Safety
The wet weather is about to turn wild in the Bay Area, as Wednesday morning rain makes way for an afternoon of gusty wind and downpours and an evening where thunderstorms and even hail are possible. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch and high-wind warnings in effect until Thursday afternoon, with the potential for 1 to 4 inches of rain over the course of two days. And more is on the way, with another atmospheric river threatening…
A recently formed nonprofit and new technologies are in place to help Contra Costa County respond to fires more quickly and effectively. But the effort won’t work without the public’s help. Earlier this year, the West Contra Costa Fire Safe Council formed to protect the area against wildfires. It is led by four officers and an advisory board, which includes multiple fire departments as well as various park and recreation districts, PG&E and fire safety councils from neighboring counties. “One…
Crackling sounds fill the air as the flames eat up the building, the trees, the land. The smoke is so thick you cannot see where you are going. Your helmet blocks the view further, pressing down on you like the rest of the 45 pounds of gear protecting you from the intense heat and toxic fumes. A wave of claustrophobia and fear rises. That’s when your training kicks in. “You can’t be afraid of the dark and you can’t be…
Catalytic converter thefts have been rapidly climbing since 2019, with California leading the nation in thefts. And Richmond is no stranger to the surge, as auto repair shops cite a steady stream of vehicles that need catalytic converters. To address the problem, legislators passed three laws this summer that would put trackable labels on converters, impose harsher criminal penalties for those selling or buying converters without documentation, and prioritizing vehicle parts thefts for the California Highway Patrol’s Regional Property Crimes…
For Richmond resident Rasmo Moses, ‘public safety’ is the absence of litter from the street corner near his house. For Leslie Townsend, it is “having more options than calling a gun to the scene.” For Kelbin Guterres, the concept means clean air and water and a protected natural environment. And for Josue Contreras, it’s about ensuring everybody feels safe walking down the street. For the seven candidates running for the three available City Council seats in the election next month,…
Aiming to curb gun violence before it begins, the California Violence Intervention & Prevention Grant Program recently awarded $6 million to Richmond. Allocated by the Office of Neighborhood Safety, the money will support education and life skills programs, employment training, street outreach and stipends for would-be offenders of violent crime. Those programs fall under the office’s Operation Peacemaker, which will receive about a third of the grant money. Operation Peacemaker launched an 18-month fellowship program in 2010 that incentivizes those…
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…
Mental health emergencies account for more than 1 in 10 of the 911 medical calls in Contra Costa County. A new program will now address those calls with crisis teams that include behavioral health professionals. This week, Contra Costa Health Services unveiled the Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime program, which will get clinicians involved in accessing medical calls and determining when a crisis response team is needed. The county is now hiring for the A3 pilot program, with plans to have the…