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SFPD Unveils New Special Victims Unit

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – The San Francisco Police Department has unveiled a new Special Victims Unit to handle crimes against the city's most vulnerable residents.

"We don't do a lot of press conferences, but this is really, really important," said San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr.

It was indeed a special moment for Suhr, the consolidation of child and elderly abuse, domestic violence, sex crimes, human trafficking, missing persons, and financial crimes into a brand new Special Victims Unit.

KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:

"It was a major priority of mine to make the impression that we have to take care of our most vulnerable," said Suhr.

Mayor Ed Lee was at the Hall of Justice for the ribbon cutting.

"We needed to do smarter things, so it makes so much sense that this innovative idea of bringing the various investigative units under the same space, and under the same command, can offer us even more resources put together," said Lee.

Another reason for the consolidation is that the department will soon be losing some of it's most experienced officers in this unit to retirement, and the hope is that they can share information to better prepare those who fill their shoes.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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