Capt. Richard Corriea: Police Beat

About three weeks ago there was a grand theft committed on a Muni bus at 33rd Avenue and Geary Boulevard. AÊMuni driver had parked his bus and exitedÊbriefly. It was then that threeÊyoung passengers stole the driver'sÊMuni Railway jacket, which had been hangingÊnear the driver's seat.Ê

The suspects fled with the coat, which contained several items of personal property, including the driver's hearing aids.Ê The hearing aids were valued at more than $2,000.

Officer T. Moore,ÊRichmond Station's school car officer, contacted Muni authorities and obtained video recordings made inside the bus at the time of the theft. Moore was able to printÊphotos of the suspects from the video data and then he visited nearby schools in an effort to identify the suspects. He was successful in his endeavors and two of the three suspects were arrested and cited for the theft at the end of April.Ê

Moore was able to reunite the driver with his coat; however, the hearing aids couldn't be located.

I am delighted with officer Moore's tenacity and the mannerÊin which he embraces his duties. He is well suited to police work and we are lucky to have him working with the youth in our community. I am also confident that the juvenile authorities will be seeking restitution for the driver's loss.

On April 19, at about 10 p.m., Richmond Station officers responded to a call of a sexual assault in progress in Golden Gate Park near the Beach Chalet Restaurant. Given the seriousness of the call, many officers responded, including some from other districts and investigative units. Sirens pierced the evening calm throughout the Outer Richmond as a low-flying helicopter from another jurisdiction assisted us with a search of the park.

The response was proportional to the serous nature of the crime.

When I arrived that night at the station, I was pleased with the quality of the immediate follow-up investigation. Many Richmond District residents were concerned about the incident, and continue to have questions, especially since the incident didn't receive much media attention. As such, I thought it would be helpful to tell you what we have learned since the incident.

I have been in regular contact with the lead Sex Crimes Unit police inspector and her lieutenant since the night of the incident. Cases assigned to the Sex Crimes Unit are confidential and the department goes to great lengths to protect the privacy of victims. As such, I am quite limited in the information that I am able to share, even if the information would serve to enhance your sense of personal safety.

What I can tell you is that investigators have determined that the victim was not sexually assaulted. The victim has been released from the hospital and investigators are still trying to determine exactly how she sustained her injuries. Investigators are trying to determine the roles and motives of the individuals involved and what crime may have occurred.

Richmond Station uniformed officers will be making frequent passing calls to the western end of the park and our partners at the SF Recreation and Park Department will be removing undergrowth near trails in the area and will also make passing calls to the area. While I believe that your chances of becoming a victim of a crime are low, and the park is quite safe, please be mindful of what you can do to manage risks to your personal safety. In this connection, please visit the website at www.sfsafe.org and review the personal safety tips posted there.

Also, the correlation between alcohol consumption and becoming a crime victim is well known. Accordingly, please remember that if you consume alcohol you should always have a good and safe plan about how to get home, and be mindful of how alcohol consumption affects your ability to manage risks to your safety.

Most of the Richmond's 10 to 12 commercial area street assaults that are reported each month are precipitated by alcohol consumption. Often, both the victim and the suspect had consumed alcoholic beverages prior to an incident.

Capt. Richard Corriea is the commanding officer at the Richmond Station.