Capt. Richard Corriea: Police Beat

Most law enforcement agencies in the United States have re-adopted community policing as their service model. This model is generally attributed to the 1850s work of Sir Robert Peel and London's metropolitan police force. Community policing focuses on crime and social disorders through the delivery of police services that include aspects of traditional law enforcement, as well as prevention, problem-solving, community engagement and partnership.

The community policing model balances reactive responses to calls for service with proactive problem-solving centered on the causes of the crime or disorder, and has eclipsed the "profession policing model" as the dominate strategy in the United States. Some of you will remember the television show Adam-12. The show exemplified the key attributes of the professional model, including preventative patrols, rapid response times and arresting law violators. You remember: "One Adam 12, a 415, handle code three ."

The SF Police Department is a community policing agency and at Richmond Station we are constantly seeking ways to partner with all of our communities to assure safe, vibrant and crime-free neighborhoods.

Robberies in the Richmond District have increased. In March 2008 there were six robberies and in March of this year there were 11. The three-month trend of robbery incidents commencing in January is a follows: 5, 4 and 11. As of April 27, there were 10 robberies reported. A robbery is a crime where a person takes personal property from another through the use or threatened use of force.

We believe the same individuals committed several of the robberies. One arrest has been made and undercover officers are focusing their efforts in the area (east of Presidio Avenue) where we believe these particular criminals are operating. While your risk of being a victim is low, there are things to do that lower the risk even more.

Please use caution when walking alone at night, walk in well-lighted areas and whenever possible walk on streets where there tends to be more foot traffic. We have had several incidents this year in the Outer Richmond where victims were attacked in the evening while on foot on the first block of avenues north and south of our main transit lines. Please report any suspicious activity.

In analyzing burglary statistical trends in the district, we identified a significant concentration of burglaries in a portion of the Richmond District patrol sector bounded by Presidio and Pacific avenues, Steiner Street and Geary Boulevard. While the overall number of burglaries in the sector (28) has not changed significantly over the same five month period from last year (29), in a 16-square-block area we have seen more reports than in other similar sized areas.

We don't want to alarm folks, but we do want to keep you well informed of the risks and support you in managing them. Officers went door-to-door in this area on April 25 to raise awareness to the problem and seek partners in reducing burglaries. Officers distributed burglary prevention literature and cards with advice on what information is most helpful to 911 dispatchers.

Officers visited 342 residences and spoke with 400 people. If you are concerned about your residence's vulnerability to burglary, please contact San Francisco SAFE to arrange a security survey for your home. This is a free service for single residential units, either houses or units in multi-unit buildings. Written recommendations are provided as part of the security survey.

Surveys are helpful in assessing the overall security of your home and in implementing reasonable burglary preventative measures. Contact SAFE at (415) 553-1984 or e-mail info@sfsafe.org to request a survey.

Two members of our station were recently recognized for their superlative contributions to public safety.

On April 17 the San Francisco Coordinating Council of Lions Clubs held its annual Peace Officer and Firefighter Awards Dinner. The Park Presidio Lions Club selected Richmond Station Officer John Ruggeiro as their honoree. Ruggeiro was selected because of his dedication to community policing, his reliability and his selflessness. These attributes inure to the benefit of our communities and make all of us at Richmond Station very proud to work with John.

Please attend our next Police/Community Forum on Tuesday, May 19, from 7 to 8 p.m., at the Richmond Recreation Center, 251 18th Ave. We will be discussing the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, which is scheduled for August 28 to 30 this year in Golden Gate Park. I am most interested in learning the community's concerns as they are an integral part of our planning for policing this event. I know that last year this event generated a number of complaints from the community. To learn more about the event, please visit the promoter's Web site at www.SFOutsideLands.com.

On May 27, the SF Police Commission will be holding its weekly meeting in the Richmond District. The meeting will be held at the Richmond Recreation Center, 251 18th Ave., at 6 p.m. Please plan on attending so you can address the commission about public safety concerns in the district.

And finally, on Saturday, April 18, my son Jack and I attended the Community Health Fair at the Richmond Recreation Center. It was great seeing so many of you and comparing our hearing test results, bone density scans and blood pressure readings. Seniors and toddlers, and every age between, gathered to learn more about their own heath and healthy lifestyles.

Jack loved everything, especially the anatomy presentation by the student doctors from UCSF and his free dental examination from the students at the University of the Pacific. The event included multi-lingual presentations and even a concert. Several hundred folks attended the event and community spirit was inspiring as we gathered around common interests.

Richmond Station's weekly newsletter is sent to several hundred e-mail addresses. If you would like to be added to our distribution list, please e-mail us at sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org. You can also visit http://richmondforum.wordpress.com/ to see our Web site, where the current newsletter, past editions and periodic public safety advisories are posted.

Capt. Richard Corriea is the commanding officer at the Richmond Station.