Police Officer Profile: Veteran Sees New technology as Key to Better Police Force
Sunset police officer Simon Wong.
Simon Wong has been a San Francisco police officer for 16 years and he hopes a younger generation will join him.
San Francisco currently has a shortage of about 500 officers for a city its size. Many have retired or quit the profession with few new recruits willing to join — and this concerns Wong.
“The people of San Francisco need and rely on police officers responding whenever they call,” he says.
Residents want more police protection. But the key to recruitment is getting young people to believe that police officers are valued in San Francisco. We can't have all the patrols we want until young people are willing to become police officers.
That's why Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter regularly features a profile of a Taraval police officer so residents can get to know their life story and help change the narrative of what it means to be a police officer in San Francisco.
Young people also need to realize that SFPD is a leader in reform, having completed all 272 recommendations by the U.S. Department of Justice. It’s also important that young people get to know officers who represent a new generation of policing — so they can see that it's a meaningful job to serve others in uniform.
Simon is hopeful that recent developments will help with recruitment. For example, Proposition E was passed by voters in March to give police officers in San Francisco the tools they need to be more effective. Prop E allows SFPD to use drone technology for the first time, which has already shown results.
The path to a police profession
Wong started out in retail and found the job monotonous. He switched to law enforcement and said it was the right decision. He hopes today’s young people can find the same path to a fulfilling career in policing.
“Police work gives me a sense of usefulness, which is a great feeling to have. I find a lot of meaning in this job,” Wong says. “Each day is different.”
Wong also likes being able to help people, especially when meeting them during what might be the worst moments of their life.
“If you can’t help them with their specific problem, at least you can offer them resources, point them towards other avenues of resolution which they may not have considered,” Wong says. “You can even offer some empathy, which I find rewarding in and of itself.”
The role of technology
Wong has seen a lot change in his 16 years on the force. Recently, criminals have relied on new technology knowing SPFD was limited in how it could respond. But the passage of Prop E brings SFPD into the 21st century.
This is important because police work has become more challenging with constantly changing technology.
“Now, car thieves can break through the moonroof, slide into the car with their iPad and gain access to the car electronically within 30 seconds using the OBD2 data port,” Wong says.
Another innovation enables thieves to unlock a car electronically by accessing the car’s keyfob signal emanating from within the owner’s house and relaying that signal to the place where the car is parked.
Prop E will allow SFPD to use more surveillance cameras.
“When more intersections have a camera, more crimes will be captured because when the criminal leaves the scene we will be able to track where they go,” Wong says.
Crime stopper tips
Wong has a few tips for Sunset homeowners:
Don’t leave your garage door opener in your car if you park in your driveway or on the street.
Put a screwdriver in the garage door track at night so it can't be opened if the emergency release lever becomes disengaged.
Replace your garage door if it’s flimsy.
Be aware of your surroundings when you are out and about in the city.
NOTE: The San Francisco Police Department is hiring. Learn more here.
Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Tom Colin. We encourage residents with journalism experience, 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.