Police Beat: Capt. Richard Corriea

The tragic loss of police officers in Oakland on March 21 weighs heavily on the officers at Richmond Station. There is a great sadness we feel for the family and friends of the brave fallen officers. We are also so poignantly reminded that police work, while rewarding, in so many ways is dangerous.

Recently, a neighbor asked me to assure her that our officers at Richmond Station were safe. I could not, but I did assure her that we train to deal with dangerous situations and that while most folks don't present any risk of harm to the officers, some do. Consequently, officers are always assessing threats and risk and responding accordingly.

So, I told her, if you see an officer approaching a person or a vehicle with caution or very methodically, please understand that their tactics are necessary because things can change from routine to dangerous very quickly. Our officers make more than 300 "routine" traffic stops each week in the Richmond District.

Update on vehicle crash on Crossover Drive
You may recall that on Dec. 22, 2008, at 8 a.m., there was horrific single-vehicle crash on Crossover Drive near Park Presidio Boulevard. A 23-year-old female passenger in the vehicle was killed and her five-year child was injured. Memories of the crash are vivid for Richmond residents and even the most veteran officers at the station. This was a senseless loss in the midst of the winter holidays and on the eve of the adult victim's birthday.

Officers from Richmond Station and the Traffic Company conducted a comprehensive initial investigation. The primary collision factors were excessive speed and unsafe lane changes. Inspector Matt Krimsky from the department's Hit and Run Detail responded to the scene and took charge of the follow-up investigation. In the months since the crash, Krimsky has briefed me regularly about the progress of his investigation. He did an outstanding follow-up investigation on this crime, and in early March the District Attorney accepted his recommendation that the driver be charged with manslaughter and child endangerment charges and issued a warrant for the driver.

Krimsky's work reflects his appreciation of this community's interest in traffic safety and intolerance of motorists that operate their vehicles dangerously. On March 12, in the early evening hours, plain clothes officers from Richmond Station commenced an investigation to locate the driver named in the warrant. Later that night they found him in the Taraval District and took him into custody without incident. He was booked at Richmond Station pursuant to the warrant and taken to the county jail.

Police seek help in Anza hit-and-run case
San Francisco Police are seeking the public's help in a hit and run collision that occurred on Tuesday, March 10, in the 4900 block of Anza Street, at 40th Avenue, at approximately 10 p.m. The driver of a 1996 four-door, green Toyota was proceeding westbound on Anza when the front end of the car struck the victim as he was unloading items from his parked vehicle. The impact caused the victim to be projected onto the hood and windshield of the suspect's vehicle.

The victim, a 24-year-old male, sustained life-threatening injuries. We later recovered the suspect vehicle. Anyone with information about the suspect driver and/or occupants should contact Sgt. Jennifer Forrester, at the Hit and Run Detail, at (415) 553-1640 during business hours, or the Police Operations Center, at (415) 553-1071, during non-business hours. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call the Confidential Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 (SFPD case #090255306). I will keep you updated on the progress of Forrester's work on this case.

Crime statistics
Motor vehicle theft in the Richmond District decreased in February as compared to last year. In February of 2008 there were 39 vehicles stolen in the district. In February of this year there were 22 stolen. As more data comes in we will have a better gauge of the long-range trend and how it relates to our policing strategies.

Driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) arrests are up in the Richmond District. In February 2008 there were nine arrests and in February this year there were 12. There were 9 DUI arrests in December and three in January.

Please attend the next Community/Police Forum on April 21, at 1 p.m., at Congregation Beth Shalom, which is located at 301 14th Ave. Our guest speaker is SF Bicycle Coalition Program Director Andy Thornley, who will discuss the relationship between bicyclists, motorists and pedestrians and show the SFPD/Bicycle Coalition video,Ê"Bikes belong in Traffic."

Please visit the Web site at http://richmondforum.wordpress.com/ to see our current station newsletter, past editions and periodic public safety advisories.

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