San Francisco Patrol Special Police

Patrol Specials are the only security business
permitted to patrol the streets or San Francisco
(Municipal Code Sec. 1750)

San Francisco Patrol
Special Police Association
Official Website

Home History Mission City Charter Qualifications & Training Service Field Operations & Fees Contact Employment Gallery

Mission

Relationship to the San Francisco Police Commission and the San Francisco Police Department

The Patrol Special Police is a principally privately-paid police force that has the unique advantage to the city and citizens of being both quasi-public and quasi-private. The force is structured in the City Charter and legally under the San Francisco Police Department, and thus, supports and supplements policing and other safety services provided by the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). By regulation (Interim Rules and Procedures) of the Police Commission, Patrol Special Police Officers, while not employees of the SFPD, initially pass background checks by the SFPD, are appointed by the San Francisco Police Commission, and are annually trained according to standards established by the Police Chief. Patrol Special Police Officers wear uniforms approved by the Police Commission, carry a firearm, and are entitled to use a two-way SFPD radio.

We are committed to neighborhood policing.

San Francisco Patrol Special Officers strive to make the communities they serve better places in which to live and work. Officers are committed to neighborhood policing which is a philosophy, not a tactic, and has an emphasis on problem solving and community outreach. This includes walking their "beats," getting to know people on an individual basis, attending community meetings, and working closely with SFPD foot patrol officers and other city agencies to find resolutions to everyday neighborhood safety and security concerns. Neighborhood policing is a proactive, decentralized approach to policing arising primarily from the needs of private clients and their neighborhoods in the context of best policing practices. It is designed to reduce crime, disorder, and the fear of crime, while responding directly to explicit needs and requests of the client and the neighborhood.