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policing initiatives; works in partnership with the Department\ue008s Training Division
to develop community policing curriculum and community policing procedures;
works closely with the Department\ue008s 40 community policing officers to provide
assistance; and, participates in District Station planning sessions involving the
Department and community members, among other responsibilities.
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Beat Patrol Officers, Bicycle Officers, and School Resource Officers
Beat Patrol Officers, Bicycle Officers and School Resource Officers are a central
component of SFPD\ue008s community policing strategy. Over the last few years, the
Department has been continually building up the number of beat patrol officers
working throughout the City. Currently, the Department has over 40 Beat Patrol
geographical areas in which officers either walk or ride bicycles to engage with
the community and maintain ongoing relationships with residents and merchants.
The number of officers assigned to walk beats in each District is growing. Within
the next month, 44 additional officers are being deployed to each of the City\ue008s ten
district stations so that each captain can augment existing foot patrols or create
new foot beats. The Department also has a School Resource Officer Program to
facilitate positive collaboration between schools and police. Since it began six
years ago, the program has been growing. Currently, there are 30 fulltime
School Resource Officers assigned to specific schools throughout the City.
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Staff Recruitment and Training To Build Community Policing Skills
The Department\ue008s Training Division trains new recruits and police officers already
on the force in the fundamental of community policing through its Basic Recruit
Academy, Field Training Program, and Continuing Professional Training. Officers
are trained in the\ue005SARA\ue006 (Scan, Analyze, Response, Assessment) community
policing problem solving methodology, as well as conflict mediation and trust
building, among other skills. New recruits are required to complete 20 hours of
community policing training. As well, the Department is developing a class
curriculum on Foot Beat Patrols that will be taught to both new recruits and
officers already in the field. The related concept of cultural competency is the
subject of an additional 28 hours of classroom instruction. The Recruitment Unit
is also instituting strategies to continue to diversify its recruitment strategies to
reach a broader pool of qualified candidates. Finally, a new curriculum is
currently being developed for implementation in 2007 and it will contain
expanded instruction on community policing and interpersonal communications.
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Support for Conflict Mediation Programs to Resolve Minor Conflicts
The Police Department has a long history of working with San Francisco\ue008s
Community Boards alternative dispute resolution programs to resolve
neighborhood conflicts. These mediation programs allow residents and
businesses to resolve minor disputes without reliance on the cumbersome
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