Sam Spade's San Francisco

Murders and Violent Crime in San Francisco

A 22-year-old employee was shot dead at a youth center in the Western Addition. Business communities beg the Board of Supervisors for better police protection, but the SFPD is already stretched too thin and is struggling to meet demands with an inadequate budget. Bystanders are shot on street corners. Retail businesses demand foot patrols. Tourists are robbed at gunpoint in daylight hours. Residential neighborhoods cry for community policing. Crack cocaine is sold on dozens of SF street corners by teenagers carrying loaded guns.


Introducing the San Francisco Police Department's Patrol Special Police

It is a proactive, decentralized approach to policing, designed to reduce crime, disorder, and the fear of crime while responding to explicit needs and demands of the community. This is the mission of the San Francisco Police Patrol Special Police in serving their beat community.


What is the Patrol Special Police?

The Patrol Special Police is a separately chartered law enforcement group that works under the supervision of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). Patrol Special Officers are appointed by the San Francisco Police Commission and are governed by rules and procedures set by the Commission. Patrol Officers wear uniforms approved by the Police Commission, carry a firearm and are entitled to use a two-way SFPD radio.

Qualification and Training Patrol Officers are trained at the San Francisco Police Academy, or the equivalent thereof, and have fulfilled requirements of the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training. They have also met the medical standards of the San Francisco Police Department and have passed an extensive police background investigation. In addition, Patrol Officers receive training on an annual basis from the San Francisco Police Department and qualify with firearms at the Police Department's range.


Services Provided by the SFPD Special Police

The SFPD Patrol Special Police provide police patrol services to individual businesses, private homeowners, and associations. Our primary role is that of Public Safety and Law Enforcement. Basic Patrol Service During hours of patrol, officers will make passing calls to check the interior and exterior of your property as well as the surrounding city streets and determine if all is well. Closing Service Officers conduct a complete and thorough search of the premises for fire, open windows and unlocked doors. The officer will stand by and assist in making sure all customers and/or employees have left the property and the premises are secure.

Alarm Response

As an additional service to your alarm system, Patrol Special Police Officers will respond to alarm calls usually within a few minutes and provide an on-scene and timely police presence.

Police Calls

During the hours of patrol, Patrol Special Police Officers will respond to your property in the event a police call occurs to assist in the protection of your property and, if necessary, will remain at that location until secured.

Escorts

Patrol Special Police Officers provide escort services for the transport of valuables, deposit of funds or other protective needs.


Contacting the SFPD Patrol Special Police



Important Links:

San Francisco Patrol Special Police Officer's Association

San Francisco Police Department

Peace Officer Standards and Training

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority (WTA) has announced that they are the recipient of $14 million in federal funding for ferry boat and terminal construction.

The WTA plans to launch seven new ferry routes. A map of the planned routes can be seen here or click on any of the following links for information about specific routes.

Antioch/Martinez-SF
Berkeley-SF
Hercules-SF
Redwood City-SF
Richmond-SF
South SF-Harbor Bay/SF
Treasure Island-SF

The WTA also plans to buy new ferry boats that are 10 times cleaner than existing ferries and 85% better than the EPA's emission standards for 2007 marine engines.

If you have HIV, you will not be hired as a Foreign Service Officer by the U.S. State Department. You are not wanted and you will be discriminated against.

Condoleezza Rice does not want you!

It'’s true. Right now, the U.S. State Department bars people with HIV from jobs in the Foreign Service, no matter how healthy or qualified for the job they are. Lambda Legal thinks this is wrong and medical experts agree. It's also against the law.

Condoleezza Rice can make a change ... if she wants to

Lambda Legal is fighting the government's discriminatory policy in two court cases. We need your help in the court of public opinion. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice can change this policy. She has the authority to stop the discrimination if she chooses to do so.

Take Action Now

Please add your name to the petition below and tell her that the government must not discriminate against people with HIV. Lambda Legal will hand-deliver the petition with thousands of signatures to the Secretary of State'’s office in May. To sign the petition or learn more visit Lambda legal here.

Conservative Christians are a diminishing force in politics. Even taking into consideration the occasional flare-ups from Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Alois Ratzinger) in the Vatican and Jerry Falwell in Lynchburg, the influence of the Christian right-wing is slowly waning, an observation that suggests that Charles Darwin was right: species slowly evolve ... even Bible-banging fundamentalists evolve (although at a rate noticeably slower than most other vertebrates).

Yet, in 2006 conservative homophobic Christian groups still pull the strings of some elected officials, most notably members of the Republican party. Hopefully, after the presidential election, we will finally be able to send many of those conservative right-wing Republicans packing.

Corporate America, however, is well out in front and ahead of many of America's churches. More than 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies now have clear policies that ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. Almost half of the companies offer health benefits to the same-sex partners of their employees.

Ten years ago only 28 companies offered same-sex partner benefits. The civil rights campaign for gay and lesbian Americans is winning. The outcome of the struggle is clear: the homophobes and conservative Bible-bangers are losing their hate-fight all across the board.

In 2005 GLBT rights were won for employees of Citigroup, IBM, DuPont and WalMart. This year Ford Motor Company, American Express and Exxon Mobil will vote to give GLBT employees protection against workplace discrimination.

But even as battles over gay rights flare up in the corporate world, there's no doubt about who's winning the war.

Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said: "Corporate America is ahead of government in providing equal treatment for GLBT people because it knows that fairness is good for business."

San Francisco has a long-standing tradition and culture of supporting GLBT rights. Mayor Newsom, the Board of Supervisors and the City Attorney have all taken solid, firm and forward-thinking supportive positions on GLBT civil rights.

It is essential that we continue to demand GLBT non-discrimination policies of any and all corporate business entities that wish to do business in San Francisco. We must be vigilant and hold accountable any San Francisco business that fails to create and abide by a gender-based non-discrimination policy.

Leadership Crisis Ahead

The San Francisco Police Department is fast approaching a very serious crisis. The leadership of the SFPD is very close to retirement and there are too few qualified officers waiting in the wings. By the end of this year nearly 500 members of the department will reach eligibility for retirement. To make a bad situation worse, all the captains have 25 years of service or more! Nobody knows who will ... or even can ... replace them.

The Sergeants

The real "command level" most in crisis is the rank of sergeant. Just as in any military unit it is the "non-com" who provides the real nuts-and-bolts minute-by-minute leadership for the SFPD. Promotion within the department is difficult and time-consuming under current policy. First an officer must be promoted to Assistant Inspector and then to Inspector. Once at the Inspector level the officer is eligible for appointment to Sergeant.

When the current lead officers retire there will be more than 500 positions coming available. To add to the problem, current policy provides for exams to sergeant, lieutenant and captain to be given only every three-years.

Reorganization and Strengthening

This means that we can no longer assure the people of San Francisco that we are going to be able to promote capable, qualified people for lead and command positions. Under current departmental policy we are going to be forced to take anybody and everybody who qualifies for promotion, whether that officer is desirable or not.

Reorganization and strengthening of the San Francisco Police Department is absolutely mandatory and time is running out.

I received an anonymous comment relative to San Francisco's Neighborhood Emergency Response Team. The comment is succinct and describes the NERT program so well, I decided to reprint it here. The original story, for which this comment was intended, follows immediately after. Scroll down to read it.

As always, I encourage comments from anyone and they may be posted anonymously if you wish. To leave a comment, click on the comments link at the bottom of any story.

Here is the anonymous NERT comment:

"Thank you for your story about the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) which is sponsored and supervised by the San Francisco Fire Department. When a disaster strikes San Francisco (whether it is earthquake, tsunami, terrorist attack or other disaster), NERT will act as a ready-reserve trained citizen guard for the SFFD. NERT members are part of the City of San Francisco's emergency services force. NERT training is completely free and is provided by the SFFD. Thank you again for your kind mention of NERT and the SFFD." - Anonymous

On October 17, 1989, San Francisco was shaken to the foundation an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 on the Richter scale. As result the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) formed the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team Training Program (NERT), which provides training in disaster and emergency response. Since 1990 the NERT program has trained more than 11,000 San Francisco residents to be self sufficient in a major disaster. Through this program, individuals also learn hands-on disaster skills that will help them as members of a volunteer SFFD emergency response team.

The NERT Training Program is a 20 hour comprehensive program consisting of six (6) class sessions lasting approximately 3 hours each. The training instructors are professional firefighters and training is conducted by the SFFD. There is no cost for neighborhood training classes. The training is free.

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the great 1906 earthquake and fire there is renewed interest in making plans and taking steps to protect ourselves and our families from a major dsaster that might strike San Francisco. The NERT program is an ideal way to assure that our families and neighborhoods are protected when an emergency does strike.

If you missed the 1906 Earthquake and Fire Expo 2006 you missed a terrific event! Vintage fire fighting equipment from throughout California crowded the huge parking area in front of Pier 48. Fire Departments from as far away as Los Angeles brought their best and finest and proudest restored fire trucks, pumpers, hook-and-ladder trucks and 19th Century horse-drawn steam pumpers.

The San Francisco Fire Department offered tours aboard the Phoenix, the fireboat made famous during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. The Phoenix was dispatched to the Marina cove where it pumped water to SFFD firefighters battling blazes in the hard-hit Marina district of the City.

The Golden Gate Park Brass Band played songs that were popular in 1906 and dozens of local, state and federal emergency service agencies were on hand with information, educational programs and displays. All-in-all it was a polished, entertaining, informative and thoroughly enjoyable event.

Lotta's Fountain - Tomorrow Morning!

BART will begin running trains tomorrow at 4 AM to bring San Franciscans downtown to Lotta's Fountain for the official 1906 Earthquake and Fire Commemoration. This is an event that weeds out the johnny-come-lately people who live in San Francisco from long-time San Franciscans and native San Franciscans. My own family, by the way, first came to San Francisco in 1849.

Lotta's Fountain is on the spot where Kearny and Geary Streets meet Market Street (map).

We will do what we have done for decades. We will gather in front of Lotta's Fountain at 5:12 AM to commemorate the Great Earthquake and Fire. Church bells will sound throughout the City. More than a dozen centenarian survivors of the Earthquake will be special guests of honor. Mayor Newsom and the Board of Supervisors will be on hand for the ceremony.

At precisely 5:12 AM there will be silence in honor of those who lost their lives in the Great Earthquake and Fire. That will be followed by police and fire department sirens wailing as loud as they can. Giant video screens will be set-up to accommodate overflow crowds. As many as 20,000 true San Franciscans are expected to attend.

A special event at Lotta's Fountain will honor San Francisco Police Officer Max Fenner, who died in the Earthquake trying to save a young woman from a collapsing building on Mason Street near Ellis. SFPD Chief Heather Fong will posthumously award Officer Fenner the Purple Heart.

Mayor Gavin Newsom will place the memorial wreath and lead San Franciscans in the singing of the song, "San Francisco". The United States Army National Guard Band is expected to perform.

Beginning at 10 AM, the San Francisco Fire Department will lead a parade from City Hall to Justin Herman Plaza. The parade will include historic SFFD equipment including horse-drawn steam pumpers and vintage fire-fighting vehicles from throughout Northern California. It will the largest gathering of firefighters and fire equipment in the City's history.

This is an event for true San Franciscans. So often we host events planned for tourists, visitors and newcomers to the City. These events are planned for the remaining "core" of real San Franciscans who trace roots back to and sometimes beyond the 1906 Earthquake and Fire.

For more information please visit the special site created by the San Francisco Chronicle here.

There are a number of events planned around the 100th Anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. Here is an offering that stands out above many of the rest. While it does not retroactively deal with the 1906 event, it does focus on the present and future dangers that face us.

The Union of Concerned Scientists Climate Scientist Amy Lynd Luers will be the keynote speaker at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on Monday, April 17. The program begins at 6:00 p.m., preceded by a reception at 5:30. Amy has been asked to speak about the state's recently released Climate Action Team report.

Amy served on the scientific coordinating team for this widely-publicized report. The report concluded that if global-warming emissions continue unabated, temperatures could rise as much as 8-10 degrees by the end of the century, with serious impacts expected for California's public health, water supply, ecosystems, and economy. Amy will highlight the latest science and explain why it’s urgent that we take steps immediately to dramatically reduce our global warming emissions.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased on-line here.

The AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF) will host the Fortune Tellers Ball on Sunday, April 23rd.


The Event... Please join AEF and hosts, Donna Sachet, San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty, San Francisco City Treasurer Jose Cisneros and San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris for an evening of psychics, astrologers, tarot card and palm readers as the AEF honors those special people who have given their time and talent to AEF: Wells Fargo Bank, Winslow & Associates, Academy of Friends, David Slocombe and The Edge Basket Contest. Get free mini-readings from more than a dozen of San Francisco's best fortune tellers while enjoying delicious food from Out of Thyme Catering and the free Absolut martini bar! Don't miss the special belly dance performance by Fat Chance Belly Dance!


Where, When and How Much ... The Fortune Tellers Ball 24th Anniversary Awards Gala Sunday, April 23 5:00 at 9:00 pm at the Khyber Pass [350 Kansas St, San Francisco] Tickets are $100, please call x3.

About the AIDS Emergency Fund ... AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF) provides short-term emergency financial assistance to San Franciscans battling HIV/AIDS. Since 1982, AEF has rallied community support to help pay basic living costs such as rent, utility bills and medical expenses for poverty-level San Franciscans with disabling HIV or AIDS. Annually, AEF helps nearly 2,500 clients avoid eviction or utility shut-off, improve the quality of their lives and maintain stable housing. AEF works closely with more than 40 other AIDS service agencies in San Francisco to assure that its emergency assistance is coupled with referrals to other organizations that provide meals, counseling, subsidized housing and other longer-term assistance.

The U. S. Department of Justice recently demanded information about subscribers from 34 Internet service providers, security software firms and Internet search sites including Google, America Online, Yahoo, AT&T, Comcast Cable, Cox Communications, EarthLink, LookSmart, SBC Communications (before the merger with AT&T), Symantec, Verizon, and MSN. They say it is Constitutionally correct and is absolutely necessary if the Department of Justice is to properly enforce the Children's Online Protection Act of 1998.

There are plans for the new Google - EarthLink partnership to provide free wireless Internet service throughout the City of San Francisco and employ location-based advertising technology. This technology involves a system in which targeted ads are served to wireless internet users, based on the geographic location of the wireless access point (WAP), as well as the behavior and demographics of the WAP'’s users, and other criteria.

Essentially it means that Google, EarthLink, the Justice Department, Homeland Security and maybe even San Francisco City Hall will know who you are, where you live, what web sites you visit, whether or not you like looking at porn, what kind of porn you like, and (of course) whether or not you visit any sites that might suggest to somebody tucked away in a Washington, DC office cubicle, that you have links to terrorist organizations.

The Google - EarthLink deal is still in the planning stages. Eventually the finished plan will need to be approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. This is our one and only chance to have a voice in assuring protections for our privacy. Stay tuned!

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Bonnie Lewman Sabraw will decide the fate of the nation's most ambitious stem cell research agency. Written closing arguments were filed Wednesday during a court case that challenged the legality of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, headquartered in San Francisco.

The Institute was formed after voters approved Prop 71, but has been unable to start work due to a lawsuit by conservatives. A decision is expected to be handed down by Judge Sabraw soon.

Despite Governor Schwarzenegger's support of Prop 71, he has been noticeably silent on the lawsuit. It is worth noting that some of the Governor's biggest special election backers are behind it.

The Steve Westly campaign has prepared a petition letter that demands Governor Schwarzenegger publicly call on the plaintiffs to drop their lawsuit. If the plaintiffs lose the decision they will likely appeal, but are less likely to do so if the Governor publicly denounces the suit and asks them to do drop it.

Please sign the petition and urge the Governor to stick to his earlier promises. You will find the petition here.

If you are the CEO of an organization full of child molesters, rapists and sexual deviates, the best way to take the spotlight off your organization is to attack somebody else.

Take the example of a conservative Christian public interest law firm is suing the City of San Francisco for what the law firm says is a "startling attack" on the Roman Catholic Church. The suit claims that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors condemned and attacked the Roman Catholic Church, which they claim, is the poor and innocent victim of the powerful and mighty San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Despite the availability of a thesaurus the only word I can find to properly describe my response to the suit is: bullshit.

The non-binding resolution passed by the Board of Supervisors reads in part, "It is an insult to all San Franciscans when a foreign country, like the Vatican, meddles with and attempts to negatively influence this great city's existing and established customs and traditions, such as the right of same-sex couples to adopt and care for children in need."

I agree with the Board. The Roman Catholic Church and it's monarch, Joe Ratzinger, is the party guilty of a "startling attack" on the human rights of gay and lesbian San Franciscans.

The law suit, brought on behalf of the conservative right-wing anti-gay, anti-lesbian and anti-human-rights group with the misleading name of the "Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights" and two conservative San Francisco Catholic citizens, is more evidence that the Roman Catholic Church is aligning itself with the past and with the "Old World" ... a place where racism, homophobia and bigotry are seen as being "good, Catholic values".

The developing leaders of the movement to deny gay and lesbian Americans of their civil rights is Joe Ratzinger (who before his election to Pope was nicknamed "The Enforcer") and his Roman Catholic Church. Jerry Falwell has some competition!

The Roman Catholic Church, by the way, is the same bunch who brought us the Spanish Inquisition, burnings-at-the-stake, and the Crusades, which first demonstrated to Islamic people that we are a dangerous and hateful society.

The greatest enemy of the Vatican is progress. Progress threatens the archaic and monolithic structure of Rome. San Francisco is making progress. No wonder the Vatican hates us.

Ratzinger, who interestingly was a member of the Hitler Youth as a boy in Germany, needs to focus on his legions of pedophile priests who abuse, molest and even rape children in the care of his "Holy Mother Church". Listen, Ratzy .... pay attention to the perpetrators of sex crimes within your organization. Remove the plank from your own eye and stop trying to pull tiny specks out of our eyes!

Now ... for those of you who think I'm just an angry "anti-Catholic" I would like you to know that as a young man I attended a Catholic Seminary and was involved in a Catholic Religious Order as well. I know of what I speak. Today I am neither Catholic nor Protestant, Christian or Jew, Buddhist or Muslim. I simply am. I would appreciate it if Ratzy let us all be who we are and stopped being such a damn control freak.