Richmond Police Department

Transparency is described as a cornerstone of policing by the Richmond Police Department in California, and its Police Transparency page gathers reports and data on force incidents, police shootings and other officer-involved events, crime trends and written policies. When an officer-involved shooting results in the death of an unarmed civilian, the California Department of Justice investigates under Government Code section 12525.3, enacted as AB 1506, and the department posts records and updates on past fatal incidents. Under the state's military equipment law, AB 481, codified at Government Code sections 7070 through 7075, the department publishes an annual equipment report and holds community engagement meetings on its use policy. Residents 16 and older can apply to an eight-week Community Police Academy, held on Thursday evenings and two Saturdays, which requires a background check and graduates ambassadors who explain how the department works; it is not a training course for future officers. Command staff oversee investigations, patrol and administrative services, and officers took part in neighborhood National Night Out events in 2026.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2023), Richmond city, CA has an estimated population of 115,396.