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Police seek to bridge gap between foster youth and officers

The Richmond Police Department held its first annual Foster Youth Conference on Saturday at the LaVonya Dejean Middle School on Macdonald Avenue. About 100 foster youth, foster parents, Richmond police officers, staff from West County Children and Family Services and community members filled the multipurpose room early in the morning for a day full of workshops to promote community involvement and provide resources needed by children and teens in foster care. “There are caring adults here who understand that it…

Three shootings over the weekend, none resulting in homicides

Three shootings occurred in Richmond over the weekend. None appear to be gang-related, police said, and all of the victims are expected to live. On Friday, shortly after 8 p.m., police responded to a call for a shooting on the 3400 block of Richmond Parkway. A man was transported to a local hospital with gunshot injuries to his abdomen. Police have one person in custody. The second shooting occurred around 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the 2700 block of Macdonald. A…

Domestic Violence in Richmond

More than 12 million men and women were victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and Richmond hasn’t escaped the problem. Richmond Police Lt. Bisa French estimated that the RPD sees 20-30 domestic violence cases a month. STAND! For Families Free of Violence, which works with victims in Contra Costa County, receives more than 15,000 clients a year, said Gloria Sandoval, the group’s…

Romeo and Juliet in Richmond

Students from Richmond are putting a new spin on Shakespeare’s classic tale of forbidden love, making it meaningful to life on the streets.

Latina Center celebrates Christmas with food, dance and giving

On Saturday more than 300 people lined the long hallway at Barrett Avenue Christian Church to celebrate gift giving. At one end of the spectrum was a room full of children getting their faces painted, while at the other end parents sat and listened to the musical group Rondalla del Sagrado Corazon. It seemed like there was something for everyone down the block-long hallway—from free flu shots sponsored by Walgreens, to the sale of organic health and beauty products. And…

Mayor honors memory of homicide victims

Mayor Gayle McLaughlin invited the community to the Richmond Public Library Friday night to honor the memory of this year’s homicide victims. More than 30 people attended the event. Chairs formed a circle providing a public forum for the mayor and the attendees who had stories to share about the year’s 18 homicides. “It’s people owning the neighborhood together,” McLaughlin said on ways to decrease crime and violence in the community. She focused on communities taking personal responsibility, being more…