Muni and San Francisco police union squabble about rides for cops
Muni workers paused for eight minutes and 46 seconds on June 9, 2020. (Muni)
SAN FRANCISCO - Muni officials and the San Francisco Police Officers Association became embroiled in a public fight this week with the transit agency saying cops would not be allowed to ride to anti-police brutality protests.
On Tuesday, Muni officials wrote in a Twitter thread that the agency is balancing historic protests against systemic racism and police brutality that broke out across the nation.
“While safety continues to be our first priority, we cannot move forward without reflecting on our agency’s history, current practices around race, and how our agency can heal and specifically support black and brown communities,” officials tweeted.
"The SFMTA will no longer transport SFPD to anti-police brutality protests," the agency said.
The police department sometimes asks Muni to provide buses to shuttle officers, a spokeswoman for the transportation agency said. Such requests will no longer be granted if police are going to patrol demonstrations against law enforcement.
In response, the union shot back in a series of tweets on Wednesday morning that Muni should "lose their number" and stop calling them if they need help with fare evaders or removing problem passengers from trains.
"Shouldn't be a @SFPD officer's job anyway," the union tweeted.
The police union has not responded to KTVU's inquiries.