Neighborhood Watch Groups

UPDATE: As of February 2024, SF SAFE has temporarily ceased operations. If you’d like to start a neighborhood watch program, just review their materials and connect with your neighbors to start one.

SF SAFE has managed San Francisco’s Neighborhood Watch Program. The nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation has worked as the crime prevention component of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) for more than four decades with the mission of engaging, educating and empowering San Franciscans to build safer neighborhoods through crime prevention, education and public safety services that result in stronger, more vibrant and resilient communities. 

SF SAFE Neighborhood Watch Groups meet regularly, create neighborhood emergency preparedness plans, take classes together, discuss and report local crime activity and organize events to clean up local parks, streets or graffiti. Each respective Neighborhood Watch Group is led by a block captain and block co-captain.

Here’s how to start or join a Neighborhood Watch Group:

1. First, talk to your neighbors to see if there is an existing Neighborhood Watch Group that you can join. If a group already exists, simply join the group by connecting with its block captain. If you’re uncertain if there’s a group in your neighborhood, SF SAFE can help you determine that by filling out the Service Request Form.

2. Once you’re ready to start a new Neighborhood Watch Group—or if you’re not sure if one preexists—contact SF SAFE by filling out its online Service Request Form. To complete the form, you will need to know your SFPD district (Richmond) and your San Francisco district (District 1). After you submit this form, an SF SAFE public safety coordinator will contact you to facilitate SF SAFE’s formal process.

3. While you are waiting to hear back from SF SAFE you can begin to gauge your neighbors’ interest in starting a new Neighborhood Watch Group by talking to them and spreading the word. SF SAFE recommends being a registered group for cohesiveness and connectivity to other city programs. Check out SF SAFE’s Guide to Starting a Neighborhood Watch Group here so you know what to expect, and how to get started.

4. Want to get in touch with SF SAFE more quickly? Contact the organization at info@sfsafe.org or 415-553-1984. Visit SF SAFE’s Neighborhood Watch page online to learn more.

Don’t Wait. Get Started TODAY.

Many Richmond Neighbors have had great experiences with Neighborhood Watch and are proponents of SF SAFE. Here is a list of tips and ideas from them that you may find helpful:

• Starting a group isn’t difficult, but it does take a little bit of work and some mild organizational skill.

• Unfortunately, it’s currently taking some neighbors several months to get a response from SF SAFE but you needn’t wait for them to get started with the key groundwork. SF SAFE’s guide to starting is available here and contains lots of useful information and ideas you can utilize. If your block chooses to complete SF SAFE’s formal training program requirements, your block will receive a Neighborhood Watch sign and be included in city-run emergency plans.

• Key to success is Identifying a block leader (or two) who is willing to organize and be the central point of contact for the group, preferably someone with basic online organizational skills (to share info quickly and efficiently). Consider bilingual leaders who can more easily reach non-English speaking neighbors.

• Leaders then begin alerting neighbors of their plans to start a Neighborhood Watch Group via emails, flyers, and in-person word-of-mouth.

• Leaders gather neighbor’s contact information (with permission) and build a sharable contact list using a Google doc, sheet, group or other online platform. Note: it’s likely that not all neighbors will participate. That’s ok. If neighbors resist or have concerns, just move on. Start small and grow.

• Information to gather might include:

  • Names of residents, address, phone #, email address

  • ID neighbors who may have special needs (Seniors, disabilities, medical, language barriers, etc.)

  • ID neighbors with particular practical skills (Nurse, CPR, carpentry, plumber, generator, language translation, etc.)

  • Cars: make, model and tag # (to avoid towing or ticketing neighbors)

  • Pets

  • Out-of-State emergency contacts

  • A block map

  • Which neighbors have security cameras or video doorbells

• Try to make your group’s neighbors’ information sharable and easily accessible to everyone in the group, but private and inaccessible to anyone not in the group.

• Consider planning an online or in—person meeting to get acquainted and discuss ways that neighbors can support and look out for one another. A good kickstarter is to capture and neighbors’ expectations and desires for your block’s group.

• For more tips and ideas, watch the below video featuring experienced neighbors who have successfully started neighborhood safety/watch groups in the Richmond District.