Safety concerns abound following officer killings
By: Tamara Barak Aparton
Examiner Staff Writer
March 30, 2009
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| An Oakland police honor guard stands his post Friday next to the caskets of the four officers killed earlier this month. The S.F. Police Commission recently said money should not be an obstacle in protecting The City’s officers. (AP) |
SAN FRANCISCO — In response to the deaths of four Oakland officers who were shot with an assault weapon by a parolee, San Francisco officials say it’s time to beef up protective gear for The City’s police force.
Regular Kevlar protective vests are insufficient when it comes to withstanding bullets fired from a high-powered assault weapon, Deputy Police Chief Kevin Shinn told The City’s Police Commission last week.
San Francisco officers recently began using vests capable of deflecting high-velocity shots, but their cost and cumbersome design means a limited amount are issued to each station. Officers who receive a specific call alerting them to a suspect with an assault weapon wear the vests, Shinn said.
“Unfortunately, officers are on the street working day and night and they can’t say, ‘Time out. Let me call for this protective-type vest,’” he said. The vest’s lack of flexibility also makes it impractical to wear on a regular basis, Shinn said.
Commissioners have requested that the Police Department research the latest technology in protective gear — despite the cost.
“Money should be no excuse,” said Commissioner Thomas Mazzucco. “It would be my opinion that every officer out there on the streets should have one of those vests.”
Commission President Theresa Sparks said the money must be found, even with The City’s deflated budget. “If budget is an issue, I’m guessing we can impact that and we can take that to the people, the mayor and the Board [of Supervisors] to make sure we do get the funding for the highest level of protection available,” she said.
The March 21 slaying of Oakland police Sgts. Mark Dunakin, Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai and Officer John Hege has raised concerns about how to best protect San Francisco’s officers, Sparks said.
Parolee Lovelle Mixon shot the men with an AK-47, which he possessed illegally. San Francisco police seized 1,230 guns last year, but many more illegally possessed weapons, including assault rifles, continue to flood San Francisco streets, police said.
“I call them weapons of mass destruction,” Shinn said, adding that weapons that don’t conform to California’s gun laws are often purchased legally out of state.
Semiautomatic weapons can be converted to fully automatic “by anyone with a home workshop,” Shinn said. Police Department officials said they would come back to the Police Commission with an update on the protective gear needed.
