San Francisco Police Hiring Citizen Investigators

When San Franciscans report a break-in or burglary -- after the fact -- the officer despatched to the scene of the crime might not be police at all.

A new pilot program from the San Francisco Police Department will train 15 citizens to take reports and collect evidence from property crime cases starting in January.

The idea, from San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon, is meant to reduce the strain on sworn officers who should otherwise be busy trying to stop violent crime.

Gascon previously implemented a program at his last department in Mesa, Ariz., where and SFPD spokesperson reported 40 percent less work for the regular police.

The program in Mesa has since been expanded city-wide. San Francisco's effort is planned to last six months to see if it works as expected.

The good news is that it could also significantly decrease the amount of time you might have to wait for someone to arrive to file a report.

If you want to hunt for fingerprints and try to puzzle out mysterious clues, apply at your local station.

Jackson West has never filed a police report, probably because he has little worth stealing.