Government

Richmond rallies against gun violence with the “March for Our Lives”

Hundreds of thousands of marchers rallied across the United States on Saturday to protest gun violence. More than 800 events were planned, one of them in Richmond initiated by the mayor’s office. Some 400 people were expected to come—but in the end, almost 1,000 joined the “March for our Lives,” estimated Mayor Tom Butt, showing the community’s urgency for actions against gun violence.

New Richmond police data portal reveals numbers on traffic stops, use of force and more

The Richmond Police Department recently went live with a new online portal dedicated to providing statistics and data on law enforcement activities in the city, completing its commitment to the Police Data Initiative started by the Obama administration in 2015. Joining the ranks of Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose, the city’s website, Richmond Open Data, provides general information on categories such as calls for service, traffic stops and use of force incidents in a spreadsheet format, which can be…

Vacant, Neglected, Destructive: How Richmond’s abandoned homes became fire hazards

After sitting vacant and neglected for almost a decade, 662 Fourth St., a home in the Iron Triangle, burst into flames. The blaze, which neighbors say was started by trespassers, lead to the destruction of three homes. According to public records and interviews with city officials, Richmond doesn’t have the budget or staffing to fully mitigate the risks posed by vacant homes.