Richmond Police Department
Encyclopedia
The Richmond Police Department or RPD is a public safety and law enforcement agency founded in 1910 that is in charge of protecting and safeguarding the city of Richmond, California
. The city has struggled with serious violent crime for decades and is often described as crime ridden and as one of the "rougher" parts of the San Francisco Bay Area
, in fact in 2010 the city was the 6th most dangerous in the nation.
In 2009 a female student at Richmond High School
was brutally gang raped by half a dozen men and boys while dozens more looked on and took photographs. The police department came under national scrutiny for its investigation and the abhorrent acts that took place.
In 2011 the force came under scrutiny due to a federal probe investigating the hiring of two of the city's "explorers" (members of a Junior Police program) by a private security firm operated by the police officers that illegally armed the young men and sent them to patrol city streets. The FBI is investigating the case which is following events that occurred from 2004 to 2011. The news has reported that once the former explorers came through with their allegations that their former mentors hired prostitutes or strippers into attempting to coax them into driving drunk in order to jail them for DUI as retaliation.
RPD is also is installing high tech cctv cameras in high crime areas to monitor public areas for violence.
, police department in a national search.
In August 2010, the department was criticized for having eight officers make over $100,000 in overtime wages.
The department is broken into three districts each further divided into beats. The Northern district covers Eastern Richmond (beat 7), the El Sobrante & May Valleys (beat 9) in addition to the Hilltop
and Parrchester Village
areas (beat 8), generally the areas east of 23rd street and north of Ohio avenue. The Southern district covers Point Richmond, Point Molate, the Chevron Richmond Refinery
area, Marina Bay
(beat 1), and the Richmond Annex
(beat 3) in addition to the South of Downtown Area (beat 2). It is generally defined as the areas west of Garrard Boulevard and south of Ohio Avenue. Finally the Central district covers the area surrounding Downtown
and the notoriously crime ridden Iron Triangle, bounded by Ohio Avenue, Garrard Street, 23rd Street and the city limits with unincorporated North Richmond
, in addition to an exclave surrounding the city dump. The Central district has three beats, beat 4 east of Carlson Boulevard, beat 6 south of Barrett Avenue and beat 5 north of Barrett Avenue plus the dump.
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
. The city has struggled with serious violent crime for decades and is often described as crime ridden and as one of the "rougher" parts of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, in fact in 2010 the city was the 6th most dangerous in the nation.
History
The department was founded in 1910 and is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2010.In 2009 a female student at Richmond High School
Richmond High School (Richmond, California)
Richmond High School is a public high school located on 23rd Street, Richmond, California, USA. It is part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District .- Alumni and Post-High School Education :...
was brutally gang raped by half a dozen men and boys while dozens more looked on and took photographs. The police department came under national scrutiny for its investigation and the abhorrent acts that took place.
In 2011 the force came under scrutiny due to a federal probe investigating the hiring of two of the city's "explorers" (members of a Junior Police program) by a private security firm operated by the police officers that illegally armed the young men and sent them to patrol city streets. The FBI is investigating the case which is following events that occurred from 2004 to 2011. The news has reported that once the former explorers came through with their allegations that their former mentors hired prostitutes or strippers into attempting to coax them into driving drunk in order to jail them for DUI as retaliation.
Facilities
The department's main police station is located at the Richmond Civic Center and was recently renovated and is LEED certified.Technology
The department has implemented gunfire sensor technology. The system of strategically placed acoustic sensors can detect the sounds of cocking, triggers, shooting, and rounds hitting the ground in addition to geolocating the direction from where it came.RPD is also is installing high tech cctv cameras in high crime areas to monitor public areas for violence.
Staff and operations
The police chief is Chris Magnus, scouted from the Fargo, North DakotaFargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
, police department in a national search.
In August 2010, the department was criticized for having eight officers make over $100,000 in overtime wages.
The department is broken into three districts each further divided into beats. The Northern district covers Eastern Richmond (beat 7), the El Sobrante & May Valleys (beat 9) in addition to the Hilltop
Hilltop, Richmond, California
Fairmede-Hilltop, more commonly known simply as Hilltop, is a neighborhood located in the northeastern area of Richmond, California.-Overview:...
and Parrchester Village
Parchester Village, Richmond, California
Parchester Village is a master planned neighborhood majority African-American village in Northwestern Richmond, California that was the first in the state to sell to blacks.-History:...
areas (beat 8), generally the areas east of 23rd street and north of Ohio avenue. The Southern district covers Point Richmond, Point Molate, the Chevron Richmond Refinery
Chevron Richmond Refinery
The Chevron Richmond Refinery is a petroleum refinery in Richmond, California, on San Francisco Bay. It is owned and operated by Chevron Corporation and employs more than 1,200 workers, making it the city's largest employer. The refinery processes approximately of crude oil a day in the...
area, Marina Bay
Marina Bay, Richmond, California
Marina Bay is located in Richmond's protected Inner Harbor. It was developed in the mid 1980s in an effort to clean up what had been up to that point the defunct WWII-era Kaiser Shipyards. The has been planned as an upper-scale residential waterfront community with apartments, condominiums,...
(beat 1), and the Richmond Annex
Richmond Annex, Richmond, California
Richmond Annex or The Annex is a neighborhood in southeastern Richmond, California. It is mostly residential and located between Interstate 80 and El Cerrito to the east, the San Francisco Bay to the west, Albany to the south, and Pullman to the north....
(beat 3) in addition to the South of Downtown Area (beat 2). It is generally defined as the areas west of Garrard Boulevard and south of Ohio Avenue. Finally the Central district covers the area surrounding Downtown
Downtown Richmond, Richmond, California
Downtown Richmond is the old center of Richmond, California. The area is roughly bordered by 6th street to the west, 23rd Street to the east, Barrett Avenue to the north, and Macdonald Avenue to the south. The area once featured major department stores and other chains such as J.C. Penney, S. H....
and the notoriously crime ridden Iron Triangle, bounded by Ohio Avenue, Garrard Street, 23rd Street and the city limits with unincorporated North Richmond
North Richmond, California
North Richmond is a community in Contra Costa County, California, a census-designated place of 3,717 adjacent to and nearly surrounded by the city Richmond, to which it is generally socially and culturally attached...
, in addition to an exclave surrounding the city dump. The Central district has three beats, beat 4 east of Carlson Boulevard, beat 6 south of Barrett Avenue and beat 5 north of Barrett Avenue plus the dump.