Capt. Richard Corriea: Police Beat

Auto burglars busted
During the past several months, officer Jill Connolly, the Richmond Station's permit officer, has been developing plans for policing the late August Outside Lands Concert. The concert will be long over by the time you read this, and I suspect some folks in the district may have been inconvenienced or upset by the noise and traffic congestion.

But, both Jill and I met with the leadership of Another Planet Entertainment on several occasions. They worked very cooperatively with us to minimize the impact of the event on the neighborhood. While impact of the event could not be eliminated, the promoters partnered with us to minimize the affects. They accepted many police public safety and peace keeping recommendations, and supported our logistical and staffing needs.

Experience tells us that a small number of individuals are responsible for a disproportionate amount of criminal activity, and that some areas are more prone to crime than others. As such, effective law enforcement tactics are based on trend analysis. The two arrests described below will no doubt result in a decline in our burglary rates while the criminals are in custody.

On August 12, plainclothes officers from Richmond Station were driving near the Cliff House Restaurant, focusing their attention on an area that experiences a disproportionate number of automobile burglaries. Criminals target this area because of the number of tourists who leave property in their vehicles and because they are unaware of the risks.

The officers noticed a known parolee walking on Point Lobos. Immediately, the parolee "made" the officers. The officers stopped the parolee and found a knife and burglar tools in his possession. The subject has a criminal history that includes 44 felonies and 36 misdemeanor arrests. Most of the arrests have been for burglary and possession of burglary tools. This individual is likely responsible for several automobile burglaries each day in the Richmond.Ê

On Aug. 10, officers were in the area of Ninth Avenue and Anza Street in connection with a burglary call when they spotted the suspect and arrested him for attempted burglary, trespassing and a parole violation. The suspect in this incident is a career criminal with 31 felony arrests and 14 misdemeanor arrests. Most of this individual's contact with law enforcement has been related to burglaries, robberies and illicit drugs.

In July of 2008 there were 34 vehicles stolen in the District. In July of this year, there were 20 stolen. Burglaries, robberies and auto break-ins were all down slightly in July, but not so much to suggest a declining trend line. We continue to track all of these crimes and deploy our resources accordingly.

Traffic safety is a policing priority in the Richmond District. Officers take enforcement action district wide, especially on and near major thoroughfares, and at other specific locations based on your calls and letters. Richmond District officers are very proactive in traffic matters and have issued more than 7,000 citations for moving violations so far this year.

In July, our officers arrested 17 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), more than any other police district. In the year to date, we have arrested 75, also more than the other districts. As of July 31, 509 individuals have been arrested for DUI by the police department this year.

During the month of July, there were 21 injury traffic accidents in the district. I had hoped that with just 12 injury accidents recorded in June we were beginning to see a decline in the accident rate. However, that does not appear to be the case. So far this year, there have been 160 injury accidents, suggesting that this year the District will exceed the number of accidents reported in 2008, which was 310.

The police department can enforce, educate and also arrest folks that drive dangerously; however, our ability to prevent is limited. Officers will continue efforts to make our streets safer, but we need your help. Please consider the other people and drive safely and within legal limits.

Our new police chief, George Gascone, started in early August. The new chief's leadership is invigorating. He is committed to safe communities and supporting our outstanding officers with the tools and leadership they need to accomplish the police mission and provide each of you with exemplary services. The officers and I are looking forward to getting to know and working with our new chief.

If you are interested seeing other crime stats, 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 Crime Maps.

Richmond Station distributes an e-mail newsletter every Friday. The newsletter, which is sent to several hundred e-mail addresses, contains information about recent crimes, arrests and upcoming events in the district. To be added to this list, please e-mail us at sfpd.richmondstation@sfgov.org.

Please visit http://richmondforum.wordpress.com/ to see our station's blog, where the current station newsletter, past editions and periodic public safety advisories are posted.

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