The San Francisco Police Commission is made up of seven community members, responsible for creating and developing policies for the police department, as well as conducting hearings in cases of alleged police misconduct.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at the start of a new city-sponsored program designed to address and help solve unemployment and underemployment in the city's transgender community.
“The transgender community is among the most disenfranchised groups throughout the U.S.," Sparks said, "and this is the first program of its kind anywhere in the country. I am honored to represent the transgender community and our entire city as a police commissioner."
“Theresa Sparks represents the best in a leader, a teacher and a role model as a police commissioner in the transgender community and the city of San Francisco,” Supervisor Tom Ammiano said.
Sparks previously served two four-year terms as a member of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.
“It is a little unusual, even in politically correct San Francisco, for the head of a company like Good Vibrations to also serve in a leadership role in law enforcement,” said Dr. Carol Queen, Good Vibrations sexologist and member of the company’s board of directors. “As our great Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi would say, ‘San Francisco values at their absolute best.’”