See news reports and information about Patrol Special Police Officer Robert Burns and his recommendation for a SFPD Medal of Valor for bringing down a gunman who had murdered one and injured four outside Suede Nightclub in Fisherman’s Wharf on Feb. 7, 2010. The San Francisco Patrol Special Police have issued an official media advisory regarding this incident. 

1. SF Examiner 8/27/10 - Extra work (overtime and private '10b' policing off duty) drains police officers. Ed. note: Patrol Specials don't work overtime but arrive fresh for patrols as part of their normal job. Thus citizens are not at risk from their impaired judgment due to overwork or lack of sleep.
2. Lowell Sun (Massachusetts) 8/26/10 - Mass. Police Department enacts off-duty officer drinking rules. Ed note: Impaired judgment with injury can result not only from drinking in off-duty police assignments, but also from overtiredness. That is a crucial reason that employment of private Patrol Special Police Officers to provide any desired supplemental policing makes sense, rather than hire San Francisco's 10b off-duty SFPD officers; Patrol Specials do not work "off-duty" and overtime!
3. Mercurynews.com 8/25/10 - In Oakland after 80 police officers were laid off on July 15 to save $31 million dollars, in less than one month official stats show that robberies and assaults went up as did burglaries and vehicle thefts. City Council says "it's too early to be sure" about the cause.
4. Wall Street Journal 8-21-10 - Cash-Strapped Cities Try Private Guards Over Police
5. 8/16/10 - San Francisco City Controller's Officer Report: Police Department: The Department Needs to Improve Its Controls Over Overtime and Premium Pay
6. SF Examiner 8/8/10 - Cash Strapped Cities Try Private Security Over Police - Objections cited in this news article, do not apply to the San Francisco Patrol Police, such as those heard from public police and police unions regarding citizen investigators implemented in San Francisco in July, 2010 (and in Mesa by our Police Chief there), or security guards called in by the Oakland City Council in August 2010 to help cover for the 80 police officers laid off in mid July, 2010. Regarding the citizen investigators, a Mesa officer Rick Perine, a police union trustee, said that they: "can't carry a gun and a badge and throw on a bulletproof vest and back us up." Regarding the Oakland security guards, OPD spokesperson Jeff Thomason said, "People want to go with armed guards because they believe it's cheaper, but they lack adequate training [and] background checks. Oakland police are better prepared for this city's streets than a few security guards." The San Francisco Patrol Specials are annually trained by the Police chief standards, and pass background checks by the SFPD to begin with. They are legally armed, wear bulletproof vests, are uniformed much like an SPFD officer, are structured under the SFPD and regulated by the Police Commission, and are on police radio frequencies -- yet cost the taxpayer not one dime since they are privately paid by residents and merchants who care about their neighborhood, business and personal safety.
7. NY Times 8-13-10 - In Oakland, Private Force May Be Hired for Security
8. Salon.com 7/27/10 - San Francisco police to use civilian investigators
9. New York Times 7/22/10 - SFPD Patrolling Near Clubs Carries High Cost. Video report from KPIX CBS 5.  Note that a SFPD officer calls for clubs to pay for private policing. The Patrol Specials provide effective club policing at only $48/hr. compared to off-duty SFPD officers for private policing at $109/hr if patrol cars are required. Patrol Specials do not consider this important crime-preventing policing of clubs to be "baby sitting."
10. SF Examiner 7/22/10 - City Budget finally approved, but suspect?
11. SF Examiner 7/21/10 - Bell, CA (city of 38,000 near LA) police chief earns more than LA Police Chief! Residents organize. Police Association members join residents to protest high salaries.  See also the Bloomberg report.  Note that the police chief and two other leaders, resigned on Friday, July 23.  Click here to see SF Examiner 7/27/10 article.
12. SF Examiner 6/24/10 - Crime in City to Heighten This Summer
13. LA Times 6/23/10 - Maywood city declares bankruptcy due to city refusal to provide liability insurance to police department because of excessive lawsuits for brutality and other. 
    Note, Patrol Special Police are consistently reported by all to be professional, courteous, and compassionate. On March 12 the Police Chief noted that he is aware that "There’s no question that in some places there are people who certainly are in favor of having Patrol Specials. This is not to take away from the quality of service that Patrol Special officers provide because I think some of them are very professional and they are very courteous and very effective in what they do. ”
14. SF Examiner 6/6/10 - Two memorials for Officer Warner planned.
15. SF Examiner 6/6/10 - By Erin Sherbert, Patrol Specials gather to honor fallen officer
16. Libertarian Party 6/6/10 - Memorial for Officer Jane Warner on June 9
17. SF NYI Net 6/7/10 -  Memorial mentioned
18. Bay Area Reporter 6/3/10 -News in Brief - Memorial mentioned
19. Noe Valley Voice June 2010 - Memorial services for Officer Jane
20. Bay Area Reporter 5/27/10 - Support for Jane Warner Plaza grows.
21. SF Examiner 5/26/10 - Letter to the Editor: Remembering Officer Jane: where are the roses?
22. SF Weekly 5/19/10 - Did SFPD needlessly hound a rival officer (Jane Warner) while she lay dying of cancer?
23. SF Weekly 5/18/10 - Castro Plaza may be named in honor of Officer Jane Warner.
24. Cafe Flore 5/14/10 - client of Officer Jane Warner, honors her service.
25. Bay Area Reporter 5/7/10 - Officer Jane Warner's beats are covered in the Castro; message from her new manager.
26. SF Examiner 5/7/10 - More than 30 SFPD officers' histories of criminal convictions should have been disclosed to defense attorneys, but weren't. (What are the implications on convictions obtained without this crucial defense information?). Note, Patrol Special Police Officers are not approved by the SFPD if they have a criminal conviction history, even an infraction or misdemeanor, apparently contrary to the SFPD standards for its own officers.
27. The Economist 4/8/10 -  "The Mean Streets of Guildford" - how private security is an effective and cost-savings safety program.
28. SF Chronicle 4/27/10 - SF government worker/SFPD salaries (and overtime earned). Note the below top four SFPD earners. Officer Keohane ranking no. one, retired last year and now earns 90% of his last three years' annual salaries, paid for by us taxpayers our of the city coffers for every single year that he lives. San Franciscans earn only about $47,000 on an average per year. Note Ingleside Captain Cassenego falls 43d in ranking, and earned $80,000 in overtime last year plus a salary of $236,597. The SFPD officer who shepherds applications for new Patrol Special officers (from the office who has lost applications over the years, and taken 1 to 17 years to process them), earned $147,660 plus $12,548 in 2009. Should overtime be abolished? Should the entire off duty SFPD policing program known as "10b" be abolished, and the need fill with incredibly reasonably priced Patrol Specials?
29. Contra Costa Times 4/22/10 - BART police spend too much time in patrol cars
30. SF Examiner 4/2/10 - Op Ed: Leave community policing needs to capable Patrol Special Police
31. SF Examiner 4/1/10- Letter to Editor:  Patrol Specials an asset to San Francisco
32. SF Examiner 4/16/10 - San Francisco standing tall - an early history.
33. SF Examiner 3/13/10 - Health plans (and high pension costs) bleeding The City amid deficit woes.
34. SF Bay Guardian 3/12/10 - Supes pass resolution protecting SF Patrol Special Police Officers
35. SF Examiner 3/1/10 - Supervisors back enhanced penalties for those who attack Patrol Specials
36. SF Examiner 2/24/10 - Letter to the Editor on the cause of the public safety and SFPD fiscal crises.
37. SF Weekly 2/9/10 -  Patrol Specials Identify Officer Who Shot Suspect in Nightclub Gun Battle
38. AP Wire 2/11/10 - Seattle unarmed private security officers refuse request by 15-yr old girl to protect her from assault, because powers limited to 'observe and report', girl robbed, injured and sues.
    *Note Patrol Special Police are armed, trained, and will act to protect life and injury; they are not private security guards.
    
39. CBS4 2/2/10 - Miami Beach Police: No Off-Duty Super Bowl Work by Michael Williams
40. Notes from Mayor’s Press Conference with San Francisco Police Chief Gascon and staff Jan. 29, 2010
41. SF Chronicle 1/28/10 - San Francisco's Pension Fund the Envy of Others
42. Christian Science Monitor 1/27/09 - As Property Crimes Mount, More Neighbors are On Patrol
43. SF Examiner 1/25/10 - Spike in young robbers
44. SF Examiner 1/19/10 - Glen Park private patrol program receives glowing reports
45. SF Chronicle Editorial "A Pension Scandal" 1/18/10 - Pension spiking (by public unions)
46. World Journal 1/12/10 - Police charged with the public security and peace outreach to community
47. SF Examiner 1/6/10 - Dufty urges protections for patrol specials
48. SF Weekly 1/4/10 - Who Likes Cops? Survey Claims Police-for-Hire More Popular than SFPD
49. Bay Area Reporter 12/31/09 - Patrol Special officer injured in Christmas melee
50. Op Ed article by Police Chief 12/30/09 - Chief announces certain cutbacks in public police this year
51. SF Examiner 12/21/09- Police Department records distorted (crime underreported says Police Chief)
52. SF Examiner, 12/21/09 - Chief cracks down on overtimee
53. SF Examiner 12/16/09 - Patrol Special Police offer to serve on public buses
54. SF Weekly 12/14/09 - San Francisco the Worst Run City in the US
55. Bay Area Reporter 12/10/09 - Police chief calls for community involvement
56. ABC Channel 7 News 12/4/09 - SFPD chief launches crackdown on overtime abuse
57. SF Examiner 4 /13/09 - High cost of off-duty police program known as 10b, threatens street festival organizers
58. SF Examiner 3/6/09 - Glen Park Patrol Special Safety Program
59. Channel 2 Evening News with Rob Roth 3/6/09 - video coverage on Glen Park Patrol Special Safety Program
60. Gallery of Images from the Glen Park Festival 4/09
61. Video clip of celebration on famed Castro Street with Patrol Special Police standing watch.
62. SF Weekly 4/19/95 - Cops vs. Cops
63. Time.com 1/24/77 - The Law: Police For Hire (early article on the Patrol Special Police).