Richmond Police Department

Crimes increase in city parks, officials say

Crime seems to be on the rise in Richmond parks. Although car break-ins are the most common problem, officials report some far more serious offenses, including a recent case of rape. Carolyn Jones, public information officer for the East Bay Regional Park District, said 324 auto burglaries have been reported across the district’s 65 parks so far in 2015, compared to 237 in all of 2014. Many of these break-ins and some of the more serious crimes have taken place along public shorelines…

Attorney General listens to Richmond leaders

U.S Attorney General Loretta Lynch came to Richmond on Friday, ending a national tour in a city starting to shake off its reputation as a crime capital. Lynch, addressing a cross-section of community leaders in the Richmond City Council chambers Friday, said she wanted to learn from cities that have “fought their way back from the brink.” Richmond has been attracting recognition as a model of improved community and police relations. Yet on Friday, a small crowd protested before Lynch spoke,…

Crime rises in first quarter of 2015; police force vacancies a challenge

Earlier this month, Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus alerted the community of a 9 to 10 percent increase in both violent and property crimes in Richmond in the first quarter of 2015, compared to the same period from 2014. According to crime statistics released by the Richmond Police Department (RPD), there were 1,087 property crimes in the first quarter of 2015, and 981 in the same period last year. Property crimes include arson, auto burglary, residential burglary and vehicle theft. There…