Kelly Collins, assistant chief legal counsel for the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, told the Sheriff's Department Oversight Board on Feb. 7 that the department has implemented Lexipol to manage policies and keep them current with changes in law.

Collins said the department began transitioning to the Lexipol platform in February 2018 and brought the system live in April 2023. “It’s an electronic policy management platform” that provides updated policies, release notes explaining the changes, monthly training bulletins and user acknowledgement tracking, Collins said. She said the department’s professional standards sergeant serves as the Lexipol administrator and receives update notifications from the vendor.

Collins described three main Lexipol services the department uses: the policy library, monthly training bulletins that address low-frequency/high-risk scenarios, and an acknowledgement workflow that requires employees to log in and confirm they have reviewed new or changed policies. She said the platform’s release notes provide the legal basis and rationale for policy updates and that updates typically appear as a track-changes document.

Board members asked for operational details. Member Carillon asked what happens if a deputy fails to complete the monthly training bulletins; Collins said the sergeant notifies the chain of command and she will follow up with any additional enforcement details. Carillon also asked whether the training must be completed on all days or only on duty days; Collins said the “daily training bulletins” are a monthly batch of about ten items and that she would follow up on timing and deadlines.

Vice President Brookter and others asked about single points of failure in administration. Collins said the professional standards lieutenant and the unit’s lieutenant are also trained to back up the sergeant who administers the system.

Public commenters raised general concerns about technology and privacy; Collins and board members acknowledged the system is “a work in progress.” Collins said policies and manuals remain available on the Sheriff’s Office website under the policies and procedures tab.

Why it matters: Lexipol is now the primary system the Sheriff’s Office uses to publish policy updates, deliver training content and document staff acknowledgment. The board pressed staff on compliance tracking, redundancy for the Lexipol administrator and timing requirements for training, items it may seek follow-up on.

Ending: Collins offered to provide follow-up answers on deadlines for bulletin completion and additional staffing/training details. The board reserved follow-up questions for staff to return with clarifying information.