The Riverside Police Department (RPD) has chosen Commander Jeffrey L. Greer, 52, of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), as its Deputy Chief of Police.

Greer, who has been with the LAPD for 29 years, will be in charge of the RPD’s Office of Field Operations, which includes the Special Operations, Field Operations, and the Investigations Divisions.

Greer will retire from the LAPD and begin work at the RPD on September 17.

“I am looking forward to the new challenges we will face and to helping the City of Riverside and its police department move forward,” Greer said in a press release.

Chief Diaz said in a press release, “Jeff has been a successful change agent within the LAPD. I am very excited about having him on board, as well as finally having the complete management team in place.”

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Jim Stark
InstantRiverside.com

On Tuesday, August 31, at around 10:30 a.m., Riverside police were called to Silvergate Bank, on Sunnyside Street in Riverside, after a report of an armed robbery.

The suspects had already fled in a red four door compact vehicle when the officers arrived.  The robbers; one armed with a shotgun– allegedly handed a teller a tan recyclable style bag and demanded money.

The suspects received an undetermined amount of money from the teller and left the bank through the front entrance.

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On Sunday, August 29, Rancho Cucamonga police were called to the area of Milliken Avenue and 4th Street in Rancho Cucamonga, after reports of someone panhandling.

Police found Carolyne Mathis, 19, of Perris, falsely soliciting for money to bury her deceased child. Police learned that Mathis did not in fact have a deceased child.

Mathis was helped by an unidentified man in his late twenties. The two had allegedly created a large sign with a picture of an infant on it, saying that they needed funeral donations. They reportedly collected hundreds of dollars.

Carolyne Mathis was arrested for panhandling and later released, and given a date to appear in court.

Police suspect that there may be others using the same panhandling scheme in other local cities to collect money. People who notice any panhandling activity are encouraged to contact the Rancho Cucamonga police at (909) 477-2800.

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A second, 1.2 magnitude quake happened in Borrego Springs at 12:04 p.m.

–InstantRiverside.com 

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Redlands has started repair work on damaged sidewalks in the area of the Redlands Bowl, Joslyn Senior Center, and A.K. Smiley Public Library.

The repairs are part of the city’s Downtown Reinvestment Project, intended to improve downtown Redlands. Sidewalk replacement on Fifth Street near Redlands Boulevard began September 1 and will be finished by Friday, September 3.

The project also includes landscape improvements on East State Street and park improvements to Ed Hales Park, which are set to begin early next year.

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Two large cranes were lifted into the Riverside skyline this week.

The equipment is being used to build the structure that is expected to be 140,000 square feet in size.

The $37.2 million dollar project is being built by Regional Properties, Inc.   Mark Kahlsdorf, with the company, says one crane will be moved on Friday, the white crane (pictured) will stay in place for 14 months.

The Beverly Hills-based company also built the Raincross Promenade, located at Market and Third Streets.   The Raincross Promenade includes 141 condos.

–InstantRiverside.com

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Fontana’s Junior Lifeguard Program is set to begin Tuesday, September 7 at the Fontana Park Aquatic Center (FPAC). Young people ages 11-14, are invited to participate.

The course will teach the basics of being a lifeguard, such as decision making skills, recognizing a distressed swimmer, and preventing and responding to emergencies.

Classes will be held Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The first session begins on September 7 and ends on October 7, and the second session begins on October 19 and ends on November 18.

The fee for taking the course is $50 for residents and $60 for non-residents.

Participants who complete the course will get a certificate, a t-shirt, and the opportunity to apply as a volunteer lifeguard.

For more information, call the FPAC at (909) 854-5111.

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A search warrant has been served on a home in connection with the Norma Lopez death investigation.  The teenager, 17, was least seen on July 15, not far from where the house is located.

Norma Lopez was reported missing after not arriving home while walking back from school.  Her body was found July 21, in a Moreno Valley field.

The teenager was attending summer classes at Valley View High School.

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As of Thursday morning, the fire is 75% contained.  It burned roughly 65 acres. Full containment is expected by Thursday afternoon, and full control estimated by 6:00 p.m. this evening.

Containment is when fire crews have a secure line around the fire scene; control is when the fire is out.

Road closures had been in place on Clinton Keith Road, Wednesday, and there were reports of intermittent power outages, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

–InstantCenter.com news service

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Actress Natalie Portman takes a dark turn as a troubled ballerina in the new film, ‘Black Swan’.

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