Safety

Richmond police one step closer to body cameras

On Tuesday, Oct. 7, the Richmond City Council whether to spend $85,000 on body cameras for the Richmond Police Deparment. If approved, the cameras will be mandatory to wear during an officer’s shift. If approved, the body cameras are set to be rolled out in early 2015.

The Hacienda housing project was declared uninhabitable. Why are tenants still living there?

The troubles at the Hacienda housing project were made public in February. The Richmond Housing Authority promised a tenant relocation in April. The initial application was sent in May. It’s now October—and mice still crawl at residents’ feet and cracks still spider up the walls. “I thought this place was coming down on my head during that Napa quake,” said Clarence Malbrough, a 16-year resident of the notorious Iron Triangle apartment complex on Roosevelt Ave. Residents and city council have…

Community gathers to prevent violence in wake of recent homicide

Calling for an end to the deadly violence that flared in Richmond in recent weeks, a small group of community volunteers from Ceasefire marched through Pullman Point Friday night. “We’ve been working tirelessly in the community to reduce gun violence,” activist Tamisha Walker said. The effort is part of a broader push by the community and police to stop the recent cycle of violence involving young men that culminated in a double homicide last month. Under the watchful eye of…

See Ruger bite, Richmond’s canine cops in action

Ronin pounced first, snapping his powerful canine jaws into Officer Mike Brown. Ruger came next, leaping into Brown, knocking the man down with a single strike. The crowd of mostly parents and children was riveted. Brown, a Richmond police officer, was okay, thanks to his training and protective suit. The fierce demonstration came thanks to the Richmond Police Department Canine Unit, which put its prowess on display for a session at the North & East Neighborhood annual picnic in Wendell…

A cop, and resident, of Richmond public housing

Officer Benjamin Therriault moved into one of Richmond’s toughest neighborhoods three years ago as part of the city’s “Police-in-Properties” program. He lives in a one-bedroom apartment in Richmond Village, a low-income housing project that a few years ago was one of the city’s most violent.