Community Ambassadors Program

The Community Ambassadors Program (CAP) is a community safety and neighborhood engagement program. We engage, inform and assist community members in San Francisco. Look for our Ambassadors wearing bright yellow and black.

Community Ambassador shares an informational postcard with a small business owner in the Outer Sunset District

About us

CAP provides a visible, non-law enforcement safety presence in several neighborhoods. This focus on community safety helps us build trust, calm tensions, and prevent violence.

 

Learn more

A Community Ambassador in a yellow jacket stands at the intersection of 16th and Mission streets and waves

Our service data

Explore our new data dashboard that highlights services provided by Community Ambassadors.

 

Check out year to date data from FY 23-24.

Four community ambassadors smile outside City Hall's winter holiday festival

Join our team

We hire San Franciscans to be a safety presence in several neighborhoods. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

 

Learn how to apply.

Community Ambassadors Program

In this video

The Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs launched the Community Ambassadors Program in 2010 in the Bayview and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods as a response to cultural and linguistic tensions, increased violence, and the need for better community safety options.

Learn more about how CAP got its start in San Francisco. 

Transcript:

Adrienne Pon, former OCEIA Executive Director: The Community Ambassadors Program started in the Bayview, when  there was a problem in 2010 that escalated to a point where the community just wasn't going to take it anymore. The City couldn't do this by itself without the cooperation of our community partners. We're talking about: CBOs, the police department, everyday people on the street, people that want to see their streets and neighborhood safe and clean. When we started the Community Ambassadors Program, the emphasis really was on a non-uniform safety presence, so people know that they can rely on somebody that will help them, assist them to get off and on the bus, and get safe passage to their houses. They’re residents of the community.  So the Ambassadors play such an important role because they are trusted individuals, they are the bridge between the community and the City.

Jennifer Barrera, former Mid-Market Team Ambassador: Our main role is to promote safety and to engage the community. So we report any crime in the street, we assist merchants, we [help the] homeless if they need any help,  we inform the community about the resources that the City offers for San Francisco residents.

Alton Moore, former Chinatown Team Ambassador: We get the opportunity to keep the streets looking clean. So if there's graffiti, if there [is] drug paraphernalia, if there is anything that is unsafe, we report it to the proper officials and they get the individuals out there to take care of the problem. Even getting an individual in a situation where they're trying to get off drugs, or they're trying to get off alcohol, we point them in the direction to go to a particular place where they might, you know, get the assistance or the help they need. And it's not just about giving information, it's not just about pointing them in the right direction, it's about understanding who they are so that you know what you're dealing with, how to deal with them, and then get them the information needed in order to make their lives better 

Jennifer Barrera: We do a lot of wellness checks. Sometimes, some people in the streets are sleeping, sometimes we wake them up just to make sure they are breathing, we tell them: “do you want to go to a shelter?” and if they say yes, we call 3-1-1 and [help them] apply to a 90-day shelter. And from that, they will be able to get case management. If they want to look for a job or something… We also like to visit the merchant and make sure that they're doing great, and they don't have any complaints.

Alton Moore: So we work with almost every aspect of a community. Whether it's education, law enforcement, homelessness, business, maintenance, sanitation, we help people every day, you know. And it's beautiful because you never know what the day is going to bring and it's constantly something different.

Adrienne Pon: To stay and be an Ambassador, you have to go through about 30 sessions of training. Everything from police academy basics, to de-escalation, how to work with and talk to diverse communities, about half of our crew is bilingual. They speak a total of eight different languages. You have to know how to be competent in communicating either culturally or linguistically with the many different people that you're going to come across in the City. You have to know a lot about City programs and services, extensive knowledge about where to send people, where to refer people. You have to know about community-based organizations, or if someone needs help with their citizenship papers, or they are undocumented and they're afraid to seek services, they have to trust somebody in this City and it's the Community Ambassadors through their extensive training and their heart that really draws people to interact with the City.

Ricky Vedilago, former Ambassador: There's like, people from all different areas, you know what I mean? It's good to see people come together and work together. You know, they give everybody a shot and a chance.

Alton Moore: This program is beautiful because, first of all, you're helping people; but second of all, you're helping yourself. Because even if you don't stay, they still prepare you for life after an Ambassador.

Jennifer Barrera: This job helped me to approach people, to not to be shy or not to be scared. 

Ricky Vedialgo: I felt good that the Ambassadors hired me because they gave us all the training and made me feel more confident. 

Jennifer Barrera: I'm happy to help other people. I'm happy to make a change in other people's lives.

Ricky Vadialago: It gives people that that would have just slipped through the cracks… it gives them a chance to experience something positive, you know.

Alton Moore: Everyone who has come through this program is better because of it.

View transcript

Where we work

Chinatown team

Chinatown team

The Chinatown team operates throughout Chinatown from Powell St. to Kearny Street, and in Portsmouth Square.

Contact us: 
community.ambassadors@sfgov.org
Chinatown Team Lead: 415-652-7822

District 5 team

District 5 team

The District 5 team operates in the Haight-Ashbury, Lower Haight, Hayes Valley and Fillmore neighborhoods. 

Contact us:
community.ambassadors@sfgov.org
District 5 Team Lead: 415-635-6467

Mid-Market/Tenderloin team

Mid-Market/Tenderloin team

The Mid-Market/Tenderloin team operates throughout the Civic Center, Mid-Market and Tenderloin neighborhoods.

Contact us: 
community.ambassadors@sfgov.org
Mid-Market Team Lead: 415-531-7357

Mission team

Mission team

The Mission team operates near the 16th BART station and around neighborhood service centers in the Mission District. 

Contact us:
community.ambassadors@sfgov.org
Mission Team Lead: 415-531-7201

Outer Sunset team

Outer Sunset team

The Outer Sunset team operates throughout the commercial corridors on Irving, Noriega and Taraval Streets.

Contact us:
community.ambassadors@sfgov.org
Outer Sunset Team Lead: 415-635-6237

Southeast Neighborhoods team

Southeast Neighborhoods team

The Southeast Neighborhoods team operates near transit and business corridors in the Bayview, Visitacion Valley and Portola neighborhoods.

Contact us: 
community.ambassadors@sfgov.org
Southeast Neighborhoods Team Lead: 415-531-9087

 

Learn more about where our Community Ambassador teams operate.

A Community Ambassador helps someone connect to shelter resources

Community Ambassadors promote safety and connect people to important services in San Francisco.

Service data dashboards

Explore the service data for the Community Ambassadors Program. 

Get a safety escort to walk with you

Call 311 to get a Community Ambassador to walk you home or to an appointment, weekdays in some neighborhoods.

About

The Community Ambassadors Program community safety and neighborhood engagement program of the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA). CAP provides a visible, non-law enforcement safety presence in several neighborhoods. This focus on community safety helps us build trust, calm tensions, and prevent violence.

Contact us: community.ambassadors@sfgov.org