Capt. Sandra Tong: Police Beat

Increase in Stolen Vehicles
Greetings to all! June marks the end of the school year and the beginning of summer events. I wish all of you a wonderful and safe summer.

Last month we saw an increase in the number of stolen automobiles. I wish I could tell you it's concentrated in one area or to one particular type of vehicle, but I can't. The thefts are occurring all over the district and all types of vehicles. Therefore, I recommend that residents consider using a steering-wheel lock and be more observant. If you see any suspicious person(s) or hear any street noise, such as glass breaking, call the police and glance outside to see if you can observe a crime in progress.

Last month, the Richmond District Community/Police Forum hosted a very informative meeting on "emergency preparedness." Ann Stangby, from the SF Department of Health; JoAnn Scordino, from the Mayor's Office of Emergency Services; and David Hirtz, a leader with the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT), made presentations on preparing for earthquakes and other potential catastrophic disasters.

Stangby spoke about registering for the disaster registry, which is a confidential list of persons who will be contacted in the event of a disaster. People aged 60 or older and persons with disabilities living in San Francisco may enroll for the disaster registry at no cost. Contact the health department at 355-2632 for more information.

Scordino spoke about preparing for an emergency by obtaining thorough information and records regarding your medical history. If you prepare a complete list of your medical doctors, current medication(s), social worker or case worker, preferred hospital facility, current medic-alert bracelets and have an adequate supply of prescription medication available, it will greatly assist you during a disaster situation. Personal preparedness includes having a disaster supply kit that would sustain a family for 3 - 5 days (water, canned foods, flashlights, etc.), a road disaster supply kit and arranging the "buddy system," whereby an out-of-state friend or family member can contact you after a disaster to make sure everything is OK.

Hirtz spoke about NERT training, which teaches citizens the basic emergency skills to be self sufficient in a major disaster situation. You can become a NERT volunteer and join a NERT in your neighborhood. The 20-hour training consists of six classes that are approximately three hours each. For more information, contact NERT at 970-2020 or reach them online at www.sfgov.org/sffdnert.

Fulton Street Safety
What happen to the "Traffic Calming" program on Fulton Street? On behalf of the Richmond District Community/Police Forum and the Safety Network, Tim Himes is working with the Friends of Sutro Park, Coalition to Save Ocean Beach, Senior Action Network, WALK San Francisco, North Park Neighbors and local residents to form a working steering committee for the project.

The committee has been meeting regularly to organize a steering committee committed to developing long range and short term goals. At one of the meetings, the project was dubbed "Crossing Fulton."

The traffic concerns on Fulton Street, between Arguello Boulevard and the Great Highway, encompass the problem of motorists who exceed the 35 mph speed limit, run red lights, fail to stop at stop signs and fail to yield the right of way to pedestrians in a crosswalk. This project also encompasses a community education program for pedestrians.

I have started a Traffic Safety Program on Fulton Street that targets traffic enforcement along the Fulton corridor. In addition to normal traffic enforcement, three officers will be assigned to the Traffic Safety Program each week until the end of June. Our first operation was very successful. Numerous citations were written, especially for motorists who failed to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. Motorists need to be more aware of pedestrians that are attempting to cross Fulton.

The next "Crossing Fulton" meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 23, at 6:30 p.m., at the Richmond Station's Community Room. Please attend and get involved. If you cannot commit to serving on the planning committee, you can commit to driving safer.

If all of us made an effort to drive within the speed limit and not to be in such a hurry while we drive, the roads would be safer for vehicles, pedestrians and our neighborhood.

The next Richmond District Community/Police Forum will be held on Tuesday, June 15, at 1 p.m., at the Richmond Police Station's Community Room. Inspector Julie Yee from the Fraud Detail will discuss fraud prevention and common con artist scams.

On July 20, the Richmond District Community/Police Forum will be held at the Richmond Recreation Center, on 18th Avenue between Clement and California streets, at 7 p.m. We hosted a similar meeting in January at St. James Episcopal Church and it was very successful. We invite the residents in the area of the Richmond Recreation Center to attend this meeting.

Capt. Sandra Tong is the commanding officer at the Richmond Station.