Police
Police have arrested four juveniles and are looking for others who they say are connected to break-ins at five West Contra Costa Unified School District buildings last month, smashing windows and electronics and ransacking classrooms. The juveniles who were arrested late in July and early this month ranged in age from 12 to 16 years old, said Sgt. Aaron Pomeroy of the Richmond Police Department. He said police are still gathering evidence and working to identify other suspects. Richmond Police…
The Richmond Police Department is struggling to recruit and retain officers, leading to forced overtime and burnout. It’s a problem that departments across the country are facing, as widespread police brutality cases have highlighted systemic problems. Adding to that in Richmond are a labor dispute and the absence of the department’s chief for nine months. The Richmond Police Officers Association has been in contract negotiations with the city since December. The current contract expired on June 30. Ben Therriault, RPOA…
Richmond Police Chief Bisa French returned to work on Monday, nine months after being put on administrative leave because of an assault accusation, Assistant Chief Louie Tirona confirmed Wednesday. French rose through the ranks to become the city’s first female police chief in July 2020. Last October, then-City Manager Laura Snideman put her on paid leave after an 18-year-old family member requested restraining orders against French and her husband, Lee French, an Oakland police sergeant who was put on leave…
Richmond Police Chief Bisa French and her husband, Oakland police Sgt. Lee French, remain on administrative leave from their jobs a month after the Contra Costa County district attorney declined to file charges against them. The couple was accused in October of assaulting a family member and threatening that person’s boyfriend, in a case that was being investigated in Contra Costa and Solano counties. The San Jose Mercury News reported that the Solano County district attorney also will not file…
Richmond Police Chief Bisa French was put on leave Wednesday, after being accused in court documents of attacking a relative and threatening to kill a man. French’s husband, Oakland police Sgt. Lee French, also was put on leave, pending an internal investigation. A family member requested restraining orders against Bisa and Lee French on Oct. 7, according to Contra Costa County court records. A hearing is set for Oct. 25. In court documents, an 18-year-old relative accused the Frenches of…
In a Facebook message posted Saturday, two days after a body believed to be that of missing Richmond teen Antoine Whittley was found in San Pablo Bay, those who rallied to find him thanked the community for its support and condolences. “We continue to mourn and celebrate Antoine’s life,” read the post on the “Find Antoine Whittley” Facebook page, which was created after the 17-year-old Kennedy High School student went missing in February. On Thursday, police announced a body was…
When President Joe Biden introduced his crime-prevention strategy to reporters in late June, he highlighted the community intervention efforts that DeVone Boggan launched in Richmond in 2010 and encouraged other cities to invest in such programs. Boggan, former director of Richmond’s Neighborhood Safety Office, started the Advance Peace nonprofit five years ago to introduce his Peacemaker Fellowship program to other cities. The program is similar to Ceasefire and Cure Violence in that it addresses the root causes of gun violence….
Richmond City Council approved a budget that will cut $3 million in Police Department spending.
The former Richmond police chief credited with drastically reducing the city’s murder rate is in line to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection. President Joe Biden on Monday said he will nominate Chris Magnus as the agency’s commissioner. Magnus led Richmond’s department from 2006 to 2015, when he took his current job as police chief in Tucson, Arizona. Pointing to Magnus’ time in Richmond, the White House said, “Magnus played a key role in rebuilding community trust in law enforcement…