How to Deter Crime in Your Neighborhood

Unfortunately, there will always be those who will capitalize upon a crisis for their own advantage. As evidence of this truth, there has been a rise in crime—particularly break-ins and package thefts—throughout San Francisco during the pandemic.

During SF SAFE’s recent virtual board meeting, our discussion with participating community members turned to what they can do to help deter crime in their own neighborhoods. Here are some of our team’s top suggestions stemming from that meeting.

• Join Your Neighborhood Watch Group: One of the best ways to take action against crime in your neighborhood is to start or join a Neighborhood Watch Group. SF SAFE manages San Francisco’s Neighborhood Watch Program; the groups meet regularly, create neighborhood emergency preparedness plans, take classes together, discuss and report local crime activity and organize days to clean up local parks, streets or graffiti. Neighborhood Watch Groups designate block captains and block co-captains. Presently, there are 1,884 block captains in San Francisco and they are meeting, with health precautions, during the pandemic. Contact us at [email protected] to learn more.
• Meet Your Night Lieutenant: While many people may get to know their SFPD beat officers and daytime crew, few get to know their night lieutenant—the person steering the ship when a lot of crime is happening under the shelter of night. We suggest taking time to go down to your local district station at night and introducing yourself to the night lieutenant. Get on a first name basis with the lieutenant so that you have a direct contact to turn to when needed and to whom you can report neighborhood issues.
• Report Crime. It may seem like a no brainer, but one of the best ways to deter future crime is to religiously report current crime in your neighborhood. If the SFPD doesn’t know about the types of crimes that are happening, they won’t be able to direct the proper resources—such as increased patrols—to address the issues.
• Participate in Community Meetings: Each SFPD station has a monthly community meeting, typically attended by that station’s captain and various officers. An SF SAFE representative also attends the meetings. Participating in these meetings is an excellent way to keep abreast of crime trends in your neighborhood so you can take preventative measures, and to voice any thoughts, info or concerns you might have directly to the officers responsible for your neighborhood. Visit your police station’s website to subscribe to their newsletter to check on meeting dates, as well as their COVID-19 meet-up plan.
• Utilize SF SAFE Resources: In addition to the aforementioned crime-deterring strategies, you can take advantage of a plethora of safety resources available through SF SAFE. From Residential/Business Security Surveys to safety presentations to educational brochures/fliers and more, we’ve got the tools to help everyday residents create safer neighborhoods. Visit our website or contact us at [email protected] to explore how we can help you today.

-Kathy Chouteau