Aside and apart from filing claims against the City, residents are encouraged to submit feedback about City services. The following city departments are responsible for collecting information about citizens’ experiences with government services:
The 311 Call Center
3-1-1 is an easy-to-remember telephone number that connects customers with highly-trained Customer Service Representatives ready to help you with non-emergency City and County of San Francisco government matters, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Dial 3-1-1 or call 415-701-2311(voice) or 415-701-2323 (TTY) if calling from outside a San Francisco 415 area code, operators will be able to assist you in reporting a problem or filing a request:
- Request/Report Services
- Graffiti removal
- Pothole repair
- Illegal signs
- Street cleaning
- Illegal dumping
- Sidewalk defect
- Broken news rack
- Overflowing litter receptacle
- Trim a city-owned tree
- Public toilet damage
- Clogged catch basins
- Broken parking meter
- File a Muni passenger complaint
- Report a lost & found item for Muni
- Obtain Muni route information
The Department of Police Accountability (for SFPD Matters)
The Department of Police Accountability was originally the Office of Citizen Complaints which was created as a separate city department by an amendment to the San Francisco City Charter (section 4.127) in 1982 and placed under the direct supervision of the Police Commission. In 2016, an amendment to the San Francisco City Charter (section 4.136) renamed the Office of Citizen Complaints the Department of Police Accountability, removed the Department of Police Accountability from the police department’s budget and provided to the Department of Police Accountability the power to conduct periodic audits of the San Francisco Police Department. When Should You File a Complaint of Police Misconduct? A complaint should be filed when you feel that a member of the San Francisco Police Department has acted improperly in the course of their work. Whether the complaint is related to discourteous treatment, failure to take action, inaccurate report writing, an unjustified arrest, unnecessary force or any other police action that you feel is wrong, the Department of Police Accountability wants to know about it. How to Make a Police Misconduct Complaint The most effective way to file a complaint of police misconduct is to come into the DPA office. This will allow investigators to personally interview you and to do a thorough job of completing the initial, and one of the most important, phases of the investigation of a complaint.
Other ways a complaint may be filed are:
- Complete and return the complaint form by mail. Forms are also available by calling the DPA and requesting that one be sent to you. They are available at all nine district police stations, and from various community groups. Once completed, the complaint form may be folded and dropped in any mailbox. The postage is prepaid.
- Send us a letter detailing the incident. Please be sure to include your address and your daytime and evening telephone numbers so we may contact you for additional information, if necessary.
- Call the DPA. Complaints may also be filed over the telephone.
- Go to a district police station. All district stations are open 24 hours a day. All police personnel are required to receive complaints courteously and to assist you with filing them.
You can learn more about filing a complaint on the DPA website, https://sfgov.org/dpa/complaint-process.
The Controllers Office: Whistle Blower Complaints Program
The City and County of San Francisco’s Whistleblower Complaints Program receives and tracks complaints about the quality and delivery of government services, wasteful and inefficient City government practices, misuse of government funds, and improper activities by City government officials, employees and contractors. The Controller’s Office operates the program and receives complaints by telephone, email, and the Web. When appropriate, the Controller’s Office investigates and attempts to resolve individual complaints. To learn more visit their Web site at https://sfcontroller.org/index.aspx?page=31
The Municipal Transportation Authority (Muni)
To submit a comment or complaint about the Muni system, please visit their Web site at https://www.sfmta.com/cms/mcontact/formcomm.htm. Claims against Muni may not be filed online.