SFPD Richmond District Police Station
Weekly Update 11-20-2015
From Captain Simon Silverman
Next Richmond Station Community Meeting:
Wednesday 12/02/2015 6:30 PM
Richmond Branch Library
352 9th Ave
Note that we will NOT have our usual meeting Tues 12/15/2015 at Richmond Station
Richmond Station Holiday Food Drive
The officers of Richmond Station are holding a holiday food drive for the SF Marin Food Bank. Come by the station to drop off your donations (we’re always open). The food bank has specifically requested:
- Canned fruits & vegetables
- Tuna & canned meats
- Low sugar cereal
- Peanut butter
- Whole grain rice, pasta and oats
- Low sodium soups and stews
- 100% fruit juice
Here are some of the incidents that occurred in the Richmond Police District this week:
TRAFFIC COLLISION: WITH INJURIES
11/12/2015 5:51 PM
California & Arguello
A Toyota and a bicycle were both traveling southbound on Arguello at California when the Toyota turned right onto California, cutting off the bicyclist who sustained minor injuries. The driver was cited at the scene.
Captain’s Note: This all too common type of collision is known by cyclists as a “right hook.”
TRAFFIC COLLISION: NO INJURIES
11/13/2015 11:32 AM
Collins & Mayfair
An SFMTA Parking Control Officer was chalking tires on parked cars and proceeding slowly when the driver of one of the cars suddenly opened her door directly in front of the SFMTA three wheeler which then collided with the door. The driver who opened the door was cited at the scene.
Captain’s Note: You know you’re having a bad day when…
ARREST: JUVENILE WITH A REPLICA FIREARM
11/13/2015 2:20 PM
JFK & Chain of Lakes
The SFPD received several 911 calls regarding two males with a gun who were possibly about to rob someone. Officers stopped the suspects (who turned out to be 16 year old boys) and found the gun in the backpack one of them was carrying. The other one had been detained following a robbery in the Sunset back in May.
Captain’s Note: The gun in question looked real and did not have the requisite orange tip.
TRAFFIC COLLISION: MODERATE INJURIES
11/14/2015 12:05 AM
Geary & Palm
A Nissan was eastbound on Geary with a green light when a pedestrian suddenly stepped into the street and was hit by the car. Although the pedestrian was at fault for this collision, the driver of the car had a suspended license.
THEFT FROM A LOCKED VEHICLE
11/14/2015 8:30 PM to 8:45 PM
Geary & 26th Ave
The victim parked his car and “hid” his briefcase under the front seat. He returned 15 minutes later to discover that an unknown suspect had smashed the window and stolen the briefcase.
Captain’s Note: We all know the old “hide it under the front seat” trick. If we all know this trick, then so does the criminal who breaks into cars all the time. He also knows the “throw a jacket over it” diversion, the “put it in the glove box” ruse, and the “stash it in the trunk” ploy. Anything left anywhere in a car is vulnerable to theft.
BURGLARY
11/15/2015 4:50 AM
Balboa & 36th Ave
The suspect broke the window of an optician’s office and stole several pairs of glasses.
Focus of the Investigation: Male, stocky build, wearing a white mask, black jacket, and black pants. Driving a black Toyota sedan
TRAFFIC COLLISION WITH INJURIES
11/16/2015 7:53 AM
JFK near 30th Ave
A woman was riding her bicycle in the bike lane westbound on JFK when a man who was also riding his bicycle westbound in the same bike lane made a sudden turn in front of her and cut her off. The woman sustained minor injuries and the man was cited at the scene for an unsafe turn.
Captain’s Note: The cyclist at fault in this collision was cited under the same section of the vehicle code that applies to a motor vehicle making an unsafe turn. Bicyclists on public streets have the same responsibilities (and rights) as drivers.
FEEDING WILD ANIMALS
11/16/2015 9:38 PM
Legion of Honor
After recent incidents with aggressive raccoons in the district, a sergeant was checking the Legion of Honor on reports that a person was feeding raccoons in the area. He found an apparently homeless man sitting on a bench surrounded by about 20 raccoons who were happily feasting on bread scattered about in close proximity to the man. Although he denied feeding the raccoons (and was not seen doing so) they seemed completely at ease in his presence. He was advised of section 468 of the Municipal Police Code, an infraction which prohibits the feeding of wild animals.
Captain’s Note: Wildlife problems are the responsibility of Animal Care and Control (415-554-9400). Their web page offers advice regarding raccoons, skunks, possums and squirrels.
Missing from their web page is any advice about dealing with bears – advice that Stanford’s football team may need this weekend as they face the sturdy Golden Bears of California. (Cal proudly counts several Nobel laureates among its alumni. If cornered at a cocktail party, Cal will grudgingly admit that the odd police captain is also a graduate).
ARREST: DUI / TRAFFIC COLLISION WITH INJURIES
11/16/2015 6:00 PM
Arguello & Anza
A scooter rider had just turned from westbound Anza to southbound Arguello when he sideswiped a stationary vehicle and fell off the scooter. Paramedics and officers providing first aid noticed that he smelled strongly of alcohol. He was arrested for driving under the influence and taken to the hospital with moderate injuries.
ARREST: POSSESSION OF HEROIN & METHAMPHETAMINE FOR SALE / POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA
11/18/2015 1:19 AM
Geary & 29th Ave
Officers on patrol saw a suspicious Lexus with a covered license plate so they stopped the car. One of the passengers was on probation and a condition of his probation required him to submit to warrantless search by police officers. As he got out of the car to be searched, officers saw that he had been hiding a glass pipe of the sort used to smoke methamphetamine beneath his foot. Based on this discovery, they searched the car and found a significant quantity of both methamphetamine and heroin neatly packaged for sale in individual baggies. They also found a scale (used to weigh out the individual doses) and nearly $1000 in small bills.
Captain’s Note: In today’s digital economy it’s nice to see that drug dealers still accept cash. What a quaint reminder of a simpler time.
ARREST: POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE FOR SALE / POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA / WARRANT FOR DRUG POSSESSION
11/18/2015 10:19 PM
Fulton & 47th Ave
Officers on patrol recognized the suspect from a previous methamphetamine arrest. They knew that he was on probation and that a condition of his probation required him to submit to warrantless search. They found a meth pipe and nearly $250 in small bills in his pocket. A check of his nearby van turned up a digital scale, 50 empty small plastic baggies, and a significant quantity of methamphetamine. The suspect had a warrant for possessing methamphetamine for sale.
Captain’s Note: That’s two good drug arrests in 24 hours… And you thought the only dope in the Richmond was the captain.
ARREST: SHOPLIFTING / FALSE ID / THEFT WARRANTS
11/19/2015 1:53 PM
Geary & Masonic
The suspect concealed a purse, a wristwatch and a clock in her bag. She then selected several items of clothing and tried to go through the checkout to pay for the clothes (but not the items hidden in her bag). Her transaction was declined due to insufficient funds on her debit card and she left the store taking the stolen items in her bag with her. A security guard who had been watching stopped her and called the SFPD. The suspect gave officers someone else’s ID. However, the person whose ID she used had warrants for her arrest. When the suspect realized this, she volunteered her true name, and it turned out that she had warrants for arrest as well.
Captain’s Note: If you’re going to give a fake name, it’s best if it’s a clean one. That’s the disadvantage of being a criminal who hangs out with other criminals – you don’t have a good alias at the ready.
Our Children, Our Families Council: Community Input Meeting
Saturday 11-21-2015 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Richmond Rec Center
251 18th Ave
This community meeting is to gather input on what children, youth and families need to thrive in our city. Information gathered will inform the development of the Council’s outcomes framework and 5-year plan. Food, childcare, and interpretation services will be offered. The meeting is sponsored by the Our Children, Our Families Council, the SF Department of Children, Youth and Their Families and the Office of Early Care and Education.
Contact Us:
Richmond Station
461 6th Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94118
415-666-8000
E-mail: SFPDRichmondStation@sfgov.org
Go Bears!
It is discouraging to read about criminals who are repeatedly arrested for the same crime(s). Caught, arrested, released…rinse and repeat. I don’t know how cops keep from becoming hard-core cynics and then quit. I’m not naive about this situation, I’m disgusted.
Crave the tenderness around homeless raccoon man and TOTALLY Go Bears, take off that red dress! despicable TV/Sports marriage for Night game, BEAT STANFORD, Love our cops on 6th.
Over the past couple of years, I have seen the raccoon man and his nursery of 20+ raccoons on many occasions. He’s an older white bearded guy.
I have always seen him sitting on a bench on the ocean side of the street corner, across from the holocaust memorial.
It is kind of mind blowing to be cruising up Lincoln and have the headlights settle on the out-of-nowhere-group all look up at you.
I suspect he is out there very often feeding and communing his masked buddies.
Even though they can be nasty animals and rabies vector species, and it is a bad idea to feed wild animals, they are also very smart, very social and seem to like the old guy.
It seems a shame that someone would call the cops on their nocturnal antics.
I want to thank officers for focusing on the real issues, and I invite raccoon man to move his hoard over to thedude or stella’s property. Problem solved.
I also second Renee with my compassion toward officers doing their best in an un-supportive environment. Thanks to those men and women, it ain’t easy being blue.
@TheDude – Feeding wild animals is a violation of city code. This was probably enforced due to the recent attack by a pack of raccoons on visitors from UK who were walking their host’s dog.
I have experienced the joy of having raccoons invade indoors while living on both sides of the park. It’s not fun and takes decades of vigilance to deter many generations of offspring from returning to precisely where their ancestors were born in the 1960s in hopes of tearing out walls to build nests.
Da Bears!
Whoever writes the captain’s notes is doing a bang-up job 🙂 I always look forward to them.
Thanks for everything you do for this blog!
I wonder what kind of impact the drought (and the GGP watering policy) is having on the raccoons’ ability to forage in the park. The park is pretty dry right now. Less water means less biomass and less habitat for ‘edibles’ that the raccoons and others count on for a healthy diet. Perhaps they are increasing their traditional nightly forays into local trash bins, (and kitchens) due to shortages of natural supply (water). Also, when food sources are scarce, animals tend to become agitated and potentially dangerous (as the UK couple unfortunately experienced). I wonder if they travel in packs due to the coyotes that are cruisin’ for meals. Still, it’s nice to see wildlife around (over there).
Btw, what is plural for raccoon?
A pack of raccoons is called a “gaze” apparently.
Interesting question and insights, AC.