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Richmond mayoral candidates debate public safety at forum

By Bay Area Chronicle
Published October 3, 2026 at 9:38 PM PDT · 1 min read

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Richmond mayoral candidates debated public safety approaches at a forum Thursday night at Richmond Memorial Auditorium. A couple hundred people attended in person and a few hundred more watched the livestream on YouTube, according to Richmond Confidential.

According to Richmond Confidential: Anderson, a retired human resources director, argued that Richmond needs to ensure the Police Department has adequate staffing and resources.

According to Richmond Confidential: Jiménez, in her second term on City Council, said Richmond Police Chief Timothy Simmons recently told her he was pleased with what was happening in the department and with recent hiring.

According to Richmond Confidential: Jiménez also emphasized that the real answer to public safety is creating youth jobs, opportunities, cleaning streets, and creating parks.

Richmond recorded six homicides in 2025, a historic low, according to Richmond Confidential.