Homicide rate plummeting in Richmond

RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) - A Bay Area city once considered among the most dangerous in the nation has seen its homicide rate plummet.

The Contra Costa Times (http://bit.ly/U6xjfz ) says 18 people have been killed in Richmond this year - the lowest number since 2001. That's down from 45 three years ago and about half as many as the yearly average over the past decade.

Meanwhile, murder rates in San Francisco and San Jose are rising.

The city of 103,000 still has a higher per-capita homicide rate than those cities but it's no longer on "most dangerous" lists - as it was in 2007.

In the past six years, Richmond has increased its police force from 150 to 190 sworn officers, implemented community policing and created a violence-prevention office to help at-risk teens.

Information from: Contra Costa Times, http://www.contracostatimes.com

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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