Hillcrest Community Volunteer Patrol Exciting Updates: Leadership Opportunities and New Collaborations
Dear Hillcrest Community Volunteer Patrol Members,
I hope this message finds you well. I want to start by acknowledging and apologizing that it's been some time since our last update in early March, and I appreciate your patience during this period.
Gratitude and Leadership Transition
First, I want to thank Andrea Luke for her contributions as co-organizer. Due to increased work commitments, Andrea will be stepping down from this role but will continue to be an active patrol member. Her dedication has been instrumental in our progress, and we look forward to her ongoing participation.
Format Change: Group Meetups Instead of Scheduled Shifts
After testing out shift sign-ups in March, we’ve decided to simplify the format moving forward. Starting this weekend, we’ll meet as a group in front of Urban Mo’s Bar & Grill at 6 PM every Friday and Saturday evening. From there, we’ll head out together for a 2–3 hour community patrol.
The vibe is casual and flexible: come when you can, leave when you need to. If we have a large group, we’ll split into smaller teams and coordinate routes to make sure no one is patrolling alone.
This new approach allows us to build consistency, community, increase visibility, and make the most of our time together—no spreadsheets required!
I've made a recurring event on Eventbrite just to help get the word out but sign-up is not required.
Feel free to share with friends:
Patrol Leader Opportunities
As we continue to grow, I recognize that managing all aspects of our group is very demanding and I can't possibly do it alone. To prevent becoming a bottleneck and to ensure our group's success, I'm looking for volunteers to step into roles as Patrol Leaders. These individuals will assist in coordinating patrols, managing group activities, and ensuring smooth operations. If you're interested in taking on a leadership role, please email me.
Collaborations with Other Organizations
I'm excited to announce that we are exploring collaborations with organizations that share our commitment to community safety:
Strong Towns San Diego: Known for their "Walk 'N Talks," these events involve walking through neighborhoods to identify and report safety issues using the Get It Done app. This initiative aligns with our goals, and we will be co-hosting a walk with them in the near future. (https://www.instagram.com/strongtownssandiego/)
Safety Blows: This community-driven initiative focuses on promoting safety and awareness in response to concerns about hate crimes and discrimination. Although Safety Blows is based in Palm Springs, They recently conducted a workshop here in San Diego this past weekend along with a self-defense class led by our own Tony Kawakami, who is local to Hillcrest and has expressed interest in holding more classes for the queer community. (https://safetyblows.org/)
These partnerships aim to provide additional resources and training to our members.
Online Community
If you haven’t already, we’d love for you to join our online community space at https://community.gayborhoodwatch.org/. It’s a private platform where we can stay connected between patrols, share updates, post patrol reports, and keep the conversation going.
You can also download the GoKollab app and log in using the same email and password you used to create your account on the website—making it easy to stay in the loop while on the go.
Whether you're actively patrolling or just want to stay connected and informed, this is the best place to plug in.
Thank you for your continued dedication to making Hillcrest a safer place for everyone. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out!
Respectfully,
Bea
Hillcrest Community Volunteer Patrol Organizer
