SAN FRANCISCO, USA – Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer has welcomed the appointment of Atty. Kevin Michael Benedicto as the first Filipino American member of the San Francisco Police Commission.
Consul General Ferrer joined San Francisco city officials and community leaders in Commissioner Benedicto’s swearing-in ceremony at the Tahanan Supportive Housing Building in San Francisco’s SOMA Pilipinas District on 9 May 2022, as the U.S. celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
“On behalf of the Filipino American Community in San Francisco, I wish to congratulate Atty. Kevin Benedicto for becoming San Francisco’s first Filipino American Police Commissioner. His appointment to the San Francisco Police Commission exemplifies yet again the significant contributions of Filipino Americans in the United States. It is my hope that he inspires more Fil-Ams to serve their communities through government service,” Consul General Ferrer said.
“The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco looks forward to working with Commissioner Benedicto in issues that are close to the Filipino American Community, such as addressing anti-Asian hate incidents and other safety and security concerns,” the Philippine Consul General added.
The seven-person San Francisco Police Commission, where Benedicto will serve a four-year-term, is the official governing body of the San Francisco Police Department, tasked to set policy for the Department, and conduct disciplinary proceedings and hear appeals from police officers.
Commissioner Benedicto earned his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Virginia in 2015. He served as pro bono counsel for a panel created under then-San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón to weed out institutional bias in the San Francisco Police Department. He was also part of a team that revised San Francisco’s landmark use-of-force policy, which prevents police officers from shooting at moving vehicles and using the carotid restraint.
For his work on police reform, as well as pro bono representation for low-income businesses in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood, Benedicto received the 2021 Award of Merit from the Bar Association of San Francisco. END
