Richmond 2011: The year in review

rhonda harris richmond

2011 was quite a year, to borrow a favorite phrase from longtime resident Sims Thompson, in “our fair city.” I know that’s vague, but it’s tough to turn a pithy phrase that sums up a year in a vibrant, bustling and changing city. We had tragedy and triumph, tumult and harmony. Alliances and rivalries. Echoes of the past and glimmers from the future.

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ShotSpotter grows, maintains confidence of police leaders

george miller looks at shotspotter

The gunshot detection and location system is an invaluable investigative and response tool, police leaders say, but it has not been credited with nabbing any homicide suspects. Still, reduced costs and technological advances mean that the system is likely to be a long-term feature in Richmond.

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Contra Costa homeless shelters unsure about effects of realignment

As the state starts to release prisoners into the supervision of the counties, Contra Costa County’s homeless shelters – where former prisoners often end up because they don’t have family or their identity reestablished upon their release – aren’t sure what to expect. Cynthia Belon, the Contra Costa Director of Behavioral Health Services, said it’s…

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Richmond moves to ban the box

On the first page of the application to work for the city of Richmond, question 14 stands out in capital letters: “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” By the end of the month, that question will be gone. The change is the first step in a campaign to “ban the box” in Richmond…

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