Capt. Sandra Tong: Gung Hay Fat Choy

Happy New Year!

As the lunar Year of the Rooster crows out on Jan. 28 and the year of the Dog comes barking in the next day, on behalf of the members of the Richmond Station, I would like to wish the residents and merchants a happy, safe and prosperous New Year.

During this time of celebration, people have a tendency to be distracted from their immediate surroundings. As the streets become more crowded, pickpockets will also increase their activities by working the crowds.

When shopping, be aware of your personal safety. If you are carrying a shoulder strap purse, have the straps go over your head and across your chest. Remember to have the top of the purse or bag closed. If your purse has a zipper on top when the bag is closed, have the zipper tab placed near the front of your body.

Whenever you are walking in a crowded situation, remember to carry your purse in front of your body. Most pickpockets target women who carry the body of their purse behind their back. This makes it easier for criminals to open the bag without the victim being made aware of the situation.

Please be aware this may also occur while on public transportation.

If you carry a wallet in your back pocket, beware of crowded situations and consider putting your wallet in another location.

During the lunar New Year celebration, extortion and intimidation by Asian gangs can occur, with Asian merchants being the target. It is important to report these crimes immediately to the police because they usually target more than one merchant at a time.

The SF Police Department will be able to talk or interview merchants if they have been a victim of extortion and be able to alert others in the nearby area of the crime. If this occurs in your place of business, call 911 for police assistance if the extortionists are in, or have just left your business. Call 553-0123 to report the extortion if it occurred in the past several days, or if they threaten to return in the future.

Please keep in mind the details that we need, including the height, sex, weight, age, clothing, hair style, jewelry, eye glasses, tattoos, mannerisms, language and dialect of the suspect(s). If you hear them call another suspect by name, nicknames or gang affiliations, please retain this information for the police as this can be valuable to us.

At this festive time, there will be more people on the street. I know that some people are always in a rush to get to their destination and have a very low tolerance for slower moving pedestrians, but please be patient. And be careful as you step off the curb to cross the street and be aware of passing vehicles.

I am encouraging people to be aware of their surroundings and to be cautious, whether you are a pedestrian or driver this New Year's season.

The next Community/Police Forum will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m., at the Richmond Station's Community Room, located at 461 Sixth Ave. We plan to have a guest speaker from the police department who will discuss the Graffiti Abatement Program and other graffiti-related issues.

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