Delagnes levels serious charge
of soliciting anonymous complaints
at prosecuting attorney for Office of Citizen Complaints

Susan Leff, prosecuting attorney for the Office of Citizen Complaints,
is alleged to have been engaged in "soliciting anonymous complaints",
according to Police Officers Assocation President, Gary Delagnes.
Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

By Aldrich M. Tan

Copyright fogcityjournal.com 2006

May 11, 2006, 11:30 a.m.

Gary Delagnes, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, claims he has documented evidence that Susan Leff, lead prosecuting attorney at the Office of Citizen Complaints, has solicited anonymous complaints from members of the community.

Such actions would be a violation of the agency's rules and procedures, Delagnes said at the police commission meeting Wednesday evening.

"For many years we have been very dubious of anonymous complaints," Delagnes said, "and this verifies to us, and reinforces for us, finally, the fact that the OCC actually contacts people and solicits complaints from the public, even prodding them to do so."

"I'm shell-shocked," Leff said. "This is the first time that I heard about this."

Delagnes said he has evidence that Leff picks up potential complaints and police reports and then asks the community members involved to call the Office of Citizen Complaints "to file anonymous complaints so we can start investigating."

Delagnes said he will present the evidence to the police commission when requested.

"We don't want to give up anyone's anonymity at this point," Delagnes responded to Sentinel inquiry, "but we have the names and we have the documentation."

In addition, Delagnes said Leff spoke at a session called "Dirty Cop Investigations: Examining Police (Mis)Conduct" at the National Defender Investigator Association's Conference and Seminar on April 26 in San Francisco.

"The mere title of the workshop was highly offensive to the police department and Leff had no problem naming certain police officers as dirty cops," Delagnes said. "What kind of message is that sending to police officers about the Office of Citizen Complaints?"

Delagnes said that Leff's conduct has breached the San Francisco Police Officers Association's trust in the Office of Citizen Complaints.

"To ensure that the police department has its confidence restored in this agency, the agency must assure that Leff will no longer have any involvement in its disciplinary matters," Delagnes said.

Steve Johnson, spokesman for the San Francisco Police Officers Association, said the allegations against Leff are very serious and could affect the Office of Citizen Complaints' respectability.

"If these allegations are true, then these are the darkest days for civilian oversight in San Francisco," Johnson said.

Luke Thomas contributed to this report.

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