On March 11, the Taraval Police Station commenced a unique program to assist victims of crime entitled the "Ambassador Program.

" Sgt. Robert Bohanan of the night watch suggested the program and we are already excited by the results in just the few days that we have been contacting victims of crime.

Police officers are well aware that often crime victims make a police report and that is the last time they ever hear from the police or any other city agency. Some of this is due to the sheer volume of cases where there is no evidence or information available to solve a crime. In addition, often victims do not contact any of the agencies available to them in the criminal justice system due to cultural or ethnic issues, vulnerability, fear of retribution or lack of knowledge.

So, we are making every effort to contact victims of violent crime after the fact to determine if crime prevention tips are appropriate, services are needed or just a comforting voice when these criminal acts have traumatized the victim. The feedback that we have received from the victims we have called and visited has been universally positive and appreciated.

During this 90-day pilot project headed by Bohanan, we are focusing on the most vulnerable, those who live alone and those who may be most in need of public services that are available in San Francisco.

This service is not meant to supplant existing victim/witness services provided by the District Attorney's Office or any other agency.

At the Taraval Station, we always strive to find ways to assist the community we serve.

Capt. Paul Chignell is the commanding officer at the Taraval Police Station.