Police
Nearly a year after Richmond police shot and killed Kevin James McDonald while serving a search warrant on a home in Point Richmond, Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton has ruled the use of force “lawful and justified.” No charges will be filed against Sgt. Alex Caine and Detective Robert Branch, who fired several shots at McDonald, 66, as he pointed an assault rifle at them in a bedroom, according to the district attorney’s report released Friday. Becton concluded…
In the two months since the state Attorney General’s Office publicized arrests in a human trafficking sting with local agencies, including the Richmond Police Department, no charges have been filed in Contra Costa County and authorities remain tight-lipped about the mysterious case. In Richmond, two suspected traffickers were arrested, four citations were issued for solicitation of prostitution, and one firearm was recovered, according to Lt. Donald Patchin. Through a public record request, Richmond Confidential found that four people were arrested…
At 15, Demaria was arrested for carrying a gun to school and was sent to West County Detention Facility for 10 days. Tall in stature and brusque in manner, Demaria said he remembers the nights there as lonely. “The lights were switched off at 10 p.m., and you couldn’t distract yourself with a book or anything else,” he said. To avoid any chance of returning to juvenile hall, Demaria — whom Richmond Confidential is identifying only by his first name…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: Do you think the Richmond Police Department should fill its 23 vacancies or eliminate those positions? “Based on my own personal experience, of course, I don’t know if I want all 23 filled. I feel like we could have a certain percentage filled and then possibly divert money toward more mental health…
Still pushing for prosecution, Pedie Perez family helps train Richmond officers to avoid using force
Rick Perez wanted Richmond’s new police officers to see his son’s face and remember it when they go into the field. So he brought a photo of Richard, called Pedie by family and friends, and held it up as he faced Officers Ruben Ramirez, Mikail Meadors and Robert Carlos on the other side of a conference table at the Richmond Police Department last week. “My son was 24 at the time. You guys are probably real close to that age.”…
The Richmond Police Department is facing an uphill battle in its search for new recruits. “Not very many people want to be in law enforcement anymore,” said Sgt. Donald Patchin, spokesperson for the department’s Personnel, Recruiting and Training unit. “It’s not just us. It’s industry-wide. Everybody is struggling to find qualified applicants.” A survey published in April by the Police Executive Research Forum shows agencies are losing sworn officers faster than they can hire them, with responding agencies saying they’d…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: Do you think Richmond’s plan to create an alternative response team to handle mental health calls will be successful? “It could be successful – I mean, it depends on how well it’s funded; how well it’s staffed. But, as a concept, I think it’s an interesting and a good one.” (Karin Rosman,…
It’s Friday night around 7 p.m. at Richmond’s Communications Center and Yvonne Lima is just 30 minutes into her 12-hour graveyard shift. The center, which answers emergency and non-emergency phone calls for both Richmond and El Cerrito, is in charge of dispatching police, fire, and medical services. “911 what’s the address of your emergency?” echoes through the room, which is smaller than the 911 dispatch centers depicted on television. Brief alarm sounds blare in unison every 30 seconds from speakers…
Richmond City Council took a big step this month toward an alternative emergency response program that would give residents an option to calling the police. Expected to start in August as an 18-month pilot, the Community Crisis Response Program will serve as a non-police emergency service, responding to mental health or low-level emergency 911 calls such as family disputes or wellness checks. The decision comes after Oakland and Contra Costa County put similar programs in place. Since the murders of…