Petra DeJesus has served on the San Francisco Police Commission for more than 15 years and currently works as an attorney at Kazan Law, where she primarily represents workers, bystanders, and their families who are ill or have died from exposure to asbestos.  Prior to joining Kazan Law, Ms. DeJesus represented low-income individuals at California Rural Legal Assistance, Mission Community Legal Defense, and the San Francisco Public Defender’s office.

As a San Francisco Police Commissioner, Ms. DeJesus has worked on a variety of issues, the highlights of which include the election of the first transgender president of the Commission; review of the Police Department’s policy on use of Tasers; approval of Language Access Service for Limited English Proficient Persons, the most comprehensive General Order to guarantee access of police services for all community members; approval of strict Policies and Procedures for Juvenile Detention, Arrest and Custody to protect the rights of juveniles; modification of the Vehicle Towing Procedures for unlicensed drivers; and the development and implementation of the first mental health crisis team in the Police Department.