On Thur. Jan. 29, 2026 the city swore in Timothy Simmons as its police chief. Simmons has been with the department for 17 years.
Tag: Richmond Police Department
Posted inPublic Safety
Fire extinguishers, bottles reportedly thrown from Richmond’s 6-story BART garage
One man says he was nearly hit on the head this week. The issue has apparently been going on since 2023, and residents and business owners are frustrated that BART hasn’t solved the potentially dangerous problem.
Posted inPublic Safety
Gun violence in Richmond surged at end of year despite record-low homicides
Acting Police Chief Tim Simmons told the police commission there was a 163% spike in shootings during the last 90 days of 2025.
Posted inPublic Safety
Richmond recorded its lowest ever murder rate in 2025
In 1991 61 people were murdered in Richmond. In 2025 there were five homicides and one justified shooting death. The city’s Office of Neighborhood Safety, a gun violence prevention program that was founded in 2007, has helped save lives.
Posted inPublic Safety
Contra Costa County DA not filing charges in shooting death of 20-year-old
Richmond police say Griffin Hammond of Richmond was shot and killed after he shot someone first outside a convenience store.
Posted inPublic Safety
UPDATE: Richmond’s fifth homicide victim identified
The shooting occurred about a half mile from the Richmond BART station and near several businesses along Macdonald Avenue.
Posted inCity
Richmond police chief shuts down license plate readers after discovering data was searchable
“National search” Flock feature exposed city’s data in February so cameras have been offline for two weeks after incoming Chief Tim Simmons found out.
Posted inCity
Update: Richmond’s incoming police chief says he expects officers to protect residents like they’re family
Richmond Police Department Assistant Chief Timothy Simmons, who’s worked in the department for 17 years, will become Richmond’s top cop in January, according to a press release.
Posted inPublic Safety
Update: Family of murdered man say he was ‘kind, empathetic, caring soul’
GoFundMe for city’s 3rd fatal shooting victim of 2025 has raised more than $18,000.
Posted inPublic Safety
Richmond police investigate death of person found near DeJean Middle School
Body found Friday at 33rd Street and Macdonald Avenue near DeJean Middle School.
Posted inCity
Richmond police told to issue statements within 24 hours of in-custody deaths
After fatal Angel Montaño shooting and complaints from transparency hawks, Richmond police also directed to release unedited body camera footage.
Posted inPublic Safety
Family identifies woman who died at Richmond UPS warehouse
The family of Shelma Reyna identified her as the UPS employee who was killed by what they said was a machine malfunction. She was a mother of five.
Posted inPublic Safety
Richmond police investigating 2nd homicide of the year
Victim, 28, was walking in Iron Triangle on Friday evening when he was shot by multiple people who got out of a car, police said.
Posted inCity
Shouting match erupts at city council meeting over police shooting death
Richmond’s city council meeting was halted Tuesday as council members tried to calm heightened emotions over a recent police shooting death.
Posted inCity
Richmond considers revamping how police release information about in-custody deaths
Policy would ban police from releasing heavily edited body camera video footage in suspect deaths or serious use-of-force injuries.
Posted inRestrained and Sedated
Tight on time? Catch up on our Restrained and Sedated series in one story
A summary of Richmondside’s 5-part series about two men who died a year apart after being restrained by Richmond police officers and sedated by paramedics.
Posted inPublic Safety
Richmond police chief Bisa French is retiring
French was the city’s first female chief. She is stepping down in January after five years as chief and 27 at the department.
Posted inRestrained and Sedated
Upcoming civil rights trial will examine use of forced sedation in Richmond death
A lawsuit filed by the family of Ivan Gutzalenko says he was not resisting arrest and that the paramedic who injected him was “acting on behalf” of Richmond police.
Posted inRestrained and Sedated
An off-duty nurse’s behavior startled onlookers. He died 90 minutes after police arrived
Police were trying to handcuff a bleeding Ivan Gutzalenko when the situation escalated. He was sedated by a paramedic and stopped breathing.
Posted inRestrained and Sedated
Family of man who died in Richmond police custody challenged cause of death report
Jose Luis Lopez’s life began happily in Nicaragua. It ended violently, and his family rejects the coroner’s ruling of “excited delirium.”
