When a belligerent man began bothering customers at the bustling Sheng Kee bakery on Irving Street, concerned employees called 911. But help could have been a long time coming given the severe shortage of police officers in San Francisco. Fortunately, retired police officers answered the call.

To fill the gap in police officers (San Francisco is short nearly 600 officers for a city our size) there is a program that brings retired officers back to work. They are called police ambassadors and they walk the beat. They are unarmed and without the power to arrest. But they can handle low-level emergencies. They also have the experience to know when to call in crimes and provide much-needed coverage for our stretched-thin police force. 

Within minutes of hearing a police dispatcher’s broadcast of the bakery’s emergency call, two ambassadors were on the scene, says Sheng Kee Manager Charlie Tran. “They had their eyes locked on the guy and stayed around to make sure everyone was safe,” he says. “They’re really great to have around.”

Former beat cops Howard Chu and William (Bud) Clinton are two of the ten new police ambassadors assigned to the Sunset. Chu retired with 31 years experience and Clinton is a 29-year veteran.

The easy-going Chu was known as “Mustache Man” when he was a beat cop in Chinatown. His current beat partner is wise-cracking Clinton. They’re easily recognized by their bright blue and white windbreakers as they walk up and down Irving and Noriega Streets.

“We always say hi to everybody and offer our services,” says Chu, who finds talking with business owners and residents the best part of the job. “We try to develop a rapport with the community.” 

They are a vigilant – and comforting – duo dispensing hellos and watching out for suspicious behavior.

“We’re the eyes and ears of the SFPD in the neighborhood,” says Clinton, “and that’s crucial with the current shortage of police officers.”

Chu and Clinton are among 75 retired officers working as police ambassadors in high-profile areas such as Union Square, the Mission and now, thanks to expansion of the program, in the Sunset. Supervisor Joel Engardio, who represents the Sunset, pushed to get police ambassadors on Irving and Noriega streets as one of his first actions upon taking office this year. Previously, there were no plans to bring the police ambassadors to the Sunset.

Police versus community ambassadors
The Sunset now has two sets of ambassadors: police and community. Our community ambassadors are city employees who wear yellow and black jackets. They walk Sunset neighborhoods weekdays focused on public safety. They escort kids and seniors, check in with businesses, and call in problems to police and fire officials. Read a profile about the Sunset’s community ambassadors. 

The community ambassadors in yellow jackets work in conjunction with the police ambassadors in blue jackets. The community ambassadors only work on weekdays. The police ambassadors work on weekdays and weekends. They try to cover different streets at different times to increase total coverage throughout the Sunset. 

As police ambassadors, Chu and Clinton carry police radios. This enables them to monitor police calls and respond quickly to incidents where armed officers are not needed.

Police ambassador impact
Currently, SFPD is nearly 600 officers short of the 2,182 recommended by a city-commissioned staffing analysis. The shortage is largely blamed on retirements and resignations.

Although violent crime is down in the city, a recent city survey said residents feel less safe than at any point in the past 20 years.

In the Sunset, meanwhile, the police ambassadors are making business owners and residents feel safer. At the Bank of America, guard Gerry Farraj says he sees the ambassadors every Saturday, and “they always stop and ask if everything is okay.”

Nearby, from his perch on a stool outside the Sunset Pipeline cannabis dispensary, guard Asi also attests to the ambassadors’ regular presence. “They walk up one side of Irving and then back down the other side,” he says. “I’ve seen them help people who have passed out. I like the fact that they walk around, and you can always see them. We really need these guys; there’s a lot of traffic, both foot and car.”

Following a car accident recently in front of the dispensary, Asi says he watched two ambassadors take charge of the situation, staying on the scene to make sure both drivers moved their cars out of traffic and exchanged license information.

“The merchants are happy to see us, and the public is more at ease,” says Chu.  “But there’s still shoplifting; there’s still theft.” 

Indeed, says a shopkeeper who did not want to give his name, “The biggest problems are at night, when the ambassadors are not on duty.”

The police ambassadors work from 9a to 5p on weekdays and weekends. 

Nonetheless, Chu and Clinton feel they are making a positive contribution to the community while enjoying retirement more than they ever expected.

Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Tom Colin. We encourage retired journalists and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.