Capt. Richard Corriea: Police Beat

Innovative crime fighting
At the Richmond Station we evaluate crime reports to identify trends so we can deploy our resources in an effort to prevent the next crime. We also generalize from the data and use anecdotal information in our quest to be at the right place at the right time so we can catch a perpetrator in the act and make an arrest. Many times you call when you see something suspicious.

However, some of the most successful and inspiring police work is simply the result of intuition and tenacity. And sometimes a bit of luck helps.

On Sept. 10, at 8:30 in the evening, a woman was walking on Divisadero Street near Sutter Street. Suddenly, she was set upon by a suspect who grabbed her purse and tried to wrestle it away. The victim successfully resisted and the suspect fled on a bicycle.

An hour later, on Sutter near Scott Street, a suspect on a bicycle rode up to a woman who was walking alone and grabbed her purse. The suspect knocked her to the ground and drug her several feet while he struggled to take the purse. A passerby, alerted by the victim's screams, chased after the suspect but the suspect escaped on his bicycle with the purse.

The next day, at quarter past eight in the evening, two women were walking on California Street near Pierce Street. They were viciously attacked and knocked to the ground by two young men. One of the victims was kicked and punched, and ultimately the suspects fled on bicycles with both victims' purses.

Because of these three incidents, Richmond Station plainclothes officers focused their attention on the areas where the crimes occurred. On Sept. 12, they saw a young man who matched the description of the suspect from the three incidents riding a bicycle near Divisadero Street. The individual noticed the officers while they were still some distance away and he successfully fled the area on his bicycle.

The officers significantly widened their search area and several hours later encountered the individual again. The officers arrested the subject on a charge unrelated to the robberies. The officers continued to investigate the two robberies and the attempted robbery and were able to obtain evidence implicating the suspect as the perpetrator of each crime.

On Sept. 17, at 6:30 in the morning, a victim was robbed at gunpoint at 43rd Avenue near Balboa Street. The victim was unharmed, but did loose some personal property.

The officers obtained a description of the suspect and his vehicle and that information was widely disseminated to other police officers.

On Sept. 20, at 1:45 a.m., officers responded to a robbery call on 26th Avenue near El Camino Del Mar. The suspect and vehicle descriptions were very similar to the 43rd Avenue robbery. Since the suspects had successfully fled the area officers broadcast the suspect and vehicle descriptions citywide.

Several hours later, a sergeant in a downtown district that had monitored the broadcast saw the suspect's vehicle, which was still occupied. The suspects were arrested for the 26th Avenue robbery and auto theft. Robbery inspectors are currently investigating both robberies as part of a possible series.

Incidents such as I have described are few in number in the Richmond District, and relatively few people ever engage in such conduct. But our goal is to have zero crime and whether police vigilance arises out of the science of numbers or a sixth sense, your safety is the paramount concern of every officer at Richmond Station.

As your police captain, I am honored to work with our officers; as a resident of the Richmond District, I am happy to live in the area they protect. If you are interested in seeing crime stats and trends, please visit the Web site at www.sfgov.org and navigate to the police department's home page, where you will find a link to CrimeMaps.

I would be remiss if I did not mention auto burglaries, which continue to be a significant problem in the district. The number of incidents reported each month has been rising over the past three months. In nearly every break-in there were items of value left visible in the passenger area of the victims' cars.

Criminals target cars that contain items that have a potential for profit. If your car's passenger compartment is empty, the odds are the thief will go elsewhere.ÊSo, please don't leave anything inside the passenger compartment of your car when it is unattended. This includes CDs, coins and even empty paper bags. Items most often reported taken include: GPS devices, lap-top computers, brief cases, luggage, purses, coins, cigarettes and empty packages of all types.

Here are some tips to minimize the chance of being victimized:

• Don't leave any personal or valuable items inside a vehicle;

• Lock all valuables inside the trunk before arriving at your destination. If your vehicle has a passenger compartment trunk release, items in your trunk are at risk;

• Doors should be locked and windows rolled up;

• Use anti-theft devices like "The Club" or an alarm system;

• Removable stereo systems should never be left in a vehicle;

• GPS mapping devices - dash or windshield mounted - should never be left in a vehicle;

• Report break-ins and thefts to the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 553-0123, at any district police station, or online at www.sfgov.org/police;

• Call the police if you see someone tampering with a vehicle.

To report a crime in progress call 911.

Please attend the next Community/Police Forum on Oct. 20, at 1 p.m., at the Richmond Village Beacon, which is located at George Washington High School. The Beacon is best reached through the 30th Avenue gate located just north of Anza Street. Officers will be posted nearby to provide directions to the meeting.

The Richmond Station distributes an e-mail newsletter every Friday. It contains information about recent crimes, arrests and upcoming events in the district. To receive the newsletter, please e-mail us at sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org. You can also visit http://richmondforum.wordpress.com to see the current station newsletter, past editions and periodic public safety advisories.

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