Capt. Sandra Tong: Police Beat

Traffic safety comes first
The "Traffic Safety Month" campaign is off to a successful start. Our goal at the Richmond Station, and in the SF Police Department, is not only enforcement of traffic codes but also raising the level of awareness with regard to traffic laws, rules of the road and their applicabilities.

Enforcement is tracked by the number of citations issued. Not all traffic stops, however, result in a citation and their importance or effectiveness is not entirely dependent upon their issuance. Again, one of our primary goals is to educate the public when their driving habits break traffic laws. Most of the every day violations have become traffic laws in the first place because they have proven to be dangerous maneuvers.

The officers of the Richmond District alone since the first of the year have written more than 6,300 citations. Of those, more than 50 percent are comprised of a combination red light, stop sign and speeding violations. And this does not include the citations issued by the Traffic Company (solo motorcycles) in the district, whose statistics are collected at their unit.

Following up on some additional information from last month's column, which is especially pertinent in light of September's efforts, I want to mention the importance of the proper selection and use of child safety seats. California law (Civilian Vehicle Code 27360) requires all children under the age of six, regardless of weight, or under 60 pounds, regardless of age, be restrained in a child safety restraint/seat system that meets federal safety standards.

A good resource for additional information on car seat styles, applications, etc. is www.carseat.org. Car seats are classified primarily by weight groups. Rear-facing, infant-only restraints are designed for infants from five pounds to 20 pounds. They must always be used so that the child faces the rear of the vehicle, and never in a seating position with an active air bag. Infants must remain rear facing until they are at least 1 year old and weigh 20 pounds. An infant's head, however, should never extend over the top of the restraint's backrest.

For infants who exceed the height and weight limitations of infant-only restraints, they must move to the rear-facing Convertible Child Restraint that is designed for children up to 30 pounds. The convertible child restraint mentioned above is designed for rear-facing use with infants weighing 5 pounds to 20 pounds and for forward-facing use with toddlers 20 to 40 pounds.

Remember, never put a child restraint in a seating position with an active air bag. Children between 30 and 60 pounds should be fitted into a forward-facing Booster Child Restraint. There are several different designs of booster child restraints available for children of various sizes.

Make sure to read the manufacturer's recommendations before purchasing the restraint to insure you are selecting the most appropriate design for your child's safety. All of this information on child safety seats is confusing. At each district station there is at least one officer who has been trained on this important topic, and he or she is available to the public for assistance. If you need help with the installation of your child seat or have questions about which restraint you should purchase, contact officer Bobby Cheung at the Richmond Station. It is recommended that you telephone Cheung at 666-8000 to make an appointment in advance.

M.H. de Young Memorial Museum Opening
As many of you know, the de Young Museum is preparing for its grand opening. Beginning on the weekend of Oct. 8 and Oct. 9, there are events planned that will draw thousands of participants to the museum. The grand opening is on Oct. 15 and Oct. 16. If you are not attending the de Young opening, please avoid Fulton Street as it will be extremely congested because the new garage entrance is located at Fulton and 10th Avenue. Any vehicles not accommodated by the museum garage will be directed to UCSF parking lots or the Great Highway.

The October Community/Police Forum will be held Oct. 18, at 7 p.m., at the Richmond Police Station. The guest speaker has not been confirmed, so contact the station at 666-8000 for more information.

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