Capt. Sandra Tong: Police Beat

Happy New Year to all of you!  I hope the holidays were joyous and safe. I'm sure we all have our New Year's resolutions in place. If not, I would like to suggest practicing good and/or better driving habits.

As you can tell, in 2005 I plan to continue urging all of you to think about driving more responsibly. Traffic and pedestrian safety will remain our enforcement priority but it won't improve with just traffic enforcement.  It begins with each of us when we get behind the wheel and drive. Please don't be in a hurry because it affects our judgment and decision-making abilities. Observe speed limits, maintain a safe speed and practice good etiquette and patience when you drive. This could be an additional New Year's resolution!

 I apologize that this month's column is very brief.  After being on vacation for two weeks, I only had a few days to catch up with what's been going on in the district before running up against my editor's deadline.

The upcoming Richmond Community/Police Forum for January will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m., at the Richmond Police Station, located at 461 Sixth Avenue. Officer Andrew O'Brien from Animal Care and Control will be our guest speaker. He will discuss the duties of his agency and answer many of our concerns about dog issues, such as leash laws, barking dogs and how to handle dangerous animals.  Recently, many residents have inquired about dog nuisances in the neighborhood, so please attend this informative meeting.

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