justice reform, and how we're going to be setback. but let me tell you, that is not going to happen. [applause] i talked to so many people all over the city. i talked to folks who have never been politically engaged. i talked to people who cared deeply about what they've seen happen in san francisco. and you know what i appreciate so much about the spirit of the people who are part of this amazing city? is time and time again, despite even being victims of crime and experiencing challenges with our criminal justice system, they have said, time and time again yes, we want accountability but we also don't want to abandon our valleys to reform our criminal justice system so that it is fairer and it provides the safety that we need in a city like san francisco. so i want to thank all of you because i see many of you in the audience here today. the people who took time to talk to me and to engage with my office in this process. of the people who spent countless hours doing their homework and trying to figure out what is the best path for san francisco. this was not just my decision alone, this came about because of the input of people who were supporters and opposition of everything that was going on because it's important. that despite who supported or who opposed, at the end of the day this district attorney represents all san franciscoians. [cheers and applause] so you're going to meet her in a moment. but let me just say, to also those candidates who put themselves out there. i want to really acknowledge and recognize and thank supervisor catherine stephanie for being here today. [cheers and applause] this was a very hard decision and supervisor stephanie thank you so much for your courage, your work and your love for this city and we appreciate you so much. and i also want to thank another candidate who is joining us today here today who is an extra san franciscoians, nancy tung. [cheers and applause] nancy has worked tirelessly for years to help give a voice to victims in san francisco. and we are so grateful for her work and her commitment to the city so thank you so much for being here. we have term limits, we're not guaranteed these positions, it's up to the voters to decide in any event and so when we're the gate keepers in the roles, we have an obligation, an obligation to be there for the people of the city. and what i said what i heard time and time again, we want a prosecutor. we want somebody who has compassion. we want somebody who understand the challenges what it feels like to not only be a victim but being on the receiving end of being wrongfully committed of a crime. growing up in the city, i know both sides. i know both sides too well and i've seen the dysfunction and the disparities that exist in the criminal justice system even today. so i didn't take this decision lightly and the fact is, when meeting and talking to brooke and hearing her understanding of the issues and the balance that she brings to the table, i am so proud that she stepped up, she put her career on the line because not only did she care about safety and the future of this city for her own family, she cared about it for all san franciscoians. [applause] as somebody who has had to prosecutor for sexual assault, for issues around domestic violence, somebody who has had to deal with hate crimes and homicides, the stories i've heard of victims, the issues that exist i know firsthand that she has the ability to look at these cases, to work with a strong team and to come up with a decision where it makes sense for the case making sure that the victim is a part of the decision every step of the way. making sure, making sure that when we have people who arrested multiple times, eventually there has to be consequences. when we know somebody has mental health issues, the fact is, there are things that need to be done within our criminal justice system when they cross that line to help get them the support and services that they need. there is not an easy solution to each of these individual case. there is not a one size fits all. and let me tell you, i'm confident and i am trusting and trust brooke jenkins to make the right decisions in the cases with the right team of prosecutors and community members by her side. [cheers and applause] we know that there are challenges in this city. and let me tell you, again when i think about those mothers who have lost their children in the city to gun violence, more so disproportionately in the african community. i know brooke jenkins understands and will address those issues fairly. when i think about the grandmothers in the asian community who i see as my grandmother too, i know that she understands those issues and will deal with them appropriately. i know that the challenges around the people who we lost in the city to fentanyl overdoses is something that she will address appropriately so. [applause] we've been through a lot in the city, and there is not one person that is going to fix this. but there is a strong d.a. that will take over and will do everything she can to ensure safety, accountability and justice. [cheers and applause] so before we get to the swearing in ceremony, i want to introduce a few speakers that have firsthand knowledge about brooke and her work in the district attorney's office who are going to give you the stories of their experiences. ronny sing, who worked as a prosecutor in the district attorney's office and currently now working in the sheriff's department. edward silva, somebody who will tell you his story about how brooke impacted his life. and finally, commissioner larry ye who served as a commissioner for the police department. and before, ronny comes up, i want to also say something that is so many people in this community said to me that they wanted to see. yes, we want police accountability but we also want a district attorney that can work with the police department. and [applause] that can work with the sheriff's department. that can work with the board of supervisors that can work with the mayor. [cheers and applause] time forefinger pointing and blaming other people is over! [cheers and applause] we have got in the interest of public safety, in the interest of turning things around in our city, we have to put the political reddick behind us and work together and move forward to get our city on the right path. [cheers and applause] and with that, i want to thank you all of you for being here today. and i want to ask each of the speakers to come up before we swear in our next district attorney. thank you all so much. >> standing room only, has how we like it in san francisco. welcome everybody, i'm going to start by saying, there is no crying in city hall so i'm going to try to do this without shedding a tear. about 7 and a half years ago in then the hall of justice, third floor which has since been closed. i heard a voice coming down the hall, a loud one that equally matched mine. and the chief gave me a file, and said, ronny i volunteer for the mentor program and here's your mentee and it was none other than our district attorney brooke. and those who know me, know me as auntie, or pain in the you know what if i'm managing you. but needless to say, it's been an honor and privilege and blessing to mentor brooke. she has been become more a mentee, she has become part of my family. she rows the ranks of the district attorney's office like a shining star. she always balanced, judgment, accountability, and progress. and i want to say something about this term, progressive prosecutor. the order inprogressive means moving forward, going forward, sinking innovatively and that's who brooke is. brooke was a staunch supporter of the collaboratives when i managed the courts for six years. she would bring me tough cases and put them on my desk and say, ronny, take a look, i think this is one that deserves a chance. so when mayor breed so eloquently put that the city of san francisco believes in accountability, but also giving chances, she could not have made a better selection in a district attorney than brooke jenkins. [applause] now i have to say a special shout out to my current boss, sheriff miamoto who has let me continue to mentor brooke and when she left the office, she didn't tell me she was going to join the recall. she told me the day after she joined, and it was the first time in 8 years that she kept a secret from me and now i know why. because she had to be brave beyond belief, but somewhat silent in her conviction until she made that choice. and let me tell you, she put it all on the line and i'm not going to cry. and she did what few people have the courage to do, she stood up for what was right. she stood up for the 100s of prosecutors that left that office because they couldn't do the work in good conscience, because they didn't believe in some of the implementation of some of the policies and they believed in public safety and they believed in criminal justice reform but not at the expense of victims. not at the expense of business owners, not at the expense of owners and renters of property. and that's why brooke understands the daunting task she has ahead of her. brooke is a prosecutor, can be described as courageous, professional, strong in her conviction and empathetic. but more importantly, brooke is a human being can be described as loving, fair, trust worthy and loyal. you cannot get a better accommodation, a better symmetry of personality traits, a more fierce advocate for every person in the room regardless of your political convictions, because brooke will hear uno matter what. so i'm proud to call you friend, i'm proud that i've had the opportunity to see you grow, and i'm so excited to call you the next district attorney of san francisco. >> hello everyone i'm edward silva. two years ago, on easter holiday, both my daughters and my life changed by a senseless act of violence where my daughter's mother was brutally murdered. brooke was the assistant district attorney on the case. the trial took place last summer in 2021. if not for brooke's hard work and diligence in seeking justice, the defendant in this case may not have been found guilty because of brooke, the defendant was found guilty. my daughters and i are forever grateful for how brooke handled the case. thank you so much, brooke. [applause] >> honorable mayor, distinguished guest i'm here to speak for brooke as a new district attorney. let's give it up for her! [cheers and applause] i met brooke during her campaign for and recall. and i answered, i asked my niece, i said do you know brooke because you work in the district attorney and she said, yes i do. she is one of the smartest attorney in that office and i'm looking forward to serving us here in the community. but again, in our community it's throughout the whole city, it's not just northbeach china town. engel side here in san francisco. we need to keep it safer for us, for our grand, so we're looking forward to working with her and in the police department as we talked to our outgoing district attorney and when he did come before us and we did ask a question, it's one of the question that touched me in my heart, it was why did you release the person? after he shot somebody and almost killed the person. and his answer was, it's not me, it's the other police department. and i look again to brooks, to bring us out of this darkness and make it better and safer for us. making sure that we're accountable for both the victim and the offenders and making it safe for all us here. so i'm looking forward to great day right here, i'm waiting for this and going forward, i thank you again mayor london breed, thank you! [cheers and applause] >> i want to thank our he likted officials including thank you so much for being here. thank you to our bart board member, leticia, we appreciate you very much. thank you to our treasurer jose, our fire chief nickel son and our police chief phil scott. [cheers and applause] i want to thank our assesser, joaquin torres and my grandma, that's my grandma y'all. and i want to give a shout out to the former mayor of san francisco who comes time and time again trying to get his job back, mayor willie brown. [cheers and applause] thank you to our school board members who are joining here today and our city attorney david shu and now i'm done with all of that because i know people in the audience and people from our district attorney, judges, and commissioners and our community. i'm so grateful that all of you took the time off your schedule to be here because i know how important this is for you. and now it is time to swear in brooke jenkins, and doing so as a presiding judge for the city of san francisco, judge hanes. [cheers and applause] >> raise your righted hand, repeat after me. i. >> i. brooke jenkins. do solemnly swear and affirm. >> that that i will support and defend, the constitution of the united states and the constitution of the state of california, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that i will bear true faith and allegiance to the constitution of the united states and the state of california. that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. that i will well and faithfully discharge, the duties upon which i am about to enter and during such times as i hold the office of district attorney for the city and county of san francisco. congratulations. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, thank you, thank you for being here. and like my big sis and mentor ronny said, no tears today even if they're tears of joy. i want to again thank mayor london breed for giving me the honor of serving this city as your next district attorney. i know that she gave a lot of thought to this decision and that there were several other very qualified candidates, candidates that are sitting in this room right now. and i am truly humbled by this opportunity and i want to thank nancy and catherine for being here and i want you to both to know that i hope we can continue our work because i will need your help. i first knew i wanted to be a lawyer when i was ten years old watching the mat lock show, that's how old i am. but as a child, you don't know what law that is it's just something you like. so when i first set foot in the university of chicago law school, i didn't know what kind of lawyer i wanted to be. and i got sent down a path of civil law that lasted about 20 years. and it was in 2013 dha my husband and i found out that we were pregnant with our first child and you can imagine the excitement. we found out that it was a little boy, who we decided to name justice. later that year, i gave birth to justice and he tragically died shortly after his birth. it was in the search for my life purpose after losing my son that i decided to become a prosecutor. while justice had died from natural causes, i felt that the loss that i had experienced and the pain that i was feeling was the same as a mother who was having to bury her son from gun violence. ttsz a feeling that you cannot describe and it was from that point forward that i was committed to serving my community and victims. and in 2014, i joined the san francisco district attorney's office and since the day i set foot in that office, i have been dedicated to fighting for justice, to being an advocate for victims and for being a fair prosecutor to whoever sat in the defendant's chair. as i said yesterday, unfortunately, we have reached a tipping point in san francisco. never in my 8 years of working in criminal justice have i ever heard san franciscoians express the level that they feel about the lack of safety in our city. never have i heard and i was shocked to hear that crime and safety surpassed the concern over covid in the last two years. and we all know how concerning covid has been. the paramount mission of the district attorney's office is to promote public safety and we cannot forget that. as a district attorney, i plan to restore the accountability and criminal justice that has been lost in san francisco. [cheers and applause] violence and repeat offenders can no longer be allowed to victimize this city without any consequence. our asian community can no longer be feeling scared to move about our city and conduct their most daily functions without a volunteer escort or without worrying if they're going to be attacked. that must end now. [cheers and applause] san francisco is the city built on the american dream, we know that we are a vibrant and community that comes from all over this world because people know that san francisco is a place that is welcoming to everyone. and we have to restore that to san francisco. it has to be a city that continues to be accepting, and respectful of everyone regardless of who you are or where he come from. [cheers and applause] we can no longer turn a blind eye to the gun violence going on in our black community here. the families of this violence deserve justice. it is almost two years ago that my husband's cuss inwas murdered. the day before his murder, 6-year-old jason young was killed. i can never forget jason young's father saying, that he always knew that we as black people were disadvantaged as people but never expected to suffer that disadvantage as a victim. we can no longer allow this continue, no parent should have to bury their child and feel that they are alone in their pursuit of justice. [cheers and applause] we vow pursuing justice for victims that is our job. we must end the open air drug markets and take back our streets and our neighborhood. [cheers and applause] starting today, drug laws will be enforced in this city. we know the large percentage of children that live in the tineder loin and they should not have to pass through drug dealing, they should not have to endure drug violence and they should not have to see people die of overdose as they walk to school. with my years of experience as a hate crime prosecutor in the sexual unit, i do believe that i'm uniquely prepared to address the type of serious crime problems that we're facing in san francisco. but it's not just violent crime that has to be our priority, no longer will we dismiss certain crimes like drug dealing because we know better. chalk that up as a part of big city life. these crimes affect us all, they affect our quality of life and they affect for many who own businesses here, their livelihoods. this is a world renowned city that we live in and we must restore it to what we know it can be. [applause] a city that is safe for everyone. now, i'm hoping that everybody in this room and across the city will get to know me, and get to know me not as a face of recall campaign for the previous d.a., there have been a lot of miss conceived notions about what i stood for when i fought to help us restore san francisco. i want to be clear that holding offenders accountability does not mean that we cannot move forward with progressive criminal justice reform. [cheers and applause] as a black and latino women i have seen firsthand the inequities that exist in our criminal justice system. i've had family members charged with crime even in this very city. i've had family members receive sentences that would be more fitting for murder. for selling drugs. my family has seen and felt the impact of police misconduct and violence. the inequity in our criminal justice system is not something i read in a book or learned in a classroom, it's part of my lived experience and it's a part of why i decide today do this work to bring more fairness into this system so that when we decide what is appropriate in a case it's not because of what what somebody looks like or where they came from, it's just in that situation. and ensure that everybody who comes into this system is treated fairly. i'm determined to enhancing the programs that serve as alternatives to incarceration so we can ghetto fenders serious of turning their lives around a second chance. i'm dedicated to creating programs that can serve as alternative to incarceration. one thing that i'll be dedicated to is developing an alternative court for female offenders. because we know that it's often trauma and certain circumstances that lead women to engage in crime and we need to allow them to address those issues are and not just lock them up. as a return to tough on crime but i want to be clear that accountability and justice come in many forms. for some accountability may have to be prison but for the majority of people it may be something else. and i want to make sure that every resource is available to us in san francisco and greater bay area to give offenders a chance to change their lives so we don't continue to have people committing crimes and recycling back into the system. [cheers and applause] justice and safety for all. but i cannot do it alone, i see so many of my former colleagues and now, current colleagues from san francisco d.a.'s office here today. your support means the world to me. so many of you have not just been my colleagues but became my friends during my 7 and a half years in the d.a.'s office. i recognize that times have been tough. just a few short months ago, i was on the frontlines with all of you and i want you to know that i will be alongside every step of the way as you do your job. i vow to balance what we need to to move this system to become more fair and make sure that every single one of us when we walk out the doors don't have to look over our shoulders and don't have to step over somebody where you're concerned if they're dying. don't have to worry about being attacked for the way you look or are that we will work tirelessly to keep you safe. and it will be a monumental task. so i ask today for your support, in this effort, i ask that you give me a chance to get to know me and what my vision is for the san francisco district attorney's office and for san francisco and that, as i go through each community to find out what you're unique challenges are and unique problems that you're facing that you be honest with me and you tell me what we can do to support you and to make things better because i will listen to each and every one of you. and together we will make san francisco, stronger, safer and a for just place for everyone. [cheers and applause] >> thank you again for joining us. our new district attorney brooke jenkins will stick around for a little bit. she does have to go to work today. so i ask for your patience and understanding. we'll try to get to people as much as we can but she will be pulled out eventually. but there will be opportunities throughout the course of the time to say hi and hopefully help support her efforts but we thank you all for coming. and let's hear it for the current district attorney, brooke jenkins. >> my name is kathy mccall. i'm director of san francisco national cemetery here on the presidio of san francisco. this was designated as the first national cemetery on the west coast in 1884.however its history dates back to the 1850s along with the us army presence on the presidio itself. we have 26,300 gravesites that we maintain and thereare 32,000 individuals buried in this cemetery . the veterans who are buried here span all the war period going back to what we call the indian war, spanish-american war, world war i to korea, vietnam and then as recent as operation iraqifreedom . we have 39 medal of honor recipients. more than 400 buffalo soldiers buried here who are the african-americansoldiers who served with the ninth and 10th calvary . there's so many veterans buried here, each withtheir own unique history and contribution . one of those individuals is all equipment prior. that's not her real name, that's her stage name and she was an actor during the civil war and while she was working she was approached by sympathizers who offered her a sum of money to cost jefferson davis on stage she did this but she recorded it to a union marshall . she was fired for doing this which made her a sweetheart to the local confederates and made her a good spy for the union. she gave information to the union until late 1863 when she was found out in order to be hung by confederate general braxton bragg of the union troops the town . no longer any good she even wrote a book. she was given the honorary rank of major president lincoln and her inscription reads union spy. >> memorial day is a day of respect and morning for our veterans who have given their all five presidential proclamation it became a national holiday to beobserved on the last monday of the month of may . originally memorial day was called decoration day during the civil war to recognize the veterans whogave their lives . memorial day and veterans day getconfused because it involves veterans .veterans day is on november 11 is a day to honor our veterans who are still alive while at the same time we pay respect to those who have passed but memorial day is a day to show our respect to what was said and honor ourveterans who have passed on . >> lieutenant john david miley was a graduate of the united states military academy atwest point in 1887 . he was commissioned as a second lieutenant with the fifth artillery regiment with the outbreak of the spanish-american war in 1898 he was assigned an aide-de-camp to major general william shatner, khmer and commander of the expedition to cuba.he was highly trusted and when the general staff fell lieutenant miley was designed to coordinate the attack on san juan hill in his place and would ultimately be the one to give the order that led to the charge of lieutenant colonel theodore roosevelt and the roughriders . a few days later he served as one of the commissioners who negotiated the spanish surrender of santiago july 17. in 1904 miley in san francisco wasnamed in his honor.we know that today as san francisco va medical center . >> as a young man i grew up in south san francisco right next door to the national cemetery so when i became a cub scout we used to go over there in the 50s and decorate the gravesthat were there. when i got out of the service i stepped right back into it . went out with the boy scouts and put up the flags every year and eventually ended up being a scout at golden gate cemetery for many years. one day a gentleman walked upto me with a uniform of colonel retired . he grabbed me, i wasin uniform and says i need your help . from that day on i worked with cardinal sullivan doing military funerals and formed a group called the volunteers of america who brought in other veterans to perform military service and the closing of all the bases we got military personnel to do all the funerals. to this day i've done over 7000 funeral services and with my group we supplement the military, all branches. i'm honoring a fellow comrade was given his or her life in service to this country. and the way ilook at it , the last thing the family and friends will remember about that individual is the final service we give to them. so we have to do a perfect job. so that they go home with good memories. >> our nation flies the united states flag at half staff by presidentialproclamation as a symbol of mourning . also in va national cemetery flags are flown at half staff on the days we haveburials . is lowered to half staff before the first burial takes place and ray is back to full staff after the last arial has been completed . on memorial day weekend we have hundreds of scouts veterans and volunteers who come out and placed individual gravesite flags on every grave throughout the cemetery transformation from when they begin to when they conclude and to have that coupled with our memorial day ceremony is very moving and suchappointment reminder of the cost of our freedom . it's a reminderto us not to take that for granted , to be truly grateful for the price is paid not only by those who given their lives but those will have served our country and still pay the price today in one way or another and it's so meaningful to be to work in the national cemetery and see the history around us and to know this is such an integral part of our nation's past and present. >> >> i don't want to be involved in the process after it happens. i want to be there at the front end to help people with something in my mind from a very early age. our community is the important way to look at things, even now. george floyd was huge. it opened up wounds and a discussion on something festering for a long time. before rodney king. you can look at all the instances where there are calls for change. i think we are involved in change right now in this moment that is going to be long lasting. it is very challenging. i was the victim of a crime when i was in middle school. some kids at recess came around at pe class and came to the locker room and tried to steal my watch and physically assaulted me. the officer that helped afterwards went out of his way to check the time to see how i was. that is the kind of work, the kind of perspective i like to have in our sheriff's office regardless of circumstance. that influenced me a lot. some of the storefronts have changed. what is mys is that i still see some things that trigger memories. the barbershop and the shoe store is another one that i remember buying shoestrings and getting my dad's old army boots fixed. we would see movies after the first run. my brother and i would go there. it is nice. if you keep walking down sacramento. the nice think about the city it takes you to japan town. that is where my grandparents were brought up. that is the traditional foods or movies. they were able to celebrate the culture in that community. my family also had a dry-cleaning business. very hard work. the family grew up with apartments above the business. we have a built-in work force. 19 had 1 as -- 1941 as soon as that happened the entire community was fixed. >> determined to do the job as democracy should with real consideration for the people involved. >> the decision to take every one of japan niece american o japanese from their homes. my family went to the mountains and experienced winter and summer and springs. they tried to make their home a home. the community came together to share. they tried to infuse each home are little things. they created things. i remember my grand mother saying they were very scared. they were worried. they also felt the great sense of pride. >> japanese americans. >> my granduncle joined the 442nd. when the opportunity came when the time that was not right. they were in the campaign in italy. they were there every step of the way. >> president truman pays tribute. >> that was the most decorated unit in the history of the united states army. commitment and loyal to to the country despite that their families were in the camp at that time. they chose to come back to san francisco even after all of that. my father was a civil servant as well and served the state of california workers' compensation attorney and judge and appellate board. my parents influenced me to look at civil service s.i applied to police, and sheriff's department at the same time. the sheriff's department grabbed me first. it was unique. it was not just me in that moment it was everyone. it wasn't me looking at the crowd. it was all of us being together. i was standing there alone. i felt everyone standing next to me. the only way to describe it. it is not about me. it is from my father. my father couldn't be there. he was sick. the first person i saw was him. i still sometimes am surprised by the fact i see my name as the sheriff. i am happy to be in the position i am in to honor their memory doing what i am doing now to help the larger comment. when i say that we want to be especially focused on marginalized communities that have been wronged. coming from my background and my family experienced what they did. that didn't happen in a vacuum. it was a decision made by the government. nobody raised their voice. now, i think we are in a better place as country and community. when we see something wrong we have change agents step up to help the community affected. that is a important thing to continue to do. you talk about change and being a leader in change and not knowing whether you have successes or results. the fact of the matter is by choosing to push for change you have already changed things. through inspiration for others, take up the matter or whether it is through actual functional change as a result of your voice being heard. i think you have already started on a path to change by choosing that path. in doing that in april of itself creates change. i continue in that type of service for my family. something i hope to see in my children. i have a pretty good chance with five children one will go into some sort of civil service. i hope that happens to continue that legacy. >> i am paul, sheriff of san francisco. [ music ] >> thank you. welcome everyone to the july 13, 2022 police commission meeting. if we can stand and do the pledge of allegiance, please. >> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic, for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> thank you so much. welcome everyone. can you please take roll ? >>
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