Crime is an unfortunate, but inevitable, aspect of urban living. But what steps can you take to make your community safer?

• First, be vigilant. If you notice suspicious activity, call the non-emergency number for the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD): (415) 553-0123. However, if you are witnessing a crime in progress — e.g., someone breaking into a car or home — call 911 for an immediate response. 
  
  
  • When reporting a crime, discreetly try to get as thorough a description of the alleged perpetrator as possible, as the SFPD will ask for details when you call. If you feel uncomfortable reporting a crime, be aware that you may remain anonymous; the important thing is to just make the call. If the police are not alerted to criminal activity, they can do nothing to stop it. Note that if you do chose to leave your name and number, you can request that the police call you back to let you know what action has been taken on your report. Once the police have responded to the situation, they'd enjoy getting a call back from you to say "thank you." For the address and phone number of your local precinct, go to the SFPD Web site.
    
    
• Each district police station also holds a monthly "Community Forum" hosted by the district captain. Here, you can voice concerns about neighborhood crime and public safety issues. Meetings usually take place in the evenings and have proved useful in establishing effective partnerships between residents and the police. You can get more information from the SFPD directly: (415) 553-1551. Schedules for SFPD Community Forums are also available online.