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Contact
Us
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Information:
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(415)
554-7225 |
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CONGRATULATIONS
to
Our Promotions and
Retirees:
Promotions:
Sgt.
A. Versher
Sgt.
D. Wilson
Sgt.
J. De Jesus
Sgt.
P. Washington (Warren)
Sgt.
J. Dolly
Sgt.
E. Rodriguez
Sgt.
M. Conti
Sgt.
W. Rold
Sgt.
Y. Williams-Dubriwny
Retirees:
Sgt. J. Sears
26 years
Deputy F. Pili
21 years
In Memoriam:
Sgt. A. Johnson-Morris
Sr. Deputy R. Palmer
Deputy J. Powers, Jr.
Deputy R.
Tunstall
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©
2016
San
Francisco
Sheriff's
Department
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A
Message from Sheriff
Vicki
Hennessy
Welcome to the last Sheriff's Department
Newsletter for 2016.
During the holiday season, we think about
our blessings and those who have contributed to
making this world a better place. This issue of
the newsletter is an acknowledgement of those
people.
On Thanksgiving Day, more than 40 Sheriff's
Deputies, led by Chief Deputy P. Miyamoto and
Deputy C. Chu, volunteered to serve and package
hot dinners at the Self-Help for the Elderly's
annual event. The deputies provided on-site,
sit-down meals for hundreds while also
delivering more than 900 turkey dinners to
homebound seniors. My thanks to the deputies
who have organized and continued to provide this
service as they have for the last 30
years.
One of our stories pertains to the many
holiday events that take place yearly at our
jails. It takes a great number of volunteers to
ensure the people in our custody are not
forgotten during the holidays. The
organizations, and the volunteers who take the
time out of their lives to do this work, are to
be celebrated. One such group is the renowned
Oakland Interfaith Choir, which has performed
for people in our custody for the last 20 years.
My thanks to the many organizations and all
the people who selflessly volunteer
year-round.
Another group that has been providing gifts
for underserved children in the Bay Area
originated with the San Francisco Deputy
Sheriffs Association and went on to become the
Bay Area Deputy Sheriffs' Charitable Foundation.
This is the 13th year that it organized a trip
to Target for clothing and gifts for more than
300 schoolchildren. Deputy Sheriffs from other
agencies as well as members of the private
sector joined us at the Target store located in
Colma to assist children, who were each given
$200 to spend, in picking out their gifts. I
commend the folks at Target, who have been
gracious and helpful in making this program a
success for many years. I had a great time
accompanying a child while she made thoughtful
purchases. My thanks to the Bay Area Deputy
Sheriffs' Charitable Foundation for making this
annual event possible.
Many years ago, the Northern California
Service League (NCSL) opened a Children's
Waiting Room in the Hall of Justice for children
of defendants with appointments in court. This
provided a crucial service for the courts. Fast
forward to today, and the Center on Juvenile and
Criminal Justice (CJCJ) runs the waiting rooms
at the Hall of Justice and the Civic Center
Courts. I was honored to attend a reception and
saw the great work CJCJ does every day and the
gratitude of parents whose children received
thoughtful gifts. My thanks to the CJCJ
staff who work to provide services to families
with children every day.
As Sheriff, I am invited to various events.
One event I attended was the performance of
"(moment)um," an immersive theatre piece at
County Jail #5. The play was created by inmates
in the jail's Resolve to Stop the Violence
Program (RSVP) working with students from the
Performing Arts and Social Justice Department of
the University of San Francisco (USF). The
inmates were completely in the moment -
expressing their frustration, trauma, concerns
and hopes through movement, music and rap.
My thanks to the Performing Arts and Social
Justice Department at USF and the students who
use art to create healing and understanding. My
thanks to the inmates who were open to the
experience.
While using art is one way to create
change, having effective programs with
supportive staff that begin in custody and
continue post-release are also important. This
is evidenced by our story on Rena Wade, a
formerly incarcerated person who is now a case
manager working to help others. Her story is one
of a person facing and overcoming circumstances
that are all too common and difficult. She was
gracious enough to let us tell her story and
suggested we include her old booking photo to
illustrate how far she has come. My thanks
to Rena for allowing us to publish her story to
help others and for the good work she and other
peer counselors continue to
accomplish.
As shown in Rena's story, education and job
opportunities are among the elements that helped
her in her journey. The Five Keys Charter School
continues to thrive, and at any one time we have
more than 200 prisoners in our custody attending
high school classes. Now Five Keys has expanded
by partnering with City College of San Francisco
to assess students to determine the best
individual educational plans beyond high school.
My thanks to the Five Keys teachers and
leadership and the City College academic
counselors who provide our inmates with
additional opportunities for
growth.
Many people who leave jail lose their homes
while they are incarcerated. The best efforts
are in progress to find affordable housing - but
this is a supreme challenge facing our entire
country. With that in mind, we are reprinting an
article from the Department of Human Resources
titled "Working With and Around the Homeless
Population" as an informational piece. For those
of you interested, the San Francisco Department
of Homelessness and Supportive Housing is
looking for volunteers to assist with the annual
homeless count on the night of January 26, 2017.
For more information or to sign up, visit
dhsh.sfgov.org. My thanks and hopes for all
those who struggle with the challenge of
reducing and eradicating
homelessness.
On a lighter note, we have a "pun"-filled
article from a 1984 Sheriff's Department
Newsletter that provides a historical review of
how the bison from Golden Gate Park came to
live, and, contrary to predictions at the time,
thrive at the San Bruno jail grounds. My
thanks for the memories and historical
perspective.
Last, but not least, my gratitude to the
individuals who make up the San Francisco
Sheriff's Department employees and extended
staff:
- Sworn deputy sheriffs who perform their
duties to facilitate and ensure safety in all
assignments.
- Program and Prisoner Legal Services staff
who work to assist incarcerated people.
- Cadets who provide eyes and ears at many of
our facilities.
- Support staff in every category, including
facilities maintenance, payroll, Civil, Central
Warrants, finance and storekeepers who provide
critical services to support our mission.
- The many contract employees who work each
day to deliver meals, commissary and treatment
in coordination with our staff.
- Medical and Behavioral Health personnel from
the Department of Public Health who work to
provide standards of community care to those in
our custody.
Best
wishes to all for a
happy
and healthy
2017!! |
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Sheriff,
Volunteers Accompany Children
at
'Shop With a Deputy Sheriff' Event
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Sheriff Vicki Hennessy
with a Target employee at the
event.
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The Bay Area Deputy Sheriffs'
Charitable Foundation hosted its 13th annual
"Shop With a Deputy Sheriff" event at Target
located in Colma in the early morning of
December 13. Sheriff Vicki Hennessy and more
than 50 volunteers came to accompany 300
underprivileged children on a holiday shopping
spree. The only requirement was that children
had to buy a pair of shoes, pants, jacket,
sweater or dress first, then they could buy
whatever other item they wanted.
President and cofounder of the
foundation Deputy S. McDaniels said he enjoys
this time of the year because this is a chance
for law enforcement to reach out to the
community it serves. "We wanted to put a
positive image out there for law enforcement,"
he said. "The best part of this event is giving
back."
Alongside Sheriff's Department
Deputies helping out were volunteers from the
San Francisco Department of Public Works, San
Francisco Public Utility Commission, other
private sector companies and even parents whose
children were recipients of "Shop With a Deputy
Sheriff" in previous years. Additionally, four
deputies from the Lake County Sheriff's
Department were present to participate in giving
back to the community. Last year, Lake County
was hit hard with devastating fires, and the
foundation reached out to Lake County Sheriff
Department. The foundation mentioned the "Shop
with a Deputy Sheriff" event and took steps to
help Lake County Sheriff's Department to start
its own.
The children who are selected to
participate in this event come from
community-based organizations such as Children's
Council, CYC (Children's Youth Center), Hunters
Point Family, and Instituto Familiar de la Raza.
Much of the funding for this event
comes via donations from corporations. The
Department's Air Squadron donated $850. The
foundation also receives on-the-spot donations
as well.
Everyday shoppers see the event going
on at Target and want to contribute to this
event. One shopper donated $500 on the day of
the event.
Deputy McDaniels said, "I look
forward to this event every year. It is a great
feeling. I enjoy watching the kids' and parents'
faces."
The Bay Area Deputy Sheriff's
Charitable Foundation also holds other events
throughout the year that includes back to school
shopping and backpack giveaways events.
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Sheriff
Attends Holiday Gathering
At
Children's Waiting Room
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Pictured in the back row, from left:
Sheriff Vicki Hennessy, CJCJ's Executive
Director Daniel Macallair, CJCJ's Deputy
Director Dinky M. Enty, and Sgt. James Pineda.
Front row, from
left: CJCJ's
Children's Waiting Rooms Assistant Director
Maire Larkin, and CJCJ's Children's Waiting
Rooms Childcare Specialist Tonnika
Williams. |
Sheriff Vicki Hennessy attended a
winter holiday gathering at the Children's
Waiting Room at the Civil Courthouse in San
Francisco on December 19. Visitors enjoyed cocoa
and cookies and the children played games,
created arts and crafts, and received holiday
gifts. Although the party was December 19,
festivities continued all week. More than 125
gifts were given to low-to moderate-income
children that week.
The Center on Juvenile and Criminal
Justice (CJCJ) operates the Children's Waiting
Rooms, which are located at the Civil Courthouse
and the Hall of Justice. CJCJ has a partnership
with nonprofit Family Giving Tree, which
provides a bulk of the gifts. Every fall, CJCJ
asks parents what gifts their children want.
"We start talking to the families and
ask, 'What is your child's wish this year?'"
CJCJ Deputy Director Dinky Manek Enty said. "We
give the Family Giving Tree our list, and it
provides the gifts. Family Giving Tree also goes
beyond just the gift. For instance, if a child
requests an Elsa dress, Family Giving Tree will
provide not only the dress, but also a tiara and
a wand to make the gift even more
special."
Family Giving Tree fulfills 90 gift
requests every winter season. The Children's
Waiting Room also receives gifts and cash
donations from the Sheriff's Department, the
courts, the Public Defender's and District
Attorney's offices, and corporations.
However, even if a child at the
Children's Waiting Room didn't request a gift,
he or she still received one. "Every kid who
comes through the doors receives a gift," Enty
said.
The Children's Waiting Rooms provide
free childcare for parents and guardians who
have business to tend to in the
courts.
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St.
Gabriel Students Meet
With
'Sheriff Quanico'
St. Gabriel Elementary School's third-grade
class stopped by for a visit December 1. The
students visited Symphony Hall before touring
City Hall, led by a City Hall docent. Lt. J.
Quanico met with the students. He welcomed them
to the Department and explained how the
Sheriff's Department provides building security
at City Hall. He also gave them bags with a LED
superball, a coloring book with crayons, a
Sheriff's Department notebook and pen, and a
Sheriff's star sticker.
The students were so excited by the visit
and the gifts that they wrote letters and cards
to "Sheriff Quanico" to thank
him.
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Oakland
Interfaith Choir Performs
Holiday
Concert at County Jail #4
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The Oakland
Interfaith Gospel Choir sang at County Jail
#4.
| The
Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir brought its
spiritual joy to County Jail #4 on December 5
when it performed a holiday concert at the
facility. More than 30 inmates attended the
concert.
About 40 choir members performed the
soulful music, which inspired many members of
the audience to dance and clap along.
Songs the choir sang included "Angels We
Have Heard on High," "Ave Maria," "O Holy Night"
and "Emmanuel." The choir, which has
performed at the jails for the past 20 years,
has sung with artists such as Joshua Nelson and
the Duke Ellington orchestra. It was voted "Best
Arts Organization" by Oakland Magazine
in 2015.
The award-winning choir is well-known for
its angelic harmonies and gospel repertoire. It
was founded in 1986, when Terrance Kelly led a
gospel music workshop at Living Jazz's Camp
West. He is the artistic director of the
choir.
By the end of the performance, it was clear
that the choir was an exceptional experience and
filled everyone listening to its riveting
performance with holiday cheer.
The choir usually performs more than 30
times each year. It sings for institutionalized
and underserved audiences, as well as
entertaining at events such as the City Center
Holiday Concert and Oakland Tree Lighting, and
appearing at most major Oakland events, such as
the annual Art & Soul Festival.
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Inmates were enjoying the choir's
performance. | |
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IAWP
Regional Training to
Be
Held This Spring in
Walnut Creek
Region
10 of the International Association of Women
Police (IAWP) will host a two-day regional
training at the Walnut Creek Marriott on April
3-4, 2017.
The
theme of the training is "People, Process and
Performance in Law Enforcement," and will focus
on how to better serve the public while
protecting yourself. Topics will include legal
ramifications of law enforcement actions, how
law enforcement perceives the communities they
serve and how they view law enforcement, and the
impact of race and gender issues on
performance.
Registration
and payment for the regional training can be
done on the IAWP website.
Early
registration fees through February 20 are $200
for IAWP members and $275 for non-members. Late
registration fees from February 21 through the
conference are $250 for IAWP members and $325
for non-members.
A
daily registration fee of $125 for IAWP members
and $165 for non-members will also be available
for those not able to attend both days of the
training.
Hotel
reservations can be made at the Walnut Creek
Marriott, 2355 N. Main St., Walnut Creek, CA
94596, by phoning (800) 228-9290 or (925)
934-2000. Make sure to let the hotel know that
you're with the IAWP training when phoning in to
make sure that you obtain the reduced
rate.
Daily
room rates from March 31 through April 2 are
$139 plus tax and a $2 city tourism fee, and
from April 3 and 4 the rate is $199 plus tax and
a $2 tourism fee. Parking is $15 a day with in
and out privileges. To take advantage of the
reduced room rates, reservations must be made no
later than March 10. Early registration is
strongly encouraged.
For
more information about the regional training, or
about the IAWP, contact Sergeant Fabian Brown of
the Sheriff's Department at
2017region10@gmail.com. Sgt. Brown is not only
the conference director, but she's also the IAWP
Region 10 coordinator, which covers California,
Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Hawaii.
This
is one training that you don't want to
miss!
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USF
Students, Inmates Perform
'(moment)um'
at County Jail #5
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USF students and RSVP participants
performed "(moment)um" at County Jail
#5. |
University of San Francisco (USF)
performing arts students and Resolve to Stop the
Violence (RSVP) inmates bared their hearts and
souls in an interdisciplinary play titled
"(moment)um." The performance, which explores
social issues such as racism, violence and
islamophobia, was presented December 2 before a
standing room only audience at County Jail
#5.
The play, which combined spoken word,
music, rap and movement, was a collaboration
between RSVP participants and the USF's
Performance and Community Exchange (PACE) class.
Amie Dowling teaches the PACE class, and has had
this partnership between USF and the Sheriff's
Department for nine years. "The course
would not be possible without everyone at the
jail supporting and guiding us - Captain
Paulson, the deputized staff, the Community
Works facilitators - Reggie Daniels, Leo Bruenn
and Jimmy Espinoza - as well as Program
Coordinator Ayoola
Mitchell."
The semester-long PACE course is
designed for what she calls "outside"
(traditional undergraduate) and "inside"
(incarcerated) students interested in "merging
communication and facilitation skills, social
activism and performance." The class addresses
stereotypes and assumptions about being
incarcerated by using theater, movement, writing
and music to showcase individual stories.
"This work
is very multifaceted, bringing together students
from USF and men in the RSVP pod," Dowling said.
"USF
students met on campus with Reggie Daniels and I
for two weeks prior to going to the jail for the
first time talking about their ideas about jail,
who are incarcerated, and why they think they're
incarcerated." Dowling and Daniels also spent
several classes with the men in RSVP discussing
their educational history, and the direction
they want the collaboration with the USF
students to go. "Once the two groups come
together, they begin to break down barriers and
create trust, communication allowing the
participants to see each other as individuals,
and they start to understand each other's
stories, finding out that the stranger is not so
unlike oneself."
The play's title came about when the
students and inmates were discussing the work
and realized that the piece had a focus on
motion. "Titling it 'Moment' seemed too
simplistic," USF student Emily said.
"'(moment)um' is an instant in time that acts as
a catalyst for an issue, topic or cause. A
moment that inspires folks to keep moving
forward."
The performance was inspired by
topics the inmates had been discussing in
Daniels' young men's group in RSVP:
beefs, grief, greed and revolution. The piece
was designed to explore the multiple identities
people share. The play was written and staged by
students and inmates alike. The music, including
the opening and closing songs, were composed by
three inmates, and the movement was developed
collaboratively between the inmates and
students.
"Early on, we found that the inside
students (inmates) were incredibly talented
writers, both with spoken text as well as with
music," Matthew, a USF student, said. "We
created the piece based on everyone's talents
and desire to pursue whatever artistic avenue
they felt they excelled at."
There were about 18 USF students and
up to 33 RSVP inmates participating in the
production, which took place over 15 weeks.
Nineteen inmates actually performed the play
with the USF students.
The goal of the partnership was to
create socially engaged and conscious
interdisciplinary work.
The students said they felt that they
developed working and personal relationships
with the inmates. "It was an exchange of talent,
time and life experiences that I will personally
carry with me for the rest of my life," Matthew
said. "I learned so much as a performer from the
men inside. They taught me so much about
honesty, authenticity and poetry that I will
continue to use as I go through my professional
life."
Dowling said seeing the results of
their hard work is the most rewarding aspect of
her job. "It's beautiful to watch
the transformation that happens for everyone in
the room over the weeks of working together,"
she said. "The men inside whom I work with bring
so much resources, strengths, dignity,
intelligence and creativity that they actually
become my teachers. It's an honor to be with
them in this process."
One inmate who participated in the
play said, in feedback about the
class, that "the interactions and
collaboration with USF students throughout the
15 weeks and the response from the audience on
the day of the performance reminded me that
people do care, and will support
me."
"We posed this question to the men
inside: 'What do you want people to feel after
they see the performance?'" Matthew said. "One
said, 'I want them to see that we actually have
hearts.' I feel fortunate to have worked with
these men. They shared deep parts of their
hearts with me, and I shared mine with them. It
makes me feel grateful for the privileges that I
grew up with that allowed me to leave the jail
after the performance was over, and it makes me
hopeful that I may work with these men again on
the
outside." |
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Sheriff's
Department Holds
Holiday Events at the
Jails
The Sheriff's Department opened its doors
to dedicated secular and faith-based volunteer
performers and organizations providing holiday
cheer for the inmates. Here is a list of some of
the events.
County Jail #2
- A Place to Meet Jesus Church - Holiday
dinner and service, December 11.
- City Church - Lessons, carols and cookies
for C and E pods, December 12.
- Gail Muldrow
and Friends - Holiday concert for B, C and E
pods, December 14.
- City Church -
Lessons, carols and cookies for B and C pods,
December 15.
- Syrria Berry
and Friends - Holiday concert for A and F pods,
December 15.
- New Testament
Church - Holiday celebration with cookies, cake
and candy canes for the inmates, December
18.
- Five Keys
Charter High School - Event centered on holidays
as well as a restorative justice circle and a
creative arts forum from participants and
facilitators, A pod, December
22.
- Holiday party - C pod, December
21.
County Jail #4
- The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir -
Holiday performance, December 5.
- Syrria Berry and Friends - Holiday concert
for A, D, E and F tanks, December
11.
County Jail #5
- New Testament Church - Holiday
celebration, December 11.
- Naima Shalhoub and the Band - Holiday
concert, December 16.
- Church of the Highlands - Gifts at the
Gate for children, December 17.
- Holiday Party - Fathers gave their
children gifts provided by HealthRight 360,
December 17.
- Holiday Party - Food and caroling, 5A,
5B and 7B pods, December 22.
- Holiday Party - 1B pod, December 23.
- Kwanzaa - December 26-January
1.
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Sheriff's
Department Serves, Delivers
Thanksgiving
Meals to Elderly
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| Sheriff Vicki Hennessy,
California State Board of Equalization Chair
Fiona Ma and Chief P. Miyamoto at the
Thanksgiving
event. |
In
keeping with a longstanding Sheriff's Department
Thanksgiving tradition, more than 40 sworn
staff, families and friends partnered with
Self-Help for the Elderly to carve roast turkey,
and pack and serve hot holiday meals to
low-income senior citizens at community centers
throughout San Francisco on Thanksgiving Day.
They also delivered meals to homebound clients
of the nonprofit, as part of the annual holiday
event.
The
Sheriff's Department is generous not only in
time and energy, but also in providing resources
to make it a big success. Chief P. Miyamoto and
Deputy C. Chu headed up the Department's efforts
for the annual event. Miyamoto has taken the
lead on managing the volunteers for this
Thanksgiving event for years. This year, more
than 900 meals were delivered in vans and trucks
provided by the Sheriff's Department.
"I look forward to serving others on
Thanksgiving," Miyamoto said. "I have had the
pleasure of working for many years with a large
and dedicated group of coworkers, family,
and friends from the Sheriff's Department. We
all volunteer our time and energy to make this
happen. It's a great opportunity to
connect with the community, to assist people,
and to provide them with good, hot-cooked meals
on this special holiday."
Self-Help
for the Elderly, which began serving seniors in
San Francisco's Chinatown in 1966, was
originally created with funding from the federal
"War on Poverty" program to provide social
services and hot meals to low-income and
isolated elderly. Today, Self-Help for the
Elderly is a multiservice organization that
serves more than 35,000 seniors each year in San
Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Alameda
counties, administering programs along a
wellness continuum ranging from
employment/training and social activities for
those who are more independent, to in-home
assistance and residential board and care to
those who are homebound.
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Five
Keys, CCSF Give 30 County
Jail
#5 Inmates
Placement Exams
The Five Keys College team and City College
of San Francisco (CCSF) recruited 30 County Jail
#5 inmates to take math and English placement
tests over the Thanksgiving break. This is the
first time Five Keys and CCSF have teamed up for
this type of testing.
Each test took about 90 minutes. A week
later, four CCSF academic college counselors
returned to the jail to go over the test results
and complete an education plan for each inmate
who was tested. The Five Keys College team will
use the test scores to assist inmates with
either working on their math or English
test-taking strategies or working with those who
placed at college-level math and English with
moving forward on their college path once they
are released.
Five Keys and CCSF plan to offer math and
English placement testing at County Jail #2
during Spring 2017.
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NoVA's
Rena Wade Credits Organization
With
Getting Her Life on Track
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Rena Wade works as a NoVA case
manager. |
The No Violence Alliance (NoVA), a
partnership between the Sheriff's Department and
community-based organizations that provides
reentry services and intensive case management
for offenders in San Francisco, celebrated its
10th anniversary this year. NoVA has positively
influenced the lives of many of its clients.
Rena Wade is one of NoVA's success stories.
Wade, 41, who now works as a NoVA
case manager at Westside Community Services and
also as an on-call care coordinator for
HealthRight 360, had a rough upbringing. Her
father was an alcoholic, her mother a drug
addict. At age 7, Wade was taken from her
parents and placed in foster care. She lived in
foster care and group homes until she turned 18.
She dropped out of school in sixth
grade, and first tried alcohol and marijuana
when she was only 12 years old. She moved on to
crack cocaine when she was 24. Before Wade
decided to change the trajectory her life was
on, she had been arrested up to 17 times on
charges such as writing bad checks, possession
and sale of narcotics, robbery and battery. The
last time she was incarcerated, she was
sentenced to three years.
About eight years ago, Wade was
determined to turn her life around. She
participated in a drug treatment program for
female parolees in San Francisco county jail.
She also attended and graduated from the Women's
Recovery Association in San Mateo County, which
is now a part of HealthRight 360. "I had to do
60 days inside the jail in the program, then 30
days in residential," she said. "My whole way of
thinking about life changed."
As part of her recovery, she was
attending groups in the Bayview hosted by one of
the NoVA partner organizations and was enrolled
as a client.
"That's when the ball really started
rolling," she said. "Being in NoVA helped me. I
became gainfully employed while at NoVA. Cedric
Akbar, the person who is my boss now, played a
big part in the change. Cedric and case manager
Calvin Johnson planted the seed by helping me
get back in school, helping me with money
management and supporting me in groups and
classes."
NoVA came about when the Sheriff's
Department created an alliance with direct
service providers in October 2006 to develop a
program as a response to concern about violence
in San Francisco's Bayview, Mission, Tenderloin
and Western Addition neighborhoods. NoVA's main
objectives were to reduce recidivism and
increase the number of formerly incarcerated
from those neighborhoods who have sustainable,
living wage jobs. The program was so successful
that the Sheriff's Department expanded the
program to accept all persons with a history of
violent charges returning to San
Francisco.
Inmates are introduced to NoVA while
they are still in jail. After an inmate signs a
commitment to participate, that person is
assigned a case manager, undergoes an
assessment, and develops a short- and long-term
life plan.
NoVA's case management includes
violence prevention services, family
reunification, employment skills, housing,
transportation, substance abuse treatment and
mental health services provided by UCSF
citywide. NoVA currently collaborates with the
Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice,
Recovery Survival Network, Senior Ex-Offender
Program, Community Works West and Westside
Community Services that provide direct services
and intensive case management for the
clients.
During the past 10 years, NoVA has
provided a multitude of services to thousands of
clients.
Wade praised NoVA's commitment to its
clients, and said having firsthand experience
with the organization has helped her become a
better case manager. She said it gives her joy
to now assist others.
"It's rewarding because I really like
helping other people," she said. "The best part
is when I see people able to accomplish their
goals. That's where the real reward comes
in."
Wade has three daughters and one son
ranging in age from 17 to 25 years old, and two
grandsons. "The message I give them is that they
can grow up to be productive and have anything
they want in life," she said. "And as for any
obstacles, they can get through
it."
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Rena Wade's booking photo from the
2000s. | |
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Sheriff's
Team Wins First Place at Dan
Murphy
Memorial Golf Tournament
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Sheriff's Department's winning golf
team. |
A
Sheriff's Department golf team took first place
in the seventh annual Dan Murphy Memorial Golf
Tournament on October 10 at the Presidio Golf
Course in San Francisco. About 90 golfers,
including former 49ers cornerback and Super Bowl
champion Eric Wright, participated in the
event.
The
team of Senior Deputy J. Choi, Deputy T. Kang,
Deputy M. Pyun and golf enthusiast J. Hsu won
the tournament with a score of 57. Deputy Kang
also won one of the long-drive contests. The day
started off chilly and foggy but warmed up by
lunchtime. A great time was had by all golfers,
sworn staff, retired sworn staff, volunteers,
sponsors, family and friends.
The
tournament is named in honor of Sr. Deputy
Murphy, who died nine years ago from a brain
tumor. Murphy began his career in the Department
in 2002.
Thanks
to everyone for making the tournament a great
success, and to the Bay Area Deputy Sheriffs'
Charitable Foundation for hosting the
event.
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Originally
published in the City and County of San
Francisco Department of Human
Resources' Safety & Health
Matters newsletter. Reprinted here with
permission.
By Nonie Devens,
RN, MPA, CCM
Working for the City
and County of San Francisco offers wonderful
opportunities to experience the beauty and
grandeur of a world-class city. But as we
navigate our way to and from the office or to
meetings, there is one challenge that is
impossible to ignore: There are 7,500 people
experiencing homelessness living in San
Francisco, and the Civic Center is one of the
largest areas where they gather. While there are
many programs designed to assist this
population, it is difficult to know what to do
when you see someone in distress, behaving
erratically, is not clothed, or appears to be
overdosing on drugs. Engage? Offer money? Call
the police? Call 911?
In this article, I
provide some general information about available
resources and some simple interventions
depending on the situation and your comfort
level.
Mental Health
and Substance Abuse:
According to the
Department of Public Health, approximately 35
percent of people experiencing homelessness have
mental health issues, with substance abuse
affecting approximately 14 percent. I recently
attended a forum for Project Homeless Connect
and had the opportunity to hear many great
speakers from various parts of the City speak
about substance abuse and what is being done to
reduce harm.
First, Naloxone
(Narcan), an opioid antagonist drug that
reverses potential overdose from opioids and
heroin, is now being provided to our First
Responders and other resource groups as part of
the overall campaign to reduce harm to drug
users.
This program has been
more successful than anticipated: In 2015 there
were 345 overdose reversals between June and
October 2015, with the majority of the cases in
the Civic Center area.
For Immediate
Interventions:
It is not always
comfortable (or safe) to engage with someone who
is behaving erratically or is otherwise in
distress. Fortunately, the following
organizations can help. Simply call or obtain
the mobile app to get help to the individual in
crisis:
The SF HOT
Team: Call 311 and ask for SF HOT
Street Outreach Team. Use when you observe a
person having any issues of concern, for
example, someone is being harassed or is
harassing people. The San Francisco Homeless
Outreach Team (SF HOT) was established in June
2004. SF HOT is a collaboration between the
Department of Public Health, the Human Services
Agency, the SF Public Library, and the nonprofit
Public Health Foundation Enterprises. SF HOT
uses a client-centered "whatever it takes"
approach, and employs comprehensive wrap-around
services to meet client needs. The program also
assesses medical behavioral crises, and refers
clients to emergency care as
appropriate.
Mobile Crisis
Team: Call (415) 970-4000. The National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) can provide
intervention services to those experiencing a
psychiatric crisis for adults in the City and
County of San Francisco, with access to the SF
General Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Services.
Services can include voluntary and involuntary
clients. This team can also provide a response
for geriatric crisis and HIV crisis after 5 p.m.
and on weekends.
Homeless
Population Volunteer
Opportunities
DOPE
Project: Provides education on drug
overdose prevention and education to reduce harm
associated with drug use. Go
to:
Community
Housing Partnership: Volunteers assist
with filing and data entry, managing resources
and logistics. Go to: VolunteerMatch.org.
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These Bison Weren't Being Jerky or
Hiding Out, But They've Gone to
Jail
 Published in
The Incident Report, the
Sheriff's Department newsletter, in the December
1984 issue.
Reprinted
with permission from the San Francisco
Examiner.
By
Burr Snider
SAN
BRUNO -- Where does a bison go when it dies?
Sure, to the happy hunting ground, to provide
fare for ghostly Indians. But first it has to
stop at jail.
True. The San Francisco
County Jail here might be the only penal
institution anywhere with its own buffalo -- beg
your pardon, bison
-- herd. It has eight members, all named for
English royalty in Shakespeare's plays (except
for Lady Di, named for you-know-who), and they
are not here at the jail for getting into beefs,
or being jerky with cops, or even for hiding
out.
No,
these guys may be tough but they have not locked
horns with the law, or even taken it on the hoof
to avoid prosecution. The sad truth is that the
bison are here at the jail because they have
tuberculosis.
This
isn't the people-type TB, keeper Martin Dias is
quick to point out. TB affects bison in the
muscles, not the lungs, and it doesn't kill
them, or even particularly bother them that
much. It just makes them infectious and more
susceptible to other disease.
The
bison living here on the jail's pastureland once
were the herd in Golden Gate Park - a herd
started late last century that became one of the
enduring attractions in the park. But last year,
says Dias, who is the bison expert at the San
Francisco Zoo, a new herd came in. These poor
guys had to move.
"What
happened as I understand it is that Mayor
Feinstein was asked by her husband what she
wanted for her birthday, and she told him she'd
like a herd of bison. He went out and found one,
somewhere in Wyoming, I think, and arranged to
have them brought here. But we decided that we
had to segregate that herd from this one to
avoid spreading disease and because this herd
had been inbred so much."
Dias,
who visits the jail twice a week to look after
his herd, says he loves the bison in the new
herd just like children, but the old guys and
girls here at the jail have the real winning
personalities.
"The
new ones are all about a year old and they are
absolutely adorable, but I love coming down here
to see these guys. I love them, and I think they
love me. They can be dangerous, but when they
know you they are gentle, spiritual beasts. I
stand there and talk to them, and they make this
kind of purring sound back at me."
Leader
of the pack here at the jail is a huge male name
of King George. And, as Dias will tell you,
George is the law here.
"Old
George gets challenged occasionally, usually by
King Lear, but with bison the pecking order gets
established very early and very fast. He's the
strongest and he gets the females, so the
strongest genes are passed along. But I've
sometimes seen a leader fall very fast when he
gets old. His status goes from top to
bottom."
Dias
says that since only one male in a herd does the
mating, there is a lot of what you might call
coquetry going on to attract his
attention.
"All
the females vie for his affection, and when one
gains it, her status shoots way up. She gets to
eat just below him along the feed trough."
Historians
estimate that about 60 million bison once roamed
the American plains. They were killed off close
to extinction not to make way for the railroad,
Dias asserts, but in a concerted attempt to
starve out the Indians, who fed on bison and had
a spiritual connection with them.
"To
the Indian, the bison represented the spirit of
their ancestors. They used everything on the
bison and never killed needlessly. But when the
white man started killing them off on the plains
of Kansas, they say you could smell the stench
in Chicago."
Bison
are not buffalo, says Dias, and have no
relation to the fearsome Cape buffalo of Africa.
Bison are more closely related to musk
oxen.
And
although he feels quite safe amid the herd -- he
says he even runs with the bison occasionally --
a worker at the jail recently was
gored.
"It
was pretty nasty," Dias says. "But they won't
charge anymore. I took their credit cards
away."
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