Overdue Recognition, TRUTH And MORE TRUTH

Things have been busy for the Tazer, but the RPD deserves recognition for their work this week in regard to stopping more fallout from the multiple shootings that happened this week.

RPD nabbed a car full of weapons and got 3 suspects in custody before they could do more damage.

It was great to see and hear our communiuty come together and help RPD with tips and info...they seem to be making some headway.

GOOD JOB RPD!

In a bit of comedy from the comments pages, there was an interesting exchange that deserves some front page action. Here it is, unedited!
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Anonymous said...
How many died in Richmond under Mayor Corbin's watch, or all the other ex-mayors?Let us not forget that there have been years with higher homocide numbers than we have seen under Irma Anderson's watch.

11:48 AM
the power of Dr.Strange said...
Well why don't you supply the Tazer rag with that information, and let's start talking about the good old days! Since people seem not to be able to talk about the present.

12:13 PM
dread captain shiroiwashi said...
How many died under Rosemary Corbin? NEWS FLASH to "anonymous":

she's no longer mayor, so let's not digress. Your attempt to divert attention by passing the buck is hereby ignored.

Rosemary Corbin WAS the mayor, and she should rightfully be held accountable for what happened while she WAS mayor. Meanwhile, back here in the present, Irma Anderson IS the mayor; thus, she will likewise be held accountable for what's happening NOW.

As for your claim of higher homicide numbers...well, let's just say that I'm sorry to disappoint you, little socko, but you're bad with numbers, too.

According to all the available FBI Uniform Crime Reports (1996 - 2005), Richmond's homicides looked like this:1996: 34 1997: 30 1998: 18 1999: 31 2000: 29 2001: 18 2002: 29 2003: 38 2004: 35 2005: 40

So, the trend was actually mostly DOWNWARD prior to 2001. Total homicides for 1996 - 2000 = 142.In 2001, the year Irma Anderson was elected mayor, they bottom out, then go back up. Totals for 2002 - 2005 = 142 also.The difference: 96 - 00 is 5 years, while 02 - 05 is only 4.

Thus, the homicide rate went from 28.4/year (26.66, if you include 2001) to 35.5/year (32, if you include 2001) under Irma Anderson. Neither is impressive, but for that average rate to jump 30 must mean that things have gotten painfully ugly in a hurry.

Now, if you'd like REALLY UGLY, cityrating.com (http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime.asp?city=Richmond&state=CA) crunches the numbers on the FBI "Report of Offenses to Law Enforcement" to show that Richmond's murder rate is 4.79 times the national average.

Got any more softballs, "anonymous" socko? Pitch 'em this way!

TAZER NOTE: Damn, that's a whole lotta TRUTH!

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Finally this morning, a great email from Tazer friend Inge Oliver:

Hello everybody:

Have you had a chance to check the city's web-page?

There will be no regular City Council meeting on Tuesday!!!They have scheduled two "Special Meetings" as follow:

Tuesday, May 23rd:
Interviewing 2 candidates for the position of a special counsel
to assist with review/update of the City Charter.

With 14 lawyers already on the payroll, the majority with 6-figures
annual income, I really wonder why the need another lawyer for this job,
what are these highly paid individuals are doing all day long?

Thursday, May 25th
Special meeting with the WCCUSD to discuss academic programs/achievements
and safety issues.

What is there to discuss now? Everybody knows tha Cleveland Brown was nominated
to take over the school-policing. And discussing the programs and achievements......
in my book, that is a little late and should have been discussed last year, in connection
with Measur J, which Irma so adamantly indorsed.

What I'm missing is an update re. the "Violent Prevention Coordinator/Department"!
The shooting/killings are still going on and will increase, come summer-break, there is
no question about that.

And it is more than obvious, Irma is pushing the responsibility to Chief Magnus,
off her "desk", while at the same time she protracts the implemantation of the much needed
programs, e.g. those the Richmond Improvement Associaion has to offer.

I think it is high time to put pressure on the city's politicians to stop this nonsense and
concentrate on doing what is most important, stop the killings!

After all, they all were elected into their position to represent us and make sure our needs
are met, not the Unions, nor their own!

Thought I need to share this with you.

Sincerely,
Inge Oliver

Front Page For You!

The Tazer is happy this morning...

The "web geek" in us is pleased that we've FINALLY gotten a response from someone who doesn't quite agree with our calling city officials on the carpet. Here's a goodie from the comments section:

"Same old thing every day from the Tazer, let's blast Irma. Get REAL you bunch of highly opinionated Geeks. This isn't Oz and there is no wizard. Why can't you appreciate the genuine efforts being made in this community to deal with the violence we are all subject to?"

TAZER NOTE: First off, the Tazer thanks you for having enough sand to actually come and post your opinion.

Secondly, The Tazer doesn't "blast Irma" every day, the council and any other poverty or politcal pimp that is either trying to bleed this city dry or gain from the deaths of people in our community will be called out here...if you take a look back, the City Council is called out regularly for their lack of action.

Thirdly, do you find it the least bit uncomfortable to say that Irma Anderson shouldn't be called out for her lack of action? SHE IS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY. These murders (and all the other screw ups over the last 4 years) HAVE HAPPENED ON HER WATCH. When you go out to eat and the service is bad, who do you want to talk to? THE BOSS...that servers' performance (or lack there of) is a direct reflection of that boss. Welcome to the world...you pay the cost to be the boss. No one twisted Irma's arm to be mayor.

Finally, The Tazer does appricate the GENUINE EFFORTS being made to stop violence in our community. That portion of your comment we take offense to, as The Tazer was created in a effort to make those thathave the power to stop the violence realize that cannot get away with NOT doing their job, or attempting to gain from the deaths of people. As recently as yesterday (in case you haven't read that far), The Tazer praised Chief Magnus for having the grapes to step up and deal with this:

"TAZER NOTE: The Tazer belives that Chief Magnus does have a plan to stop this violence, but we also believe that he's going to need A LOT of help, which he won't get from the assorted politcial poverty pimps in an election year. The Tazer is asking the people in our communities to offer any help you can to the RPD and the chief to make something happen. "

Again, we thank you for your comments, but at least give the "web geeks" a fair shake and read throughly :) . We realize that this isn't "Oz" and their is no "wizard". The Tazer has seen many friends die over the years due to violence and lack of action, so our experience is as first hand as anyone elses.

The SF Chronicle Checks In...

Here's an article from the SF Chronicle:
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Wednesday, May 24, 2006 (SF Chronicle)
RICHMOND/After 3 slayings, chief tells how he'll fight crime/Amid surge in violence, he talks tough -- but says long-term solution will take time

Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer

One day after a string of shootings killed three people in Richmond's bloodiest night in recent memory, the police chief said he's revamping how the department fights crime -- but warned that it could take years to contain the violence.

Police Chief Chris Magnus, who came to Richmond from Fargo, N.D. just five months ago, took a hard line Tuesday even as investigators scrambled for clues in the spate of shootings, which brought to 15 the number of homicides recorded in Richmond so far this year -- about twice the number seen by this time last year.

"No efforts or expense will be spared when it comes to arrests. If you're guilty, we will catch you, and you will do hard time," he said. "But we need a long-term solution, not just a Band-Aid, and that will take time."

Crime is up across the board in Richmond, which has long struggled with gangs, poverty and a cycle of violence that seems almost entrenched. But Richmond is not alone: Oakland, San Francisco and cities nationwide have seen surges in violence in recent months.

Theories abound on why -- new waves of parolees returning to their neighborhoods; the easy availability of firearms; a culture that tolerates-- even glorifies -- violence and discourages cooperating with police.

And Richmond, like Oakland, is having a tough time recruiting new police officers even as it grapples with a cycle of killing and retaliation that's seemingly impossible to stop.
The chief's proposal was not crafted in response to Monday's violence -- Magnus had been working on it for months -- but the shootings highlight the challenges he faces.

"I'm imploring the community to keep the faith," said Mayor Irma Anderson.
"We have a competent, capable police chief who has a plan to deal with this violence."

TAZER NOTE: You have A LOT of nerve Irma. You think it's ok to pass the buck on this to our "capable police chief"? THIS HAS HAPPENED ON YOUR WATCH MAYOR! QUIT TRYING TO DUMP IT ALL ON SOMEONE ELSE! You and the council should give Chief Magnus what he needs instead of saying "you fix it"...maybe if you and the council TOOK SOME RESPONSIBLITY FOR THE MESS YOU MADE, PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT YOU SPEW. Now back to your regularly scheduled story...

The shootings began just before 7 p.m. when a 19-year-old fired randomly on Chanslor Avenue but didn't hit anyone. About 20 minutes later, Laquisha Turner, 17, was shot as she drove with her boyfriend on Hilltop Mall Road.

She died Tuesday morning.

At about 8:30 p.m., someone walked up to Deshon Cortez Dokes as he walked on Bissell Avenue and opened fire, killing the 26-year-old. Barely a half hour later, a 15-year-old boy was shot as he rode his bicycle near Sixth Street and Lucas Avenue. He remained hospitalized Tuesday in critical but stable condition.

Shontelle Boughton, 26, was sitting in a car parked on Gately Avenue at about 9:30 p.m. when suspects in an Oldsmobile Aurora shot him in the chest. He died later the same night.
And just before midnight, a 16-year-old boy was shot in the foot near the basketball court at Lucas Park.

Like the Oakland Police Department, Richmond is woefully understaffed. It has 159 sworn police officers -- a deficit of 20 percent -- to serve a city of 102,000. Retirements and difficulties recruiting officers are to blame.

But even if the department filled every vacancy tomorrow, it wouldn't fix what Magnus called a deadly combination of guns, drugs and "a culture of payback for perceived disrespect."
"It's not as simple as throwing money at the problem and flooding the streets with cops," he said. "You can triple the number of officers and not see any change. It's how you utilize the officers you have."

To that end, Magnus' plan calls for reorganizing the force into three units -- North, Central and South. Each would have its own captain, who would answer to Magnus and oversee officers assigned specifically to each neighborhood. The plan, which amounts to a return to community policing, is designed to have officers get to know residents and become part of the community.
That, in turn, would increase accountability by giving officers a stake in the area and encourage residents to be more cooperative with investigations.

Magnus also wants to work closely with the West Contra Costa Unified School District and plans to double -- to two -- the number of police officers assigned to each of the three high schools in Richmond and have them work more closely with the district in truancy enforcement.

The chief has no qualms about asking for help and said he will work with an array of agencies -- from the district attorney's office to the county health department to the Drug Enforcement Agency -- to tackle crime from every angle and strike at the core causes.

"This kind of violence cannot be dealt with by the Richmond police alone,"
he said. "This is a shared responsibility that we have to take on together."

Magnus is not the first chief to offer a big plan, and many of his proposals have been attempted by his predecessors. But Magnus brings new enthusiasm to the job, he has the support of the City Council, and it seems residents realize they must play as great a role as the police in solving crime.

"We are a city that is sick with homicides. And it's not just the role of the police to cure this sickness," said the Rev. Andre Shumake, a Baptist minister and president of the Richmond Improvement Association. "For this madness to end, we have to say enough is enough. If we continue on this path, we are going to destroy one another."
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Copyright 2006 SF Chronicle
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TAZER NOTE: The Tazer belives that Chief Magnus does have a plan to stop this violence, but we also believe that he's going to need A LOT of help, which he won't get from the assorted politcial poverty pimps in an election year. The Tazer is asking the people in our communities to offer any help you can to the RPD and the chief to make something happen.

A Dose of TRUTH From The Captain's Chair...

Regular Tazer poster Dread Captain Shiroiwashi always has great nuggets of wisdom. The Tazer feels that this note from the Dread Captain deserves front page action...please read it thoroughly...it WILL make you think!
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Philosopher Thomas Hobbes claimed that society's condition outside of authority would be a "war of all against all."

Irma Anderson and the Richmond city council insists on proving this to be true. Meanwhile, RPD Chief Chris Magnus is managing with what he has, even if some of his actions are the mere rearranging of deckchairs and his rhetoric isn't exactly inclusive.

In reference to the recent promotion of ten new officers: "While others have seen fit to criticize from the sidelines, these men and women have chosen to get involved, to really get into the thick of things."

To Chief Magnus, I say that some of those critiques are valuable and worthwhile, and moreover it highlights that the issue is being discussed.

Unfortunately, the city council can't even muster the grapes to whisper that which cannot be whispered...

Recent topics of discussion abounded. Benefits for domestic partners. Potholes and traffic. Awards, rewards, glad-handing, and back-patting. They're all within the purview of the city council, I suppose, but then none of them were VIOLENCE PREVENTION.

The Richmond city council is a ship with no rudder and leaves a void. This void is being filled by thugs without fear. These thugs have no fear because they aren't being caught. And they aren't being caught because the Richmond city council is a ship with no rudder...

To the city council: DO SOMETHING! START SOMEWHERE!

To Irma Anderson: GRAB THE WHEEL! You're supposed to be in charge, but you aren't acting like it. So far, you're going to be remembered as a mayor who presided over 145 homicides and counting. Why not try to be the mayor who stopped the bleeding?
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Tazer Note: Well put Captain. You're commentary is welcome anytime.

We've gotten an update from the RPD press conference held this morning and it seems that all types of media were present and The Tazer was well represented. We'll get more info to you as it happens.

Angry Voices Respond To Violence In Our City

Thanks to Tazer contributor Mike Ali for taking time away from helping familes deal with last night's tragedies to put this piece together. The Tazer would also like to hear from Rev. Shumake and Charlene Harris ASAP.
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"THE KILLING FIELDS OF RICHMOND STRIKE AGAIN!"



The so-called WAR ON VIOLENCE?! What plan, what leadership?! Why is this happening?! Why are our babies dying?! These are the phone calls that I received overnight and the early hours of this morning. Five shootings from 7:30 pm to 11:30pm on Monday, May 22. Two people confirmed dead, another two of the victims hinge to life.

This MADNESS has got to end! The Mayor's Office and certain members of the City Council still sit in silence and pretend the KILLING FIELDS OF RICHMOND will go away. As predicted in an earlier editioral the KILL CYCLE STARTED SOME WEEKS BACK AND WILL CONTINUE FOR MONTHS TO COME. Again where are the US Marshalls, AFT, FBI and other federal professional striker teams to respond to serve and excute warrants on these gangsters? WHY IS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FAILING AT TONIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING INTRODUCE A CURFEW AND DECLARE 'A STATE OF EMERGENCY!' WHY?!

Educated fools may think that they are educated, but they are just fools with an education. The City Government of Richmond, the Mayor's Office And certain members of the City Council appear to very highly educated individuals. They City has failed to implement and faciliate policies to fight their so-called War On Violence. The War is now LOST! This is why the real Violence Prevention Movement Boycott continues, until they bring us to the bargaining table as equal partners and stakeholders to help assist the City to develop real policies to contain and reduce the violence in the killing fields of Richmond.

As Rev. Andre Shumake has stated: "If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have gotten!" Yeah, what the community has gotten from the City Government is dramatic body count that is still counting upwards, with NO ANSWERS OR SOLUTIONS INTO THE FUTURE ON HOW TO WIN THE 'WAR ON VIOLENCE'.

The bloody killing fields of Richmond must stop, the COMMUNITY DEMANDS JUSTICE NOW!

Yours in the Struggle for Human and Civil Rights in the City of Richmond,

Mike Ali,
Committee of Families for the Safety of Our Children

And So We Wait...

And hope...that The Mayor's office and City Hall will FINALLY come to the table and work towards solutions to stop the violence in our city...Unfortunately, that waiting has cost more young lives: (Credit CBS5 News):

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Violence rocked the city of Richmond Monday night, with five separate shootings leaving two dead. According to Richmond police Captain Alec Griffin, the shootings occurred between 7:22 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and appear completely unrelated.

The victims include a 17-year-old girl who is listed in extremely critical condition and a 15-year-old boy who is recovering from serious, multiple gunshot wounds.

Also, a 26-year-old man is dead from multiple wounds and another 26-year-old is fighting life-threatening injuries. The first attack occurred on Hilltop Mall Road near Robert H. Miller Drive.

The 17-year-old girl was driving with a 21-year-old Richmond man when someone opened fire on the vehicle. The girl was hit, and her companion drove her to Doctor's Hospital in San Pablo where she received preliminary treatment before being flown to John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek, according to the police report.

The second incident turned fatal for a Richmond man who was walking in the 500 block of Bissell Avenue around 8:25 p.m.

Witnesses told police the shooter walked up to the victim and shot him several times. Bystanders drove him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after.Forty-three minutes later, a 15-year-old boy was riding his bike around 6th Street and Lucas Avenue when he was hit by gunfire. Witnesses reported multiple shots fired and likely multiple weapons.

According to Griffin, police do not know if the boy was the intended target.

The fourth shooting occurred at 9:34 p.m. in the 5400 block of Gately Avenue, police reported. The 26-year-old victim was in a silver PT Cruiser when a white Oldsmobile Aurora occupied by several people drove past, made a U-turn and opened fire on the vehicle. The man was shot in the chest and was last listed as fighting life-threatening injuries.

According to Griffin, Richmond police have no more information on this wave of violence. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Richmond communications center at (510) 233-1214 or the anonymous tip line at 232-TIPS (8477).
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TAZER NOTE: It was said on KTVU this morning that some are wondering where this wave of violence came from, since there's been a "lull in violence" lately...pardon our Creole here, but WTF? How long has TWO DAYS been a "lull in violence"?

How much more will it take before we see another meltdown or all out anarchy on our streets as people revolt against the city structure? Do we have to roll caskets into the city hall chambers with a body count board before they get it?

Chief Mangus has called an 11am press conference. The Tazer will keep you updated.