Joanna Putman
Police 1
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Police Department is set to receive a generous $1 million donation from a billionaire California resident through the newly established San Francisco Police Community Foundation. The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
According to the report, the funding, provided by cryptocurrency company Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, will be used to improve officer wellness and support community service efforts. Each of the department’s 10 district police stations will receive $100,000 to spend on equipment and programs that further these goals.
The fund is not intended to purchase weapons, and any expenditures over $10,000 require approval from the Board of Supervisors and the Police Commission, according to the report. The foundation’s board of directors, made up of local nonprofit and business leaders, will oversee the distribution and use of the funds.
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Larsen, who has donated heavily to police and public safety projects, is seeking to streamline the resource acquisition process to improve police-community relations, according to the report.
“The city has a large budget, and it’s incredibly bureaucratic and difficult to set aside even a small portion of that budget for something that connects police with the community,” Larsen told the Chronicle. “This system shortens the process of getting things done, and that’s good for everybody.”
According to the report, there are a variety of ways the funds can be used, ranging from supporting the annual Christmas toy drive and ice bath therapy to purchasing a large barbecue pit trailer for local events. Stations are encouraged to submit an itemized wish list by the end of July, with the flexibility to reserve some of the funds for future use.
San Francisco Police Chief Max Carter-Overstone reportedly stressed that any donations are carefully vetted for potential conflicts of interest and overall legitimacy before being approved.
“The hope here is that this starts to be successful, that public safety and community support improves, and other philanthropists and other businesses with an interest start donating,” Larsen said. “That’s good for everybody. Ultimately, we have to make sure this works.”
