The San Francisco Department of Public Health recently informed employees stating the agency is looking to “significantly change our security model,” according to an article on the Mission Local website.

The agency may cut ties with San Francisco Sheriff’s Office deputies  because, according to the employee email, of 111 emergency room use-of-force incidents in the just-concluded fiscal year, 70 percent were directed at Black people, who account for 24 percent of ER visitors.  

At the same time, there are three petitions circulating related to hospital security. Two petitions call for the removal of deputies from hospital facilities, and a third, formed in response, asked to keep them. 

The Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that “there are no plans to cancel our contract” and that deputies remain committed to keeping everyone safe at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, while listening to the community. 

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, some deputies rack up a considerable amount of overtime patrolling hospitals. For instance, San Francisco Senior Deputy Sheriff Michael Borovina Jr., worked 3,133 hours of overtime, netting him nearly $318,000 on top of his almost $128,000 base salary last year.

Read the full Mission Local article.