Community policing making strides in San Francisco Chinatown
SAN FRANCISCO — As San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie begins the transition into city hall, all eyes are on his implementation of promises made on the campaign trail — especially related to public safety.
One issue Lurie and other candidates touted as one solution to boost public safety is the concept of community policing where officers build trust and relationships with community members over time, often resulting in more cooperation for investigations and crime prevention efforts.
Although the idea was produced in 2018 to be implemented by the SFPD, it's stalled through the pandemic and as understaffing issues plague progress in the department.
But in Chinatown, SFPD Officers Dexter Tsang and Talent Tang have been exercising community policing since they joined the department in 2019. It's been a long road to gain the trust of merchants and residents, but it is paying dividends in the community's feeling of safety.
"We interact with the community on a daily basis, and I think us being out here seeing that we're actually out here to address any of their concerns, I think it made them feel more comfortable just to go about their daily lives, where maybe some people in other communities, in different places, outside of Chinatown maybe they didn't have that same experience," said Tsang.
Tsang has a long history with the department, inspired by his father who retired from the SFPD as a lieutenant and continues his family's legacy of serving the Chinatown community.
Tang grew up in the neighborhood and has used his understanding of the residents' native language to build deeper connections and trust.
Their intimate knowledge of the area has opened the door for the community to cooperate with police in ways they otherwise may have been hesitant to, like texting them directly with tips or offering up surveillance footage to help solve crimes.
Outside one restaurant, the pair heard a familiar sound. It was a well-known member of the area who was in the throes of a mental health crisis. They were able to quickly de-escalate the situation without any use of force while getting the man the help he needed.
"It's an example of how community policing is actually working, like helping de-escalate issues before it turns into violent use of force incidents," said Tang.
The strategy, while simple, isn't deployed in most other San Francisco precincts, largely due to the department being down about 500 officers and priorities like reducing the number of smash-and-grabs taking precedence.
But in Chinatown, residents and business owners alike said they feel a deeper sense of security because of their personal relationships with their local officers.
That's the case for Raymond Hong who has owned Rainbow Photo on Stockton and Sacramento for 35 years. He said he doesn't profit from his businesses much these days but stays in his location because of his role in the community.
He's been dubbed a "block captain" by the officers. In that role, he acts as a liaison between the community and the officers, relaying concerns and reporting directly to Tsang and Tang. He even has their direct numbers pinned to his wall.
"People have to let them know what they need. If they don't say nothing, how can they help," Hong explained of residents who are often hesitant to contact police. "I love them like my family … I call them right away and they come right away."
He said he believes more tourists come to Chinatown because he feels public safety has improved due to the more personal system that is community policing.
It's equally important for the officers.
"I'd say a lot of them were intimidated, but now they know that we're here walking around all the time. They know we're friendly, we smile at them," said Tang.
Those small acts of kindness are creating big steps toward building public trust and public safety.