[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of February 17, 2012. To be added to the station’s mailing list, email sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org.]
CAPTAIN ERIC VINTERO’S MESSAGE
Burglaries
The Richmond District continues to experience a number of residential burglaries. The Officers at Richmond Station have made numerous arrests of persons on probation and parole (many of them in possession of burglary tools). We have increased patrols in car sectors which have shown an increase in burglaries, and have been also been focusing on known career criminals as well.
Attached to this newsletter are some residential burglary prevention tips (TOP 10 BEST TIPS FOR RESIDENTIAL SECURITY) from SF SAFE. If you are concerned about your residence’s vulnerability to burglary, please contact San Francisco SAFE to arrange for an on-site security survey. Surveys are helpful in assessing the overall security of a home and implementing effective prevention measures. You can contact SAFE at (415)553-1984 or check their website at www.sfsafe.org.
If you see any suspicious activity or persons, immediately report it to the police at (415) 553-0123. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency (an in progress crime, or a crime which is about to occur). Be prepared to provide a description of suspects involved.
Golden Gate Park Concerts/Special Events meeting
On Wednesday, March 14, at 7 p.m., there will be a community meeting to discuss neighborhood concerns regarding large concerts and events in Golden Gate Park . The meeting will be at the Community Meeting Room of the Richmond Police station at 461 6th Avenue . This will be a working meeting to identify issues and propose solutions. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend. Questions: morgan@sfsafe.org
The next Richmond District community meeting will be held at Richmond Station on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 7pm.
NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 02/24/12 at 2pm, officers responded to a call of a fire on the 600 block of 48th Ave and SFFD was also enroute. Firefighters were on scene and extinguishing branches and shrubbery that had been set on fire and had been placed against a rear wall. Firefighters had also made forced entry into the home to search for occupants, but the resident wasn’t there. Firefighters then asked for police assistance in the backyard as there was somewhere there who was interfering with their work. Officers detained the male who first said he was the owner and then claimed he was an undercover officer. He then told the officers that he had been hired to doing yard work and started a fire to clear out the yard. Officers were able to contact the owner’s son who came to the home and said that they did not know the suspect nor had they hired anyone to do yard work. Through the investigation officers were able to determine that the suspect had also entered the home and taken items from within. The 34 year old male was charged with arson, burglary and possession of stolen property.
On 02/24/12 at 8:43pm, officers were patrolling the area of JFK Drive near Speedway Meadow. They observed 3 individuals, two of whom the officers knew were on probation. The officers stopped to speak to the 3 and determined that the female with them was also on probation and subject to search. Officers located methamphetamine and bolt cutters in her backpack. The 25 year old female was charged with narcotic violations and possession of burglar tools.
On 02/27/12 at 11:30am, officers responded to a call of a male who had been assaulted near the south side of the Polo Fields. They located the victim, who is a transient and he had a bloody nose and complained that he was also struck in the head, possibly with a large branch. He was also kicked and punched numerous times by the suspect. The victim, prior to be transported to the hospital was able to tell the officers that he was assaulted by the suspect as the suspect had seen the victim with his girlfriend. The suspect told him, “You’re going to die.” The victim was able to provide a “street name” for the suspect and the plainclothes officers were able to identify the suspect. On 02/28/12, plainclothes officers searched the area of the west end of Golden Gate Park and located the suspect in a tent along with his girlfriend. The suspect was charged with aggravated assault and criminal threats. The girlfriend was transferred into the custody of US Park Police as they are investigating her involvement in a burglary that occurred in the Presidio.
On 02/28/12 at 8:30pm, officers were called to the 300 block of Seacliff on a report of an intoxicated male who was breaking planters and kicking over garbage cans. Officers located the male hiding behind some bushes on the 400 block of Seacliff and he told them he was made because a cabdriver had dropped him off at the wrong location. Officers were able to determine that the suspect had kicked the side view mirror off of two cars and broke two large ceramic planters from in front of a home. None of the victims wished to press charges and the suspect, 29 years old, was booked on minor warrants.
NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
Between 02/24/12, 5:30pm and 02/27/12, 9am on the 4800 block of Geary, a suspect made entry into a medical supply company by smashing out a window in the rear of the office. The suspect took cash.
On 02/24/12 at 7pm, the victim was had set up his camera on a tripod at the corner of Washington and Presidio. Two males approached from an unknown direction and one of the suspects grabbed his camera, while the other punched the victim in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. The victim’s glasses flew off and he was unable to get a description.
Between 02/24/12, 8:30pm and 02/25/12, 6:30am on the 2900 block of Geary, a suspect gained entry into a business and residence which are both housed in the same building. The suspect took a ladder from the rear and got onto the roof of the building. He broke out the skylight and lowered the ladder into the building. The loss is still being determined. The suspect also got into the residence in the same building via a door on the roof where several items were set on fire. The resident had been doing repairs to his flat and had not lived there since November, so he was still trying to determine what loss if any he had.
Between 02/26/12, 3pm and 02/27/12, 5:40pm on the 2700 block of McAllister a suspect gained entry into a garage and took 3 bikes. It appeared that the suspect forced open the garage by lifting it up from the bottom and the door is know out of order.
On 02/27/12, at 3:21am, officers were sent to an alarm call on the 5800 block of Geary. Officers saw that a window in the front had been broken out. One officer climbed through the broken window and let the other officers into the business. A search was conducted and the owner arrived on scene. A suspect had gained entry and took money from the cash drawer and another bag that had contained a check and cash.
On 02/28/12 between 10:30am and 1pm on the 200 block of 5th Ave , a suspect gained entry into an apartment by
climbing through an unlocked window. The suspect took jewelry and an Ipod.
On 03/01/12 at 12:29am, officers went to a call of a burglar alarm sounding on the 800 block of Great Highway . Officers saw that the glass door had been shattered and the lock to the door itself was broken. Officers could see that the front counter had been overturned and a computer monitor was on the floor. The owner arrived and determined that cash had been taken from the register.
Has anyone noticed the new “STOPs” painted on the street at some intersections?
I truly appreciate the Richmond police and its blotter. However, it would be nice if they did a quick proofread. There are a lot of distracting typos in this edition.
I agree with mel. The continued grammatical and spelling errors are pretty bad. Plus not including the perpetrator’s race doesn’t help at all in trying to get information leading to an arrest. It’s about as useful as saying “Some guy broke into my car and stole several items.”
“Did you see him? What did he look like?”
“He was a man.”
Yeah, I know I wrote something similar before but you get the idea.
Any news on what sounded like a lovely melee last night (Thu 3/1) outside the Rockit Room around closing?
And I saw something going on at 23rd and Clement outside the Yet Wah a couple nights ago. A bunch of cops. I think someone drove into the front glass door cause now its missing.
The PDF link to SAFE/SFPD says: “Consider having an alarm system installed as a backup to the physical and personal security measures you have taken.”
In the 2/27 and 3/1 Noteworthy Incidents the businesses had an alarm and lock and neither of those helped. The 2/26 incident provokes concerns about a skylight, so what’s the solution there? Bars, barbed wire, etc.?
Re: not including the perpetrators race
In all the incidents described, there was either no description at all, or the perpetrator was arrested, so there’s no way adding race details would help get information.