COMMUNITY TRAINING

     
Castro Community On Patrol (CCOP), in collaboration with our long-time safety partner Community Patrol Service (CPS) is committed to offering community safety training and classes in a variety of important areas. Some of these classes are FREE when provided as a Community class, while others may have a low participant fee.
We typically offer classes in a variety of subjects throughout each calendar year including:
  • Beginners FREE Self-Defense Training Class –  06/17/2023  1PM-4PM PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED – last class was 04/29/2023
  • First Aid / CPR / AED / Narcan Training Class – None scheduled at this time – last class was 10/23/2022
  • Stop The Bleed Training Class – None scheduled at this time – last class was in 2021
  • Active Shooter Training Class – None scheduled at this time – last class was 04/20/2023
  • Active Shooter – Terrorist Incident – Event Protection Training Class for Bars & Clubs – 06/11/2023 1PM-3PM PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED – last class was 01/15/2023
Click below to view some news media coverage of our prior ‘Active Shooter – Terrorist Incident – Event Protection’ training class on December 21, 2022.

GIVE US JUST 3 HOURS A MONTH

Castro Community On Patrol (CCOP), a program of San Francisco Safety Awareness For Everyone (SF-SAFE), seeks new volunteers to help patrol the Castro neighborhood on a monthly basis.
CCOP has successfully patrolled the Castro neighborhood since our creation in 2006, deploying teams of three unpaid volunteer Patrollers for a 3-hour shift which they select themselves.
As a visible safety presence in the neighborhood, our patrols offer assistance, information, guidance, and support to the residents, businesses, and visitors of the Castro, interacting with thousands of people every year. We are “First Reporters” by calling in Medical, Fire, or Law Enforcement professionals when needed, and we will offer assistance when safe to do so until the professionals arrive.
CCOP also assists other community groups to make their events successful, and we are often a part of the developing history of the LGBTQQI+ community. In the past we’ve assisted at PROP8 events, Pulse Nightclub rallies, Harvey Milk Memorial annual events, and many others. We also assist at regular community events by providing safety volunteers such as Sisters Easter in the Park, SF Pride safety events, Castro Street Fair, Santa Skivvies Run, PRC Holiday Dinner and many more.
Our volunteers are mostly members of the LGBTQQI community, but we are open and welcoming to ALL who want to donate just three hours a month to help keep the Castro neighborhood a little safer.
In addition to our patrolling and event safety support, we also conduct extensive outreach and community training in a variety of important topics which help to raise the awareness and responsiveness of individuals and the broader community in general.  We collaborate and work closely with Federal, State, and local authorities to offer additional support and resources such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative, and of course the City and County of San Francisco among many others.
We will provide full training (by Zoom during the current COVID pandemic) and you will deploy with experienced senior volunteers. Patrolling is fun, you get to meet lots of people, and you can feel good about helping out the community.

JOIN US / TRAIN WITH US

BECOME A PATROL VOLUNTEER

Anyone of 18 years of age or older is welcome.  Initial training is conducted on-line via Zoom throughout the year, followed by four supervised patrols with experienced Patrollers.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

COMMUNITY TRAINING CLASSES

FREE 3-HOUR BEGINNERS SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING CLASS
Open to anyone of 18 years or older, normally held once per quarter.  Our next class will be held:

FREE ACTIVE SHOOTER BASIC TRAINING CLASS
Open to anyone of 18 years or older, normally held once per quarter.  We will update this space when we secure a date, time, and location for the class.

  • NOTHING SCHEDULED AT THIS TIME

SPECIAL CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION TRAINING

Active Shooter – Terrorist Incident – Event Protection Training Class –  For Bars, Clubs, Businesses, Organizations, and Event organizers.

FIRST AID / CPR / AED CERTIFICATION CLASS WITH BAY AREA RED CROSS
Open to anyone of 18 years or older, normally held once per quarter.  We will update this space when we secure a date, time, and location for the class.

  • NOTHING SCHEDULED AT THIS TIME

We offer specialized advance training to qualifying LGBTQQI+ and allied corporations and community organizations.  This training includes 6-class Self-Defense Training,  Active Shooter & Terrorist Incident Training,  Event Protection Training.  Contact us at INFO@CastroPatrol.org to discuss your specific needs.

KEEPING THE COMMUNITY
SAFE SINCE 2006

We deliver several KEY programs to help improve and enhance the “fabric of safety” for the neighborhood including:

  • COPS – Community On Patrol Service program which trains, certifies, and deploys volunteers on regular neighborhood patrols, much like a normal neighborhood watch but with “boots on the ground” walking and interacting with residents, employees, and visitors.
  • CRESt – Community Response, Engagement, and Support  program which brings emergent community volunteers together with our trained Patrollers to assist other community groups and organizations with their special events, rally’s, marches and so on. Through this program our Patrollers also engage directly in the management of other community benefit efforts such as the Castro Cares program, Castro Merchants, Stop The Violence program, etc.
  • CET – Community Education  and Training program which develops training classes and outreach materials on a number of safety topics which are typically provided FREE to anyone seeking them.  This program includes our FREE Community Self-Defense classes and our FREE safety whistle distribution efforts.
  • CBW – Castro Business Watch program which we manage and organize.  The CBW is very much like a residents neighborhood watch, except this one is uniquely for businesses to share information and exchange ideas.

We also work diligently to share relevant information and concerns, ensuring the appropriate people, groups, and entities are involved in finding solutions.

MORE ABOUT COMMUNITY SAFETY

SAFE SPACE / SAFE PLACE PROGRAMS

             

Working closely with the San Francisco Police Department, the Castro & Upper Market Merchants Association, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Castro Patrol has promoted and supported the SAFE SPACE program since it was relaunched in 2009.

The SAFE SPACE program is a collaboration between commercial and retail businesses in the Castro who have agreed to offer a “sanctuary” and “SAFE SPACE” within their property to ANYONE who may feel threatened, or unsafe on the street.  The participating partner will give you sanctuary in their property while calling 9-1-1 or other appropriate resources on your behalf.

Look for the PINK TRIANGLE SAFE SPACE sign in commercial and retail windows and doorways to identify these participating partners, and please take a moment to thank them for participating and be sure to support them when possible.

The San Francisco Police Department, Community Engagement Division, also recently developed a SAFE PLACE program for the entire city.  Adopting the same concepts as the Castro program, the SFPD provide a RAINBOW POLICE STAR window sign to participating partners – but the program works precisely the same way.

  • Enter any store or business displaying the PINK TRIANGLE SAFE SPACE and/or the RAINBOW POLICE STAR SAFE PLACE window decal and advise them of your safety concern or needs.
  • The participating partner will summon resources as appropriate at your request and will allow you to remain in their facility until responders arrive.

If you are a ground floor commercial or retail business owner who would like to participate as a partner in the SAFE SPACE program, please reach out to us at INFO@CastroPatrol.org if you are located in the Castro neighborhood.  If you are located outside of the Castro neighborhood, please reach out to the SFPD directly at SFPDcommunityRelations@sfgov.org.

“Harvey Milk” SAFETY WHISTLE PROGRAM

MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY

As long as injustice & inequality persist, none of us can truly rest. It doesn’t take much to change a life, Get in touch today and start making the difference.

VOLUNTEER
DONATE NOW