After 31 years of service, Richardson Police Chief Larry Zacharias will retire on December 31, 2008. He has been Chief of Police since 2002.

We have an update on crime prevention efforts in Richardson for the month of August. We talk about our online reporting tool, VIN etching, and a neighborhood scam.

June was a good month for awards and accolades given to Richardson’s public safety officials. On June 9th, the Richardson City Council issued a proclamation honoring Richardson Police Chief Zacharias that recognized him for receiving an award from the Texas Police Chief’s Association. Richardson residents apparently overwhelmingly support Chief Zacharias and Fire Chief Alan Palomba according to a recent survey by local group, Richardson Residents for Responsive Government. Lastly, International Association of Chiefs of Police will honor Richardson’s law enforcement volunteer programs later this year.

Last year, one of our National Night Out "Project 365s" was a curb addressing campaign. This initiative came about after a Patrol Officer sent us his concerns about how difficult it was becoming to locate many home addresses at night. Neighborhood Services partnered with the city's neighborhood associations in an effort to publicize this initiative to assist emergency responders. I understand there has been some interest, but overall, response has not been what we had hoped. It is still dark out there at night.

You have read many past warnings about what thieves look for when burglarizing vehicles--- laptops, radar detectors, purses, etc. Well, we have recently had to pull out our "Vehicle Burglary" prevention brochure and update it with a new target -- some of you, unfortunately, already know what's coming. Portable GPS navigation units are the current item of preference.

On the good side, we have an announcement about National Night Out. National Night Out, usually in the sweltering month of August, is moving to a cooler month. On another front, if you don't believe that thieves were looking to steal your Christmas this past holiday season then guess again. We have a tale of stolen Christmas gifts that offers a lesson about crime prevention.

There have been four residential burglaries reported within the Arapaho and Reservation Homeowner Association areas between November 15 and 16. Read the full article to get a description and get prevention tips.

On the morning of October 4, residents notified police of a suspicious person in a backyard on High Brook. Police responded and the chase was on.

We have gotten a great response since we unofficially launched a few weeks ago. In this article, we will tell you about our plans for the next few weeks.

Multiple law enforcement agencies are asking for help from the public and the media with the identification and apprehension of a serial home invasion suspect. The suspect is said to be involved with multiple offenses in seven metroplex cities including Richardson. The agencies released a sketch and details of the suspect on Thursday. A special tip line has been established in order to aid in collecting information about the suspect.