While our Police Chief wrestles with cutting $47 million from next year's budget with certain layoffs coming, San Franciscans don't have to wait. We have an option for increasing police protection in our neighborhoods. It's the city-chartered, Police-Commission-regulated, and privately-funded Patrol Special Police.

We should inundate city leaders with pressure to get the word out now, because this unique police force is ready, willing, and able to protect us as they do in many neighborhoods across the city, including my own Glen Park. www.glenparksafety.com.

Patrol Special Police don't hesitate to take on thugs and protect both their private clients and anyone else in danger. That's what Patrol Special Robert Burns did on February 7 when he was patrolling outside his private client's nightclub in Fisherman's Wharf. He saw two men shooting, drew his side arm, fired, and quickly brought one man down but sadly, not until after a person had been murdered and four others seriously injured. Many other lives were likely saved by his quick and professional action.

Patrol Specials are better known for early-intervention, crime-prevention oriented patrols that resolve local incidents early and with discretion, before they become expensive, costly crimes.

Yet city leaders and the Police Chief are mysteriously silent in recognizing their courage and contribution to public safety.

The SFPD's press release doesn't even mention Officer Burn's name, however, it does list the name of the shooter. Their website says that Patrol Specials "are NOT (sic.) employees of the SFPD" but are "private patrol persons who contract to perform security duties of a private nature," and "are not allowed to perform any type of general law enforcement duties." It mentions that Patrol Specials back up SFPD foot patrol officers, but only "as private citizens."

To me, it's an advantage that my Patrol Special Officer is not an employee of the SFPD. I don't want more highly-paid civil service SFPD officers who already earn average salaries that exceed those paid in other major cities like New York City, Boston, and Chicago, not to mention added future costs for a lifetime pension that must be paid by my great grandchildren -- and beyond.

True, Patrol Specials don't have peace officer powers of arrest. Consequently, some say they can't really help us because they have the same powers of arrest that you and I do. That's a legal distinction without a practical difference.

Arrest is seldom needed in neighborhood policing and citizens aren't trained or comfortable in making an arrest in the first place. As we now know, Patrol Specials won't hesitate to draw a weapon and fire if my life is threatened, then make an arrest even if the SFPD says they don't engage in law enforcement.

Patrol Specials not only provide effective police services that save taxpayers money, but they serve limited geographic areas and often arrive at the scene before the SFPD can respond, just like Officer Burns did.

Even better, Patrol Specials stay put, get to know us and patterns of neighborhood life, listen to crime reports on their police radios, intervene early to prevent crime to begin with, and advise us about self-protection and safety matters. They become valued and welcome members of our neighborhood family.

A survey of Patrol Special clients was conducted last fall by San Jose State University Professor Edward P. Stringham. Stringham found that Patrol Special Police are enthusiastically viewed as a proactive rather than a reactive solution to the problem of crime. Clients said that "Patrol Specials simply make neighborhoods a safer place to live and work."

Now that's effective policing by any other name!

BIOGRAPHY
Ann Grogan is a California attorney (inactive status) and former Deputy Attorney General. She practiced law for 14 years until she got it right, then became a small business owner with a home-based Internet fashion business. She occasionally consults on organizational development. She's a client in Glen Park of the Patrol Specials, and a former client in the Castro.

Ann Grogan, J.D.
30 yr. resident in Glen Park
2912 Diamond St., Ste. 239
San Francisco, CA 94131