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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2010 |
Contact:
Chair, Special Neighborhood Policing www.sfspecialneighborhoodpolicing.org
President, Association of Patrol Special Police Officers http://sfpatrolspecpolice.com/
Ann Grogan, J.D., Management Consultant Phone:Email: anngrogan@gmail.com
Karl Keesling, Residential Client Phone: (415) 641-5421 Email: pegas@ix.netcom.com
(San Francisco, CA) Clients are highly satisfied with San Francisco
Patrol Special Police, according to results of a comprehensive
survey released by the patrol service today.
The survey is part of a forthcoming larger academic study on
neighborhood policing conducted by Edward Stringham, Assistant
Professor of Economics at San Jose State University and currently
Shelby Cullom Davis Visiting Associate Professor of American
Business and Economic Enterprise at Trinity College in Hartford,
Connecticut.
Nearly half responded of about 150 Patrol Special Police clients
surveyed.
The survey finds that Patrol Special Police clients highly value
and want dedicated, service-oriented neighborhood policing.
Survey respondents overwhelmingly answered “Yes”
when asked, “Does your Patrol Special Police Officer make
your neighborhood a more friendly and safe place?” Clients
particularly valued officers' demeanor, reporting that "They
are always polite and non aggressive," and that officers
are "extremely professional at all times!" A number
of respondents mentioned that the officers are perceived of
as “friends.”
Karl Keesling, a resident in Glen Park since 1991, says that
his officer is considered to be a “friend – he adds
to our sense of additional safety in the Village.” Another
respondent who didn't want to be identified said, "[Patrol
Special Police officers] help to represent our neighborhood
by maintaining a congenial presence and hopefully show that
we value the safety and friendliness of our neighborhood."
Clients believe the Patrol Special Police provide services that
are not provided by the public police, namely quality-of-life
and service-oriented policing, and that the contract rate they
pay compares favorably to more expensive off-duty public police.
"Client responses show that Patrol Special Police services
are proactive rather than reactive. Officers also focus on narrow
and thus, easily serviced geographic neighborhoods where they
build long-term relationships and become trusted members of
the community," said Stringham.
Clients reported that Patrol Special Police officers are "responsive
to their clients" as well as to other "Neighborhood
needs from initiation of the service contract."
"They have an incentive to listen carefully to client opinions
and priorities, and flexibly change service components as desired
and advisable. They can only stay in business if their clients
are satisfied," Stringham added.
One major conclusion reached by Stringham was that "the
Patrol Special Police provide services that are highly desired
and make San Francisco safer."
"It makes good business sense to protect my customers and
the neighborhood," responded Larry Metzger, owner of The
Mix Bar located in the Castro district. Metzger has been a client
of the Patrol Specials for more than five years.
Keeping employees and customers secure was mentioned as a prime
concern by many responding business owners who hire the Patrol
Specials.
Providing wider protection for the neighborhood was another
major motivation to hire a Patrol Special Police Officer. Barbara
Kaufman, owner of The Painting Studio in Glen Park said, "I
feel better knowing that my art class students are passing through
areas that are patrolled. We are doing a good thing for Glen
Park."
“The Special Neighborhood Policing organization, a group
of Patrol Special Police officers, community leaders, and citizens,
sponsored the survey because they wanted to know exactly what
our private business, residential, and city agency clients value
about our policing services, and how we can both target and
improve what we offer to better serve the public safety needs
in San Francisco," said Jane Warner, chair of the group
and president of the city-wide association of Patrol Special
Police Officers. Warner is also owner of and provides patrol
services to the Castro, Mission and Noe Valley neighborhoods.
The survey also captured clients' reasons for hiring the Patrol
Special Police rather than relying on public police. They reported
that public police are “stretched too thin," "take
too long to respond," and aren't necessarily "proactive
to prevent crime" as are the Patrol Special Police whom
Warner says "intervene early to resolve small incidents
before they become big, expensive crimes."
The sponsoring group of Patrol Special Police officers was motivated
to support an independent survey of services after officers
spent years attempting to work with the Police Commission on
regulation reform needed to enhance Patrol Special Police's
ability to provide more officers on the streets, with more apparent
and real policing authority.
"We've been perplexed over the years about why regulations
aren’t yet finalized. We’re also perplexed about
why our services haven't been hired, supported and promoted
by city leaders, or why a few administrative problems that decrease
our effectiveness haven't been ironed out by the Police Commission,
our oversight board," said Warner.
"We felt that some commissioners didn't have a full grasp
of the value of policing we provide, or an understanding of
the fiscal urgency to promote our services as a viable and tested
public safety service option," added Warner.
San Francisco's new police chief George Gascon isn't a stranger
to private-public partnerships in providing policing services.
As the former chief of police in Mesa, Arizona, private security
guard services were used under contract with their police department
to handle emergencies and imminent hazards, said Warner.
"Frankly, I feel the late crime spree on MUNI is one such
imminent hazard and that's the reason we offered our patrol
services to the Mayor and MUNI Director Ford on December 14,
and let the Chief know of our offer as well," Warner said.
So far there has been no response.
Other major urban cities such as Atlanta, Houston, and St. Louis,
have also created private-public security partnerships that
are regulated and supervised by the local government, according
to Professor Jim Pastor, author of the book "Terrorism
and Public Safety Policing: Implications for the Obama Presidency,"
published earlier this year. Pastor says that “technology
and alternative service providers will be a critical aspect
of a new policing model (for the future).”
"We are delighted with our clients’ response to the
survey and now we want more San Franciscans to know about the
special nature of our policing and how we can serve them,"
said Warner, pointing to a description of services set forth
on their website at: http://www.sfspecialneighborhoodpolicing.org/Services-business.html and
http://www.sfspecialneighborhoodpolicing.org/Services-resident.html
About San Francisco Patrol Special Police
San Francisco Patrol Special Police are the only private neighborhood
safety service in the city that is legally permitted to patrol
San Francisco's streets as well as private locations, under
the city's municipal code Sec. 1750, and is on police radio
frequencies. Patrol Special Police officers are screened by
background checks conducted by the S.F.P.D., are trained annually
at the San Francisco Police Academy, and regulated by the Police
Commission.
Throughout more than a century-and-a-half of unique neighborhood
policing, Special Police have supported the City's public safety
needs. Patrol Special Police date their history from 1851, during
Gold Rush Days. The force was written into the City Charter
in 1856. Special Police have assisted city authorities with
controlling historical criminal gangs such as the infamous Hounds
of San Francisco. Over the years they also maintained public
safety during labor strikes, riots, and natural disasters -
including the devastating 1906 earthquake.
Today, Patrol Special Police augment the S.F.P.D. by providing
neighborhoods with cost-effective and crime prevention services
and safety education. Patrol Special Police resolve disturbances
at an early stage with a view toward the welfare of all. Their
early intervention and visible presence unburden S.F.P.D. officers
to address other law enforcement needs. Their services are financed
by private clients who include merchants, professionals, homeowners'
associations, individual residents, street fair and special
event organizers, government agencies, and other business and
private organizations.
A summary of the client survey can be found at: http://specialpolice.wordpress.com.
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