In a previous column, I reported that homophobia within police agencies not only affects openly gay and lesbian police (as reported recently by the Los Angeles Times), but it also leads to serious shortcomings in crime prevention affecting the GLBT community.

Obviously, solving the problem of homophobia within police agencies is something that is evolutionary. San Francisco is the model because it has openly gay and lesbian officers occupying supervisory posts in the department.

Gays and lesbians residing in the Castro, for example, rarely complain that the gay or lesbian cop who cites them for jaywalking is singling them out because of their sexual orientation.

Likewise, San Francisco gay and lesbian business owners who want to rid their premises of, for example, a meth dealer, but don’t want to lose their licenses or customers in the process, are unlikely to fear that their businesses will later be targeted.

Despite strong efforts by the SDPD to be more inclusive and sensitive to the local GLBT community, there are gays and lesbians who will not report domestic violence, robberies and rapes.

There are business owners whose services involve alcohol or adult fare. They fear involving police in any matter, especially if it will involve vice officers. If there was a task force composed of gay and lesbian cops, they may feel much more comfortable.

Until that day arrives, it’s a problem for all of us, because it can mean those who prey upon members of our community can continue to do so.

Victims of violent crime are the most obvious. The gay guy who was beaten and robbed by a trick he picked up at a bar won’t call to even report the crime. The robber goes on to his next victim. If the victim knew there was going to be a gay detective investigating, it might be different.

Victims of chemical crime are the ones we see the most. Drug addiction is far greater in the GLBT community than in the straight community. We all know the toll meth use is having on gay men. One reason? Drug dealers in our midst have had it made. They can get new buyers sucked into the vicious cycle of meth use. They can often deal it in our businesses or, if nothing else, see people under its influence.

Every business owner in our community can’t stand meth dealing and many are doing much to prevent drug sales and use. But, as most of us know, the biggest deterrent and the greatest help to those “addicted to meth” is arrest, because that means they will not go to jail. But under Prop 36 and lesbian D.A. Bonnie Dumanis, they will get treatment and counseling services.

True, there are some businesses that feed and profit from meth. Federal and state law allows police agencies to close a business and jail its owners for even allowing the use of drugs on the premises, including allowing “persons under influence” of a drug.

But, as it stands now, police don’t want to target gay businesses for two reasons: one, they don’t want to be accused of bias and two, a majority of straight police officers are uncomfortable with the gay community.

The victims are often legitimate business people. Licensed massage therapists, for example, who have completed the rigorous licensing rules San Diego requires, complain that they have to compete with those persons who offer massage and “release.”

If nothing else, until the Legislature comes to its senses and legalizes forms of prostitution, one would think those folks offering sexual relief under the guise of massage could be a bit more creative in advertising their services so as not to deceive the public.

In fact, some may bank on the notion that a gay victim will not contact the police.

And straight cops (who are totally cool with our community) tell me that they would not be comfortable nor convincing in gay situations.

It’s probably the same reason why male police officers don’t dress in drag and walk the streets of El Cajon Boulevard. (I think they should.) They prefer to leave that duty to female personnel even though many “women” prostitutes are men who have no desire to remove their penises.

Because of budget cutbacks, the SDPD recently cut its police liaison to the gay community. Not only should there be a liaison, there needs to be a unit composed of gay and lesbian officers (and those supportive) who can provide services in District 3.

The need for openly GLBT cops is crucial because some straight cops are simply “clueless” when it comes to crimes affecting the GLBT community.