San Francisco Patrol Special Police | |
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Abbreviation | SFPSP |
Agency overview | |
Formed | 1847 |
Employees | None (2024)[1] |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction | San Francisco, California, United States |
General nature | |
Website | |
San Francisco Patrol Special Police |
The San Francisco Patrol Special Police (SFPSP) was a private special police agency in San Francisco, California. Per city code, the SFPSP patrolled the streets of San Francisco and fixed locations, and also provided a range of other safety services as requested by private clients.[2] The SFPSP is authorized in the San Francisco City Charter, but was not part of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD).
The SFPSP was one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States, having been founded in 1847 shortly before the California Gold Rush. The SFPSP was credited for the first modern U.S. adaption of the community policing concept.[2][3][4][5][6]
The SFPSP employed non-sworn private patrol officers, appointed and regulated by the San Francisco Police Commission after an initial background review by the SFPD.[7] As of 2024, there are no longer any active Patrol Specials, with the retirement of the last Patrol Special on February 29, 2024. [8]