US Federal Court Hands Down Guilty Verdict Against San Francisco Police Officer; Acquits Another of All Charges

Today, a guilty verdict was handed down in Federal Court against San Francisco Police Officer Arshad Razzak on two felony counts and two misdemeanor counts. The other SFPD officer charged, Officer Richard Yick, was found not guilty and stands acquitted on all counts. These verdicts bring an end to the criminal investigation that came as a result of the FBI investigation, with which the San Francisco Police Department fully cooperated, initiated in March of 2011 into alleged warrantless searches captured on video. Both officers have been suspended without pay since the day of their initial arrest in February earlier this year.

As I said on the day that I was sworn in as Chief of Police, repeated on the day the officers were arrested, when asked about this ongoing investigation – and will forever maintain, “There is no place in the San Francisco Police Department – and shouldn’t be in any police department - for a dishonest cop.” I meant what I said. I will seek the immediate termination of Officer Razzak and expect that the Police Commission will act expeditiously in making that happen. Further, the San Francisco Retirement System will receive the requisite paperwork so as to terminate any future pension consideration, as appropriate.

Officer Yick, having been found not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing, will be immediately reinstated and assigned to an administrative assignment until the administrative portion of this investigation is resolved.

I am grateful to US Attorney Melinda Haag and her office and to FBI Special Agent in Charge David Johnson and his office for their thorough and comprehensive investigation into this matter.

This investigation has been a cloud over the Department for almost four years. Of the many concerns my administration inherited from past administrations, this investigation – by far as the public’s trust is everything to us (SFPD) – has been of the gravest concern. The officers convicted in Federal Court of the charges brought against them have not only betrayed the public’s trust but also the trust of the honest hard working men and women of this proud department who work so hard to keep this great City safe.

Although federal authorities have represented that they found no evidence that the conduct of these few officers, as alleged, is an indicator of a larger “systemic concern” within the SFPD, I want to assure the public that policies, procedures, and on-going training to those policies and procedures; along with additional supervision of officers working in plainclothes put in place during the first weeks of my administration to safeguard against even the suggestion of anything like this happening again.