Ingleside-Serving Police Honored For Fighting Organized Retail Theft, Drug Dealing

Police officers who serve the greater Ingleside neighborhood were recognized for their unique contributions to crime fighting.

Officials with police officers
Sgt. Tri Hoang, Sgt. Ricardo Guerrero, Chief of Police Bill Scott, Mayor London Breed and Officer Dustin Colclough. | Courtesy SFPD

Police officers who serve the greater Ingleside neighborhood were recognized by Mayor London Breed and the Police Commission Wednesday at an Officer of the Month Award Ceremony at City Hall.

Of the six officers honored, three were from Ingleside and Taraval stations. The Ingleside Light found out more.

Taraval Station

Taraval Station’s Officer Dustin Colclough led an investigation into the sale of narcotics at a liquor store in early October that resulted in search warrants and coordinated efforts with city agencies to flag the dangerous conditions of the establishment.

Taraval Station Capt. Brien Hoo said the ongoing investigation was started after a community member made a complaint about being offered drugs when they entered the store.

Colclough "did a great job in following up and conducting an in-depth investigation,” Hoo told The Ingleside Light.

Building department complaints, court records and an article about Taraval Station’s plain clothes unit produced by Supervisor Joel Engardio indicate the liquor store is located on Ingleside’s stretch of Ocean Avenue.

Ingleside Station

Ingleside Station’s Sgt. Ricardo Guerrero and Sgt. Tri Hoang were honored for creating a retail abatement plan that results in multiple arrests on a weekly basis and has been deployed in other police districts across the city.

“These plans are helping create a safer shopping experience for the entire San Francisco community,” according to the Ingleside Station newsletter.

While the police department does not reveal how it conducts abatement operations, spokesperson Officer Robert Rueca was able to share some information.

“The retail abatement plans received praise from local retail establishments noticing a drop in retail theft since the operations began,” Rueca said. “One operation led to the arrest of eight suspects who were apprehended after fleeing the store with armloads of stolen goods.”

Guerrero and Hoang have provided support and training to officers at other stations about how to perform these operations.

“We are incredibly lucky to have them at Ingleside Station,” Ingleside Station Capt. Amy Hurwitz wrote in her weekly newsletter. “You may see them around the district on their bicycles, and if you do, feel free to say hi.”

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