Capt. Sandra Tong: Looking for Good Officers

In May, the Richmond District Community/Police Forum may be coming to a neighborhood near you. 

The monthly community meeting is routinely held at the Richmond Station; however, each quarter we host the meeting in any neighborhood that is willing to host us.

In May, the Rev. Robert Stewart at the Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church will be hosting the forum. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 17, at 7 p.m., at 417 31st Ave. (at Clement Street). 

If you live in the neighborhood and you've never attended our community meeting, it would be an excellent opportunity to learn about safety issues. I will give a brief presentation about crime statistics in the neighborhood and the attendees will share with me their community concerns. It's a wonderful interactive forum. Please mark your calendar! 

If any community groups, merchants or residents would like to host a community meeting, please let me know because our steering committee would love to work with you/your organization to host a future meeting.

Online Reporting
The public can now file police reports online through the SF Police Department's Web site. Log on to www.sfpd.org/police and you will see a link to "Online Report." The online reporting system allows users to file reports involving property crimes or other crimes not involving known suspects or the collection of evidence that would ultimately lead to the identification of an identifiable suspect.

There are six questions that will assist someone in determining if filing an online report is appropriate for their situation.

If an online report is deemed appropriate, then there are six categories of crimes to choose from: 1) lost property 2) theft 3) vandalism 4) vehicle tampering 5) vehicle burglary, and 6) harassing phone calls.

Once the report is completed and submitted, it will be reviewed and, upon approval, a case number will be issued and e-mailed back to the reportee. Using this system allows you to submit a report conveniently, immediately and print a free copy for your records.

SFPD Recruitment Drive
The SFPD is accepting applications for the next police officer examination beginning Monday, May 2, through Tuesday, May 31. Applications are available at all 10 SFPD district stations. District Stations are open 24 hours a day, seven day a week.

Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• be at least 20 years old (there is no maximum age limit);

• be a US citizen or a permanent resident alien. There is no residency requirement;

• Have a valid driver's license;

• Have a US high school diploma or acceptable equivalent;

• Not been convicted of a domestic violence crime within the last 10 years;

• Not been convicted of a felony.

Off-Leash Dog Parks

The current off-leash dog parks list was provided to the SFPD and we were asked to disseminate the information.

The Richmond District sites and some others citywide are:

Alamo Square (Hayes and Scott streets); Alta Plaza Park (Jackson and Steiner streets); Buena Vista Park (Buena Vista Avenue and Haight Street); Corona Heights (16th Street and Roosevelt Way), field area adjacent to Randall Museum; Golden Gate Park (four areas), southeast section bounded by Lincoln Way and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Second and Seventh avenues; northeast part of the park bounded by Conservatory Drive East, between Willard Street North and Arguello Boulevard; the area between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Middle Drive, between 34th and 38th Avenues; and the fenced area between the Bison Paddock and the Senior Center at 36th Avenue and Fulton Street; Jefferson Square (Laguna and Turk streets), western part of the park delineated by pathways and signs; Lafayette Park (Washington and Laguna streets); Lake Merced (Lake Merced Boulevard), north lake area at Middlefield Drive; McKinley Square (20th and Vermont streets); Mountain Lake Park (Eighth Avenue and Lake Street), east end of park, north of Lake Street; Stern Grove/Pine Lake (three areas), Wawona Street between 21st and 23rd avenues, eastern two-thirds of the great meadow west of Vale Avenue parking lot, and the trail between the Vale parking lot and Wawona Street and 23rd Avenue.

Allowing your dog/pet to roam off-leash in parks/public places other than those listed below could result in a citation.

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