number next time you need officers for fare evasion enforcement or removing problem passengers from your buses and trains. Shouldn't be a San Francisco Police Department officer's job anyway. Chief should stop using us for this."
Hey Muni, lose our number next time you need officers for fare evasion enforcement or removing problem passengers from your buses and trains. Shouldn't be a @SFPD officer's job anyway. @SFPDChief should stop using us for this. https://t.co/ykOpzo4O4Y
— San Francisco POA (@SanFranciscoPOA) June 10, 2020
In the weeks following the police killing of George Floyd and subsequent protests, Muni was criticized on social media as people shared videos of buses transporting officers in riot gear to marches in downtown San Francisco. At the time, Muni said it would continue to provide service "for everyone," but later reconsidered their strategy.
"We’ve been engaged in conversations with our staff, and that has given us the opportunity to reflect on what we can do to support our staff and black and brown community, and turn words into action," Erica Kato, a spokesperson for the transit agency told SFGATE on Tuesday.
Muni halted service at noon Tuesday for eight minutes and 36 seconds to symbolically memorialize Floyd, per the suggestion of a transportation controller working for SFMTA. The organization said it is also advancing its efforts to provide staff with implicit bias training, in addition to improving upon service in San Francisco neighborhoods with high percentages of people of color in low-income households.
"We respect and honor the actions SFMTA is taking to advance the cause of racial justice and equity," officer Robert Rueca told SFGATE on Wednesday. "SFPD's commitment to the safety and First Amendment rights of those we serve remains undiminished, of course, and we've adjusted our transportation and operations accordingly. We recognize we are all in the midst of a difficult, emotionally charged time as we come to terms with painful truths about the kind of policing that took George Floyd's life in Minneapolis."
But the police union appears to be uncertain regarding how they will be utilized by city agencies like Muni in the future.
"As city leaders demand cuts to SFPD, it needs to be clear what SFPD will no longer do," the SFPOA tweeted at 11:51 a.m. "If a ride on an out-of-service bus to ensure peaceful protests is too offensive, then don’t send us in to provide 'security' services to catch fare jumpers."
This is a developing story and will be updated with more information.
MORE COVERAGE ON THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS:
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Amanda Bartlett is an SFGATE Culture Reporter. Email: amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com | Twitter: @byabartlett
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'Lose our number': SFPOA fires back at SFMTA for no longer transporting SFPD to protests - SFGate
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