Capt. Ed Springer: Police Beat

We have another Bay to Breakers behind us. The event ran smoothly and there were no serious incidents reported.

During the last several months, we have seen a decrease in reported crimes in the Richmond District when compared to the same time period last year.

That does not mean we should relax and be less vigilant. That also is little consolation if you or someone close to you were a victim of a crime. We need to continue to work together to keep the Richmond a safe community.

To put this in perspective, we recently had two strongarm robberies/purse snatching incidents. In both of these cases, members of the community jumped in to help the victims and as a result suspects were captured and property recovered.

In an incident that occurred in early May, a citizen observed a woman having her purse stolen. He then drove his vehicle down the street and confronted one of the suspects. The suspect dropped the purse and walked down the street.

Due to other calls and two other witnesses who remained at the scene, we were able to get officers to the area and locate the suspects. They were taken into custody, thanks to three people willing to get involved and help.

In the most recent purse-snatch case a citizen was able to get a license plate number of the vehicle involved and in fact yelled to the suspects, "I got your license plate number."

Because of this person's willingness to become involved and assist, we were able to identify and arrest one suspect. The second suspect, realizing he could be identified, turned himself in at the Richmond Station.

This is the type of community effort and support that makes the Richmond so special and has an overall impact in the reduction of our crime numbers. Remember, your involvement can be as simple as calling and reporting what you see. A reminder, call 911 for emergencies and when using a cell phone, dial 553-8090 (and program that number into your phone). If you dial 911 on a cell phone, you are connected to the emergency California Highway Patrol number in Vallejo.

Traffic issues are still a high priority and the men and women at the Richmond Station will continue their enforcement and education efforts. Have you seen the radar trailer lately?

One of our enforcement priorities is increased attention to those who drive under the influence of alcohol. We determined that a high number of our traffic collisions involved DUI drivers, so we have significantly increased our enforcement efforts.

In fact, officer Michael Hutton, who works on the night watch, was recently honored at an annual statewide law enforcement and community recognition event hosted by MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Hutton is extremely pro-active in traffic enforcement and DUI enforcement.

Since November 1999, he has made more than 23 DUI arrests - eight since January of this year. He has a 100 percent conviction rate and his personal mission is to make the streets and highways safe for all, through enforcement and education. Hutton has accomplished all this in addition to performing his routine patrol duties.

Rolling Blackout Safety Tips
Here are some measures that can be taken to minimalize the effects of this summer's projected "rolling blackouts."

· Your standard telephone will continue to work, however, your cordless telephone will go dead;

· Think about having a flashlight and battery-operated radio and a supply of appropriate batteries. (When was the last time you checked your earthquake kit?);

· If you have medications that require refrigeration, keep blue ice or gel packs in the freezer and have a small cooler to store both in;

· Keep a limited amount of cash on hand. Cash registers and ATM's are electricity-dependent;

· Keep your vehicle's gas tank half full. Gas pumps require electricity;

· Treat all traffic signals as stop signs when the power is out. Remember the vehicle to the right of you has the right of way. And "sloooooow" down;

· If using candles, remember they can be hazardous. Never leave them unattended.

· For those who are disabled, make sure there are plenty of spare batteries and medical supplies on hand and set up a "network of support" whereby someone will come and check up on you in the event of blackout.

June Community/Police Forum
I am looking forward to seeing you at the next Richmond Community/Police Forum at the Richmond Police Station's community meeting room, located at 461 Sixth Ave., on Tuesday, June 19, at 7 p.m. Free parking is available at Kaiser Permanente's French Campus, across the street from the police station.

The featured topic at the forum is "vehicle safety - both in and out of the car," with guest speaker Bev Bender from the 55 Alive Driver Safety Program. Learn how to avoid having your car broken into, stolen or carjacked and get information on a driving class for seniors that can help with their driving skills as well as reduce insurance premiums.

Capt. Ed Springer is the commanding officer at the Richmond Police Station.