Police Officer Profile: A Constant Learning Curve for Night Shift Partners Dennis Lo and Philip Yang
Sunset police officers Dennis Lo (left) and Philip Yang.
Meet police officers Dennis Lo and Philip Yang. They’ve been partners on the overnight shift at Taraval station for more than three years, working together from 9pm to 7am. On busy nights, they can end up working until noon the next morning.
Dennis and Philip, both 27, have known each other since going through the police academy and have forged a bond as they tackle crime and help Sunset residents through vulnerable moments.
A typical night
Dennis says a typical night in the Sunset has a mix of burglaries, car thefts, domestic violence, and other family issues. The officers also see a number of addiction issues since they also respond to people on the street with addiction and mental illness issues, in coordination with street crisis teams.
“But it’s mostly a lot of home and store burglaries,” Dennis says.
As Dennis and Philip patrol through the Sunset, they answer calls and take action when they see a crime in progress. The non-driving partner is designated the investigating officer and writes the night’s report.
Learning curves
Dennis and Philip faced two learning curves: how to work smoothly as partners and how to become effective law enforcement officers.
“Good teamwork is something that is always evolving and that we are building upon,” Dennis says. “One person's investigation approach may be different from another person's, but we are all looking to capture the same information and work towards the same solution.”
While the police academy trained them well, Dennis and Philip also benefit from an effective police captain at their station who can share wisdom and advice.
“I’ve learned that you can try your best, but you won’t have a solution for everything,” Dennis says. “There are some times when you are just powerless against the issue at hand. You can’t let it bother you — you just try to mend the situation and carry on.”
Adapting to change
Dennis and Philip have only been in uniform a few years, but they’ve had to adapt to rapid changes in criminal activity. One example is the epidemic of catalytic converter thefts.
“That is a whole new phenomenon,” Dennis says. “No one was jacking up your car to steal precious metals from underneath.”
The partners take the changes in crime in stride.
“Right now, it's stealing cars and catalytic converters. Maybe three to four years from now there will be a new moneymaker,” Dennis says. “It’s still theft, just in different ways.”
The latest criminal tactic is obtaining master car keys on the black market, or using on-board diagnostic readers that re-code car keys. Dennis said some criminals rob locksmiths for their equipment so they can steal cars and break into businesses and homes.
“It’s something added to our plate that we have to keep an eye on,” he says.
But Dennis says the scariest change he has seen is the proliferation of assault rifles.
“When it comes to robberies, it’s not just a handgun anymore,” Dennis says. “Criminals are straight up robbing people with assault rifles. They’re super organized, hopping out of cars with one guy watching out for who might be recording them while the other guys with the assault rifles rob the people.”
Frustrations
Dennis and Philip face frustrations in their job that they can’t control, like ever-changing policies that can make their job more difficult and time-consuming.
They also see a lot of repeat offenders back on the street after an arrest.
While Philip says more criminals are being charged and convicted, he is still worried about the “revolving door” of crime.
“It’s still a revolving door,” Philip says. “Guys you arrested three years ago that should not be out on the street still keep getting arrested — with guns — doing the same thing they have always done.”
Dennis agrees: “A lot of crimes can be prevented as long as those repeat offenders get held.”
Seeking better tools
Dennis and Philip are looking forward to the new tools San Francisco police officers will have access to thanks to the passage of Proposition E in March, which allows SFPD to use drones and other surveillance technology that was previously banned.
“There are plenty of tools we could get that would not put anyone at risk but still allow us to track where criminals are going or even to stop them, such as drones, more license plate readers, video surveillance at intersections, and GPS trackers,” Dennis says. “We would also be able to return stolen vehicles to their owners a lot quicker.”
The best job in the world
“I still think this is the best job in the world,” Dennis says. “Every day is kind of a journey. You always meet new people and experience new things. You never know what you are going to encounter and the things you are going to learn that day. I just love being out in the field, doing what I can to help people.”
When Dennis and Philip were in their teens and early twenties, policing was starting to be viewed negatively and fewer young people wanted to be police officers.
Dennis says he wants to change that.
“My whole reason for becoming a police officer was that I wanted to be a reason that people still believe that good officers still exist,” Dennis says. “I wanted to change people’s outlook and change some minds — just being able to answer a call, help someone and make their day better.”
NOTE: The San Francisco Police Department is hiring. Learn more here.
Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Tom Colin. We encourage residents with journalism experience, retired journalists, and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.