Richmond, California: Difference between revisions

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Like most of the Bay Area, Richmond is made up of several [[microclimate]]s. Southern parts of the city and the ridges receive more [[fog]] than northern areas. Summer temperatures are higher in inland areas, where the moderating influence of San Francisco Bay is lessened. The average wind speed is {{Convertconvert|6-9|mph|4=0}} with stronger winds from March through August; the strongest winds are in June.<ref name="richmonddata"/> The city also enjoys more than 80% sunshine seven months out of the year and ten months with 60% or more. December and January are the darkest months with about 45% average brightness.<ref name="richmonddata"/> The city experiences virtually no snowfall, and brief hail annually.

The city has in the past suffered from a high crime rate; at one point, the city council requested a declaration of a state of emergency and asked for the intervention of the Contra Costa County Sheriff and the [[California Highway Patrol]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zamora|first=Jim Herron|date=June 17, 2005|title=RICHMOND / 4 on council call for a state of emergency / The idea is to raise $2 million to fight violent crime wave|url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/richmond-4-on-council-call-for-a-state-of-2627613.php|access-date=February 23, 2023|website=SFGATE|language=en-US}}</ref> Murder, vehicle theft, and larceny rates remain high, although they tend to be concentrated in the [[Iron Triangle, Richmond, California|Iron Triangle]] and adjacent unincorporated [[North Richmond, California|North Richmond]], which is outside the jurisdiction of the [[Richmond Police Department (California)|Richmond Police Department]]. By 1991, the city's all-time high of 62 homicides, among a population of 98,000, was seven times the national average. The portion of these homicides that were drug- or gang-related increased from 5 percent to 55 percent between 1989 and 1991.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://wtvr.com/2015/05/08/by-the-numbers-here-are-the-most-dangerous-cities-in-america/ |title = By the numbers: Here are the 'most dangerous' cities in America|date = May 8, 2015}}</ref>

The [[2010 United States census]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0660620|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715134438/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0660620|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Richmond city|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}}</ref> reported that Richmond had a population of 103,701. The population density was {{Convertconvert|1976.0|PD/sqmi}}. The racial makeup of Richmond was 32,590 (31.4%) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 27,542 (26.6%) [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 662 (0.6%) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 13,984 (13.5%) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]] (4.0% [[Chinese American|Chinese]], 3.5% [[Filipino American|Filipino]], 1.6% [[Laotian American|Laotian]], 1.2% [[Indian American|Indian]], 0.7% [[Vietnamese American|Vietnamese]], 0.6% [[Japanese American|Japanese]], 0.4% [[Korean American|Korean]], 0.2% [[Pakistani American|Pakistani]], 0.1% [[Thai American|Thai]]), 537 (0.5%) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 22,573 (21.8%) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 5,813 (5.6%) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 40,921 persons (39.5%). Among the Hispanic population, 27.3% were of [[Mexican American|Mexican]] origin, 4.7% [[Salvadoran American|Salvadoran]], 1.7% [[Guatemalan American|Guatemalan]], and 1.2% [[Nicaraguan American|Nicaraguan]] heritage.

There were 39,328 housing units at an average density of {{Convertconvert|749.4|/sqmimi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}, of which 36,093 were occupied, of which 18,659 (51.7%) were owner-occupied, and 17,434 (48.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%. 52,683 people (50.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 49,435 people (47.7%) lived in rented housing.

As of the census<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 99,216 people, 34,625 households, and 23,025 families in the city. The population density was {{Convertconvert|3,309.5|PD/sqmi}}. There were 36,044 housing units at an average density of {{Convertconvert|1,202.3|/sqmimi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 36.06% [[Race (United States Census)|black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 21.36% [[Race (United States Census)|white]], 0.64% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 12.29% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.50% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 13.86% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 5.27% from two or more races. 26.53% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]], of any race.

The [[Hilltop, Richmond, California|Hilltop District]] includes [[Hilltop Mall|Prologis Hilltop Center]] and a 16-screen [[Century Theatres]] alongside Hilltop Plaza Shopping Center. The [[23rd Street (Richmond, California)|23rd Street business district]] has evolved into a predominantly Latino neighborhood over the last twenty years as have the storefronts.<ref name="char">[http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=6187 23rd Street Corridor Visioning and Form-Based Code: Charette Summary Report Richmond, California] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505041406/http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=6187 |date=May 5, 2011 }}. City of Richmond website. August 26, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2011.</ref>

The position of Mayor rotated between members of the Richmond City Council until 1981, when the office became an elected position.<ref name=sfc>{{cite news |first= Carolyn |last= Jones |title= George Livingston, Richmond's 1st black elected mayor |url= http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/10/BALF1MNF43.DTL |work= [[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date= January 11, 2012 |access-date= January 20, 2012}}</ref> [[George Carroll (judge)|George D. Carroll]], who was voted by the City Council to become Mayor on July 6, 1964, was described at the time as "the first Negro mayor in California and first in America with the exception of small, scattered all-Negro communities in the Deep South,".<ref>"Negro Councilman Elevated to Richmond Mayor's Post", ''Oakland Tribune'', July 7, 1964, p19.</ref> [[George Livingston]] Sr. was the first elected African American mayor. He served from 1985 to 1993. [[Rosemary Corbin]] served as the mayor from 1993 to 2001. The current mayor [[Eduardo Martinez (politician)|Eduardo Martinez]] was elected Mayor of Richmond in 2022, winning 39% of the vote [.<ref>https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/contracosta].</ref> Prior to winning the mayoral election, he had served on the Richmond City Council since 2014. Martinez is Richmond's first Latino mayor and a vocal critic of Chevron. [<ref>https://www.kqed.org/news/11933240/a-progressive-vision-for-richmond-mayor-elect-eduardo-martinez-talks-about-what-lies-ahead]</ref>

Years of political domination by the local firefighters union subsided after an [[FBI]] corruption investigation.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hallissy|first1=Erin|title='TeflonDon' Faces FBI Probe in Richmond|url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Teflon-Don-Faces-FBI-Probe-In-Richmond-Union-2890668.php|access-date=February 19, 2015|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=December 13, 1999}}</ref> In the early 2000s [[Gayle McLaughlin]] was the first Green elected to the council, with the support of the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA), a coalition of liberal Democrats, progressive independents, and Greens. In November 2006, McLaughlin was elected mayor, defeating incumbent first-term Mayor [[Irma Anderson]]. During McLaughlin's mayoralty (2007-20152007–2015), Richmond was the nation's largest city with a [[Green Party of the United States|Green Party]] mayor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Jason B. |date=January 10, 2007 |title=Green Party mayor takes the reins |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/01/10/BAGPQNG56H1.DTL |access-date=June 26, 2007 |archive-date=February 7, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207151910/http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/01/10/BAGPQNG56H1.DTL |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2006, the city implemented a computer program that it had ordered from a German firm that provides the city with statistical interactive maps. These maps cover such areas as signage locations, streets, crime hot-spots, and zoning information.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Esri News --&ndash; ArcNews Winter 2002/2003 Issue --&ndash; The City of Richmond, California, Implements Enterprise Framework|url=https://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/winter0203articles/city-of-richmond.html|access-date=February 23, 2023|website=www.esri.com}}</ref> In 2007 the city won a contest in which its previously substandard website was upgraded and improved to make it more modern and functional. The prize includes two years of free webmastering.<ref>[http://www.civicplus.com/Archive.asp?ADID=189 Grand Prize-Winning "Extreme Makeover" Website Is Unveiled!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928101238/http://www.civicplus.com/Archive.asp?ADID=189 |date=September 28, 2007 }}, CivicPlus, January 5, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2007.</ref>

The Richmond Fire Department is the fire and rescue service for Richmond, and by contract with [[Contra Costa County, California|Contra Costa County]] it also serves [[East Richmond Heights, California|East Richmond Heights]], and [[North Richmond, California|North Richmond]].<ref name="fire">{{cite web |url= http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=79 |title= Richmond Fire Department |publisher= Ci.richmond.ca.us |access-date= February 19, 2013}}</ref> The department is responsible for an area of {{Convertconvert| 56.1|sqmi|sqkm}}.<ref name=facts/> The department has seven fire stations in the city.

* [[David DePape]] (born 1979-801979–80), suspect in assault of Paul Pelosi

* The film documentary "Enough is Enough: Live From Tent City in Richmond, CA," details a grassroots movement of Richmond city residents to fight violence on their streets.[<ref>https://archive.today/20130120025251/http://s-data.current.com/news/89473956_enough-is-enough-live-from-tent-city-in-richmond-ca-movie.htm]</ref>