Douglas Vargas had lived in the neighborhood for about 20 years and walked it most mornings, his niece said. He is the second pedestrian killed on Richmond’s 23rd Street in about a month.
Category: Public Safety
Posted inCity
City council wants proof that license-plate readers solve crimes
City staff will compile Flock camera data for review while police warn that this delay could leave them without working cameras by the end of the year.
Posted inPublic Safety
Richmond’s crisis team has been 5 years in the making. Here’s how its first 120 days went
ROCK, founded in 2021 as an alternative to sending police, has answered an average of 119 calls a month since March — just a fraction of the total.
Posted inCity
Richmond considers switching from Flock to a different surveillance firm
The city council on Tuesday will also consider banning data centers, of which there are none in Richmond, and will discuss the $550 million Chevron settlement.
Posted inPublic Safety
Richmond woman charged with attempted murder of 8 police officers during mental health crisis call
The suspect, who police say injured one officer, is expected to be arraigned this afternoon.
Posted inPublic Safety
Richmond arson suspect pleads innocent in deaths of four family members
Sergio Ivan Rivera-Vega made an appearance in Superior Court on Tue., Sept. 8, 2026 on four counts of murder-arson.
Posted inPublic Safety
Update: Suspect in police shooting identified
Jasmine Robinson, 39, is accused of shooting numerous rounds that struck neighboring homes and vehicles, including a patrol car, police said.
Posted inPublic Safety
Suspect arrested in hit-and-run that killed 81-year-old Richmond man
Don Mack, 66, of Richmond was arrested on Sunday in connection with the death of Rafael Delago, who was in a crosswalk when he was hit.
Posted inPublic Safety
Richmond man, 81, killed in hit-and-run at 23rd Street
Rafael Delgado was struck by a vehicle that left the scene, family members said, after he left the Bahia de Jiquilisco restaurant on Aug. 23.
Posted inPublic Safety
Richmond arson suspect delays entering plea in killing of 4 family members
Sergio Ivan Rivera-Vega will be formally arraigned on Tue., Sept. 8 on four counts of murder-arson.
Posted inPublic Safety
Update: Richmond fire claims fourth victim
The house fire police say was arson resulted in the deaths of a Richmond mother, her two young children and her father. Her brother has been charged with murder.
Posted inPublic Safety
Richmond man arrested at scene of fatal house fire was related to the four victims
The suspect’s father and his nephew died, making them the city’s sixth and seventh homicides of 2026. His sister and her daughter are in critical condition.
Posted inCity
Flock’s pitch to police: Be like Richmond and Oakland
While Richmond’s city council was split on extending its Flock contract, the company handbook characterizes the city as embracing the technology.
Posted inPublic Safety
Fatal stabbing victim identified; suspect arrested
Killing of a Martinez man, 59, at a Belding Woods transitional home is the city’s fifth homicide of 2026, police said.
Posted inCity
State is monitoring 6 dry cleaner chemical contamination cases in Richmond area
While the source of the PCE found at Kennedy High hasn’t been released, there are other locations citywide being monitored by the state.
Posted inPublic Safety
If your cell phone doesn’t work during a disaster, ‘Look for the houses with an antenna’
The West Contra Costa Emergency Radio Goup, founded in 2018, has grown to include dozens of members in multiple cities who have the technology to communicate during emergencies.
Posted inSchools
WCCUSD to hold public meeting about chemical found at Kennedy High
The state Department of Toxic Substances Control told WCCUSD there is “no immediate risk” from the discovery of tetrachloroethylene but further testing is needed.
Posted inPublic Safety
Teen paralyzed in 2025 Richmond shooting wanted to become a firefighter
Fifty people reported being the victims of gun violence in the last months of 2025. Here’s how one of them is fighting to recover.
Posted inPublic Safety
Richmond’s fight against fireworks now includes a fulltime police drone officer
Along with the extra eyes in the skies, the city and community members are educating Spanish speakers and considering tougher penalties that would hold property owners accountable.
Posted inPublic Safety
PG&E warns customers of a new scam involving QR codes
Victims, including 278 Contra Costa households, have lost more than $211,000 so far this year.
