The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association (SFDSA) is calling for the resignation of Sheriff’s Oversight Board president William Palmer, after recent reports of criminal charges for sexual assault and abuse, his social media accounts revealed posts that repeated antisemitic conspiracy theories, and a possible attempt to leverage his status as an Oversight Board member when pulled over for a traffic stop.
“Civilian oversight serves an important role in public accountability,” SFDSA president Danilo Quintanilla said in a statement issued this morning. “Individuals entrusted with oversight authority must also maintain professionalism, emotional restraint, sound judgment, and conduct that preserves confidence in the integrity of the process.”
Palmer was appointed by the Board of Supervisors in July of 2021 after Proposition D, a charter amendment creating the Sheriff’s Oversight Board, was passed by voters. He was reappointed in 2023. District 9 Supervisor Shamann Walton, principal sponsor of the measure, worked to place the measure on the ballot after the revelation of incidents of jail inmate abuse and mishandling of evidence.
Since then, the panel has been riddled by internal strife among members, resulting in the resignation of a board member, Jayson Wechter, in 2024, and the department’s first Inspector General, Terry Wiley, stepping down to become a judge the following January.
“Individuals entrusted with oversight authority must also maintain professionalism, emotional restraint, sound judgment, and conduct that preserves confidence in the integrity of the process.” — SFDSA president Danilo Quintanilla
San Francisco’s Commission Streamlining Task Force, a body created by another public vote, has recommended that the Sheriff’s Oversight Board be abolished.
Meanwhile, reports of multiple criminal incidents involving Palmer, who was appointed to represent persons with lived experience of the criminal justice system, have recently been reported on by The Voice and the San Francisco Chronicle, including a particularly violent sexual assault in 2023. Charges were eventually dropped without prejudice due to concerns over witness credibility.
Palmer was also recorded on police body camera footage gathered during a traffic stop, repeatedly identifying himself as a Sheriff’s Oversight Board member. In the SFDSA statement, Quintanilla notes concerns that this “created the appearance that official status was being leveraged during the stop.”
A further report by the California Post details a review of Palmer’s social media history, where he repeatedly blamed “politically motivated attacks” for his continuing legal troubles, and repeatedly posted antifeminist screeds and antisemitic conspiracy theories.
The SFDSA joins calls by several members of the Board of Supervisors, including Walton, for Palmer to resign.
