[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of September 5, 2014. To be added to the station’s mailing list, email sfpdrichmondstation@sfgov.org.]
CAPTAIN SIMON SILVERMAN’S MESSAGE
When you think of nightlife in the City, you don’t usually think of the Richmond District, but we do have a few bars, clubs and restaurants that draw a late night clientele. This can sometimes cause problems in a district that is primarily residential. The vast majority of nightlife businesses in the Richmond want to be good neighbors and they work hard to do just that.
When problems occur, the SFPD can gain compliance through cooperation and or enforcement. This week, officers from Richmond Station made routine visits to several night spots in the district and found that most places were in compliance with the rules and regulations. Officers did cite a number of underage drinkers and noted some violations of the “Good Neighbor Policy” which places conditions on businesses. For instance, businesses have to keep doors and windows closed to reduce noise and have to prevent crowds from obstructing the sidewalks out front.
If you have nightlife related problems, please call us at Richmond Station and talk to the Permit Officer Tobius Moore and we will work to resolve it. We want the district to be safe, peaceful and enjoyable for all.
Our next community meeting will be on Tuesday 09-16-2014 at 6:00PM in the Community Room at Richmond Station: 461 6th Ave.
NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS & INCIDENTS
On 08/28/2014, at 7:04 pm, Officers responded to a report of a male sleeping at the wheel of a vehicle which was blocking the roadway. On their arrival at the 200 block of 24th Ave. the officers found the male in the vehicle slumped over the wheel with the engine running. The officers had to turn off the vehicle for the safety of all the parties involved. It took the officers an extended period of time to wake the driver to check on his wellbeing. When the driver woke up the officers noticed the objective signs of being under the influence of an unknown substance. The officers initiated a DUI investigation which resulted in the arrest of the driver and the seizure of a quantity of suspected various narcotics…
On 08/28/2014, 7:22 pm, Officers responded to Arguello St. to the house of a suspect with an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The officers were unable to locate the suspect at home and so called him to arrange a meeting where they would give him some documents. When officers arrived at the meeting place they were able to arrest the suspect on a $400,000.00 arrest warrant without incident.
On 08/29/2014, at 1:45 am, Officers responded to the area of Balboa and Great Hwy regarding a report of a vehicle stopped in the street with the driver passed out. A witness who was driving south on Great Hwy came across the vehicle which was completely stopped in the street. The witness said there were no other vehicles in the area and there were no obstructions in the street which would have blocked the stopped car. The witness went to check on the well being of the driver and discovered him passed out, with the engine running and the vehicle in drive. The driver then woke up and exited the vehicle. The witness stayed on the scene and kept an eye on the driver until police arrived. A DUI investigation was initiated and the driver was later booked for DUI at the county jail.
On 08/29/2014, at 1:55 am, Officers on patrol in the area of Geary and 5th Ave. observed a vehicle make a U-Turn against a solid red light. The officers contacted the driver regarding the violation and soon determined the driver was suspended/revoked. The driver was cited for the U-Turn and driving suspended violation.
On 08/29/2014, at 12:16 pm, Officers responded to Golden Gate Park to assist a Park Ranger regarding a suspect with a warrant for his arrest. The Park Ranger had contacted the suspect and managed to detain him without incident. When officers arrived at the scene they were able to confirm the detained suspect’s identity and verify the warrant with the sheriff’s department. The suspect was booked at county jail on the warrant.
On 08/29/2014, at 7:10 pm, Officers responded to the 600 block of 39th Ave. regarding a report of a missing person. The missing person was said to be suffering from a serious medical condition and needed to be located. While officers scoured the area in an effort to recover the missing male a citizen contacted the police to advise the missing male was at their home. The good Samaritan had been approached by the missing male looking for directions. In an effort to help they managed to get contact information from a card which was located in the missing male’s pocket. The missing person stated he had gotten off at the wrong bus stop and then become lost.
On 08/31/2014, at 5:01 am, Plain Clothes officers in the area of 5th and Geary observed a vehicle with false registration tabs fixed to the license plate. The officers contacted the driver regarding the violation and noted a strong smell of what appeared to be marijuana emanating form the vehicle. The officers told the driver their reason for the contact and asked to see his driver’s license but he did not have one. During a search of the vehicle a quantity of narcotics was discovered and seized. The driver was booked at the jail for both misdemeanor and felony violations.
On 08/31/2014, at 6:51 pm, Plain Clothes officers working in the area of MLK and 25th Ave, saw a male who the immediately recognized through prior contacts. The male was known to have an active felony parole warrant for his arrest. While conducting a search of the male the officers discovered a quantity of suspected methamphetamine. The male was booked for the warrant and drugs without further incident.
On 08/29/2014, at 12:30 am, Officers were operating in the Richmond district as part of an underage drinking enforcement operation. During their operation the removed and cited six underage drinkers from bars and cited them. In addition they also cited others for multiple violations outside bars on the sidewalk.
On 09/01/2014, at 12:07 am, Officers on patrol in the area of California and 5th Ave. observed a Jeep with a nonworking headlamp. The officers initiated an enforcement stop and contacted the driver. It was determined that the driver was suspended/revoked due to previous violations. The driver was cited for driving suspended and a broken headlamp.
On 09/02/2014, 1:41 am, Plain Clothes officers in the area of 7th and Fulton saw a female sorting through recycling and throwing garbage about the area. The officers contacted the female and found out the female had an outstanding warrant for her arrest. The female was booked into county jail without incident.
On 09/02/2014, at 3:50 am, Officers responded to the area of the 700 block of 44th Ave. regarding a reported robbery. The officers contacted the victim who said he was parking his car when he was approached by a male with a gun. The victim noted a suspect SUV with another occupant (driver) double parked nearby. The male ordered the victim to “don’t move. Give me your money.” The suspect ordered the victim to lie on the ground while then went to the driver’s side of the vehicle and searched the interior. The suspect when finished then fled the area in the vehicle seen by the victim earlier during the incident. The victim was unhurt in this incident and the investigation continues…
On 09/02/2014, at 3:55 am, Officers responded to the area of 46th and Fulton regarding a reported robbery. The officers contacted the victim who said while he was in his car he was approached by a male with a gun. The male ordered the victim to open his door and then rummaged through the victims belongings. The victim pleaded to keep his cell phone, the suspect insisted that the battery be removed and given to him before he fled. The victim was unhurt in this incident and the investigation continues…
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We are still suffering from vehicle break-ins along Fulton St. and around the Sutro Baths – Point Lobos Areas. We are actively addressing the vehicle break-ins that occur but we also need the assistance of the general public in this endeavor.
We would ask you to follow these general guidelines.
You should lock doors and windows, even if the car’s in front of your home.
Remove valuables from your automobile.
Remove ‘pull-out’ style radio face plates (if equipped).
Park in well lit areas when possible.
Park where your car will be easily & frequently viewed (natural surveillance).
Park in your garage if you have one.
Use a car alarm, it will alert anyone nearby.
Never leave your car running or the keys in the ignition when you’re away from it, even for a short time.
Use anti-theft devices like “The Club” or an alarm system. You may get a discount on your auto insurance.
You should never leave portable electronic devices such as smart phones and GPS navigation systems in a vehicle.
The San Francisco Police Department remains committed to the reduction and prevention of vehicle thefts and auto burglaries, and to the prosecution of those that steal vehicles. We hope the information provided will help the members of our community.
Interesting to know that there’s a legal requirement for businesses to “prevent crowds from obstructing the sidewalks out front.” It doesn’t seem that the law is very effective, though police obviously have more important things to worry about. I end up detouring into the street a lot while walking down Clement Street in the evening.
That video us the equivalent of music to my ears! You go, cops!! More, please. And as for that selfish jerk who honked his horn at a pedestrian in the crosswalk: there should be a triple fine for idiot a like that.
I agree with renee; I hope there’s a lot more of this. And I usually react like the pedestrian did in the video but I may try to keep more of a lid on it in the future, even if the driver is a jerk like that one (or maybe even more so in those cases) given the recent incident on Golden Gate and Broderick (http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Near-Miss-Between-Pedestrian-Driver-Sparks-Shooting-SFPD-273405051.html).
GOOD!! I hope they also take up operations on Anza st. too.
43rd and Fulton is just a poorly designed intersection. Go there at ~8am on weekdays (commute time) and you’ll see a lot of near misses, even though nobody is speeding. The solution is to have left hand turn signals on both sides of 43rd and a lighted flashing crosswalk.
@Alan: I think there are probably quite a few locations in the Richmond that could use one of those lighted flashing crosswalks, or at least with the reflectors. I like the fluorescent yellow/green signs they have been putting out by the beach on Geary – ‘State Law: Yield to Crosswalk’ on the medians.
@Pete, there is one of those ‘Yield to Pedestrians’ signs on the median at 7th and Lake, but that doesn’t seem to persuade drivers. I frequently have close calls trying to cross that intersection. Making eye contact with the driver usually helps but a lot of the time they’ll speed up to try to get through the intersection so that they don’t have to slow down for you.
More Fulton St. Coverage by Kron 4 and Jalopnik.
http://jalopnik.com/why-sf-cops-filed-98-speeding-tickets-in-10-hours-on-on-1631631699/all
Good work officers. That guy who flipped off that lady crossing Fulton should be publicly shamed. That was a disgrace.