What does it mean to be a part of Shmira?

No. You don't even have to be Jewish. SPS serves our entire community. That said, we were founded out of the needs of the Jewish community. While we do not dictate any religious requirements, we do require an understanding of and respect for the observances of the Orthodox Jewish way of life. We strive to support the needs and culture of our entire community, irrespective of faith, gender, or race. 

Yes! Moreover, it is known throughout the security world that women are more observant than men and pick up on finer details that are important to proactive security theory. 

We want, and need, more women to join our team at every level.  

Applications are open to those who work or live in the Pico/Robertson, Hancock Park/La Brea, Tarzana/Reseda, or Valley Village/North Hollywood neighborhoods. 

Membership is open to all persons (21+), irrespective of gender, race, or religion.

All applicants must pass a detailed background check prior to being accepted.  

Field Members and Dispatchers must complete our initial training program and attend ongoing training sessions to remain active members. 

Other requirements and a minimal participation quota may also apply to maintaining active status in accordance with the organizational SOGs & protocols.

Quite to the contrary. Shmira Public Safety is a community safety organization. Unlike a licensed security company or a police officer, our role is not to detain or respond to criminal activity. Our role is mainly proactive, creating a deterrence to would-be criminals. As needed, our members establish a presence to aid in de-escalation, assist community members and motorists, establish crowd control, and utilize our trained observations to provide critical information to Law Enforcement and others. We often work hand in hand with local police and security agencies. 

If you witness a crime in progress, please call 911 immediately and provide as much information as possible to the operator. It is imperative that 911 be called in any true emergency. Shmira is not a substitute for the police. Our dispatchers will ask you if you have called 911, so please do so prior to calling our hotline. Aside from the general safety of having the police respond to emergencies, it is also very important for the department to have accurate records of all crimes and incidents, especially anything that could be considered a hate crime or a pre-event activity to terrorism. These records are used to allocate resources and provide missing pieces of the puzzle to local and federal agencies. 

Shmira Public Safety is an independent organization. We are not affiliated with, or members of, any other conglomerate.  We do often share ideas with or collaborate with many different groups, including other Shmira and Shomrim type organizations around the globe. In Los Angeles, we also often meet with and share intel with a select group of LA Based Jewish Public Safety and law enforcement organizations in a collaborative forum that was established in 2016. We also work together with other such organizations to provide a unified presence at many community events.

The first step is to complete the INTREST FORM APPLICATION. From there you will be contacted by a member of our personnel division. They will take the time to get to know you better and answer as many questions as they will ask you. If both parties wish to continue the process, they will ask you to complete the second part of the application and the background check authorization. After that, you can expect to have the opportunity to meet with a few other members, to ensure that we are all the right fit for each other. Once a prospective member is accepted into the program, they will be placed into the next session for the initial training program. 

Shmira Public Safety is 100% volunteer based. There is no salary, stipend or financial benefit provided to any member or officer of our organization. The only reward is knowing that you are doing your part in protecting our community.

Shmira Public Safety is a registered 501c(3) Not for profit organization. As such, we pride ourselves in knowing that 100% of the donations that we receive go toward the critical costs of equipment and services that are necessary to maintain our systems and provide our free services to the community. We have zero payroll expenses.