Politics & Government
Police Beef Up Presence at Richmond BART Station After Man Gunned Down
Police say a second victim in the March 14 shooting sought help at a local hospital. A stabbing was also reported near the station last weekend.
By Bay City News Service
Police have increased their presence at the Richmond BART station in response to recent violence in and around the station.
Both the BART and Richmond police departments are devoting more officers to patrolling the station, located on Nevin Avenue, where 34-year-old Raymond Harris was gunned down at about 6:20 p.m. on March 14.
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A second victim in that case, a 26-year-old man, turned up at Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo and was treated and released, BART police Deputy Chief Ben Fairow said.
The shooter fled before officers arrived and has not been arrested.
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Soon after Harris' killing, which occurred near the front of the station and sent commuters running, BART police posted an additional officer there during peak commute hours.
Richmond police are dedicating two patrol officers to the station during the same times, police Lt. Bisa French said.
There has also been violent crime in the neighborhood around the station, including a stabbing late Sunday that left a man in his late teens critically injured. The stabbing occurred just before midnight near Marina Walkway and Metro Walkway.
Fairow said BART police have long worked to form a stronger relationship with Richmond police to address crime in the area.
"We recognize there is no clear line between BART and Richmond," he said. "While (the murder) is a tragedy, we're hopeful we'll be building some collaborative relationships with the Richmond Police Department and the citizens of Richmond."
Despite the recent violence, Fairow said the station is generally safe and has not required as many police resources as other East Bay stops such as the Ashby and El Cerrito stations.
Both BART and Richmond police are reminding riders at the Richmond station to stay alert and be aware of their surroundings to help prevent crime.
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