San Francisco Police Department Bureau of Special Services (BSS) Negatives

In the 1930s, after an investigation into San Francisco Police Department corruption found a network of payoffs from numerous underground industries and organizations, the SFPD was restructured in an attempt to curb the flow of illegal money. The concept of “police professionalism” was utilized, a municipal philosophy which concentrates power at the top of the chain of command and relies on honest leadership to function. As much of the payola had come from gambling and prostitution rings, responsibility for these “vice crimes” was transferred from district chiefs to a new unit, the Bureau of Special Services (BSS), whose investigators reported directly to the Chief of Police. BSS officers focused their investigations on gambling and bookmaking, but also investigated rape, sodomy, and displays of prophylactics. This collection contains photographic negatives of BSS cases from 1945-1969, including the housing envelopes with pertinent case information. Sites of investigation included bookstores, sex-oriented businesses, theaters, and art shows that featured gay and lgbtq+ content.