San Francisco Mayor Lurie’s budget proposal for the City and County includes the immediate “sunsetting” and end to the Community Ambassadors Program (CAP), a vital and impactful community safety and neighborhood engagement program.

For over 14 years, the community ambassadors have provided a necessary and constant community safety presence that not only saves lives, but enhances them as well. As the first and original community ambassador program, CAP is the gold standard of community safety and neighborhood engagement in San Francisco and many of the newer programs have looked to them as models.

The huge impact the community ambassadors have on the well-being and safety of our most vulnerable communities is clear.

The multiple hours of training and support that goes into fostering each and every ambassador’s growth is exemplified in the many ambassadors who have moved on to various roles throughout the City’s workforce. 

The proposed budget would phase out CAP by 2027 by not renewing contracts—therefore laying off workers whose terms are expiring. Due to the current City hiring freeze, CAP is already operating at 50% capacity with a skeleton crew. CAP operations support staff will also receive layoff notices as their terms expire. 

“Our community knows the devastating impact of eliminating the Community Ambassadors Program. We must show City leadership once again that this budget proposal is unacceptable. It directly harms City workers and the vulnerable members of our communities that they serve every day,” said Jamie L. Richardson, SEIU 1021 member and City employee for over 10 years.  

Show your support for the Community Ambassadors Program!

Take action, including signing the #DontCutCAP petition, sending a letter to the Board of Supervisors, and more here.