[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of March 23, 2012. To be added to the station’s mailing list, email sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org.]
CAPTAIN ERIC VINTERO’S MESSAGE
St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Recap:
The Officers at Richmond Station worked very hard this weekend to ensure public safety. A DUI checkpoint was set up at Geary and 9th Avenue by the SFPD’s Traffic Company on Saturday night. Over 400 cars/drivers were inspected, but there were no arrests made related to drunk driving. There were no injury accidents in the district due to an intoxicated driver.
Richmond Station undercover officers conducted inspections at numerous bars along the Geary and Clement Street corridor. A total of 15 misdemeanor arrests were made for offenses such as: minor on premises (under 21), possession of a fake ID, bar allowing consumption of alcohol after 2:00 am, a warrant arrest, and a furnishing marijuana arrest. Numerous quality of life infraction citations were also issued for public urination and drinking in public. The majority of the culprits were college students from outside of San Francisco. Our Station permit Officer will be working closely with ABC, the SFPD Alcohol Licensing Unit, and the Entertainment Commission to ensure that these businesses will be held accountable for violations. There were no violent crimes reported over the weekend.
Crime and Traffic Enforcement Updates:
The latest CompStat numbers are in, and I am happy to report that all violent and property crimes are down in comparison to last months statistics (the latest extraction period is 02-19-12 to 03-17-12). The only crime that is up in the Richmond District (YTD) in comparison with 2011 statistics is auto theft. Officers at Richmond Station will be focusing on this problem in an effort to dramatically bring this number down. Many of the vehicles stolen are 90’s models Japanese make cars such as Honda’s and Acura’s. These vehicles are often targeted because their ignitions can easily be “punched” or accessed using a “shaved” key. If you own such a vehicle, I encourage you to purchase some sort of steering wheel lock device.
Richmond Station Officers write over 200 traffic citations a week. Officers focus on areas where we experience frequent accidents, and also on areas where we receive community complaints regarding unsafe conditions. Our Officers also pay special attention to areas around senior centers, schools, parks, and shopping corridors. Traffic enforcement is a high priority and we will continue to work hard to produce traffic calming effects throughout the district.
NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 03/17/12 at 8:10pm officers were called to a report of person breaking into a premise on the 200 block of Collins. When officers arrived on scene, the suspect had fled the premise and was walking away from the home. The suspect was pointed out and when the officers went to detain him he fled on foot. A foot pursuit ensued and when one of the officers caught up to the suspect, he took a fighting stance. Other officers arrived on scene and were able to detain the suspect. The victim told the officers that he had looked out his front window and saw the suspect sleeping in front of his garage door. He went to call the police and when he returned he looked out again and the suspect was gone. When he went outside to check he saw that the side door, next to the garage had been kicked in. He walked through and saw that an interior door, which led to his father’s residence, had also been kicked in. The victim saw the suspect standing near the damaged door and he ran out to call the police. When he came back downstairs the suspect was gone and his father was on the floor. The officers interviewed the father who said that he heard the exterior door being kicked in and yelled out to the suspect to go away. The dad was standing inside his unit with the door shut and locked. Once the suspect got through the exterior door, he kicked in the door to the father’s residence and because the dad was behind the door, it knocked him over. The father made eye contact with the suspect who then fled the building. The 26 year old male was charged with trespassing, vandalism and elder abuse.
On 03/19/12 at 2:52pm, officers were called to a bank on a report of a female trying to cash a fraudulent check. Plainclothes officers arrived first and detained the suspect. During the investigation the officers spoke to the victim whose name was on the check and whose account it supposedly was. She told the officers that she was in possession of all her checks and did not know how the suspect obtained one of her checks, nor did she know the suspect. Other responding officers located the vehicle associated with the suspect in the bank and the occupants were detained. It was determined that the suspect in the bank was given the check to cash by one of the occupants in the vehicle. She was driven to the bank to make the transaction and subsequently was detained. The four occupants in the vehicle were charged with conspiracy, fraud and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The female in the bank, a 17 year old was charged with burglary and fraud related charges.
On 03/20/12 at 3:45pm, officers were called to the area of 15th and California in regards to a robbery that occurred
on a MUNI bus. The victim reported that the she was on the 28 MUNI line and her phone was in her jacket pocket. When the bus stopped at Park Presidio and Fulton, the suspect grabbed the phone from the pocket and ran off the bus. The victim was able to exit at Park Presidio and California Sts and went to a nearby business and was tracking her phone. The phone was currently being tracked at 17th and Geary and officers located the suspect there in possession of the victim’s phone. The suspect told the officers “This isn’t fair. Someone stole my phone, that why I had to take hers, because I needed a phone.” The suspect, a 35 year old female was charged with robbery and possession of stolen property.
On 03/21/12 at 1:25am, officers were called to the 3900 block of Geary on a report of a large fight in front of a bar. Several officers arrived on scene and separated the parties. One of the officers tried to speak to a female involved but she was extremely intoxicated and belligerent. She kept walking away from the officer who finally had to grab her wrist and at that point the female began to thrash around and struggled with the officer. The suspect was finally placed into handcuffs and put into the backseat of a patrol vehicle. The suspect still had her legs outside the vehicle and refused to listen to the officers when they told her to place her legs in the car. One of the officers reached over to grab her feet and the suspect leaned back and lay on the seat and kicked the officer in the torso and hands. They were finally able to get her into the patrol vehicle. The 28 year old female was charged with being drunk in public, resisting arrest and battery on a police officer.
NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
Between 03/13/12, 6pm and 03/16/12, 7am on the 100 block of Point Lobos, the suspect entered a garage and took 3 bikes. There were no signs of forced entry.
On 03/16/12, between 11:50am and 7pm the suspect gained entry into an apartment through an open window and took cash.
On 03/17/12, between 2:45pm and 3:05pm, two suspects gained entry into a church on the 6200 block of Geary via a side door that may have been left unlocked. The suspects forced open and small desk where donations are dropped and took the cash from inside.
On 03/19/12 between 11:20am and 1:20pm on the 700 block of Presidio, a suspect gained entry into an apartment through an unlocked window. The suspect took a laptop, 2 watches and 2 cameras.
On 03/19/12 at 9:40pm, the victim was being dropped off in front of her home on the 3700 block of Jackson St . She had the passenger side door open with her purse still on her lap when the suspect ran up and grabbed her purse. The victim struggled to keep her purse and was pulled to the ground. The suspect was able to get control of the purse and ran west on Jackson St toward Cherry. The suspect was described as a black male, 45-50 years of age wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt with a tan jacket. The victim was uninjured.
On 03/20/12 between 9am and 3pm on the 4800 block of Anza, a suspect gained entry into a residence by prying open a side door. The suspect took cash, jewelry and an ipad.