In the Works - Community Newsletter February 2017 | Page 44

Ex-cop Finds New Home at Public Works

San Francisco Police Department Capt . John Goldberg retired his badge four years ago , but fortunately for the Public Works Project Management team , he still thinks like a cop .
Since January 2013 , the 32-year SFPD veteran has worked as a part-time consultant for our group in charge of renovating district police stations . While the architects , engineers and construction professionals are experts when it comes to the ins-and-outs of building design , Goldberg provides invaluable insight into what makes a station user-friendly for the actual users .
“ I bring a different perspective ,” he admits . “ I try to enhance their understanding of the necessities and special requirements that are unique to these facilities .”
As a retired City employee and without affecting his pension , Goldberg can work up to 960 hours a year assisting the project management team working on the projects funded by the voter-approved Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response bonds . For him , it ’ s the best of both worlds – he gets to return to many of the stations he ’ s worked at to tap into the officers ’ needs , while helping Public Works upgrade the facilities .
Police stations are different from other civic buildings , Goldberg says . They ’ re open 24 / 7 and must withstand persistent wear-andtear . “ Cops are hard on buildings because of all the equipment they wear ,” he explains . “ The walls take a beating and continuously get gauged by gun butts , radios and batons .”
Goldberg ’ s versatility as a leader and sharp thinker was evident throughout his law enforcement career . Early on , the San Francisco native earned a gold medal for his handling of a shooting incident ; later , he served as captain at Tenderloin , Central and Mission stations . He completed assignments in investigations , forensics and training ; and oversaw the SWAT teams and bomb squad at SFPD ’ s Tactical Company .
Some of his more memorable assignments included the time Queen Elizabeth sailed into San Francisco on her yacht , the filming of the James Bond movie A View to a Kill near what is now AT & T Park , and the time he arrested actor Martin Sheen at a downtown protest . ( Sheen turned out to be a good sport and ended up posing for photos with officers at the station after the requisite mug shots ).
Goldberg ’ s connection to Public Works was cemented toward the end of his SFPD tenure when he became the police liaison for the high-profile Public Safety Building . Mid-project , he was faced with a dilemma : take his scheduled retirement or see the project to completion .
Turns out , he could do both .
John Goldberg stands in the lobby of the police headquarters at the Public Safety campus in Mission Bay .