Police were vague but I believe it was "displaying a gun". The officer did say that a suspect was identified in the illegal discharge of a firearm at the same location about four months ago but did not know what happened with the case. He also said that the police entertainment permit team spends more time dealing with the 2700 block of J Street than anywhere else in the city.

Our crime stats tell the real story. Certain pockets of Midtown consistently have higher rates of assualts and car break-ins than many percieved "bad neighborhoods" in the city. And as expected these pockets are often within 500 feet of certain bars. I take issue with those who say "well it's a high crime area anyway" Midtown has it's fair share of crime but the bad actor bars and the crowd they attract have made it much worse in recent years. I guess it's good that people who visit still think it's safe but really, it is not. - fortunately for residents - we know better and stay out of the 'high-value target' areas.

you're welcome. I too sympathize with anyone who has negative experiences with a stupid person and I too believe the PD has no desire to eliminate the entertainment venues in the city. And we have laws to enforce, and officers to arrest trouble-makers. I recall reading an article in 2005 where a reporter (I think it was Graswich, I'd have to look through piles of boxes of newspaper articles) but i do remember former police chief Najera (in response to Hurricane Katrina) saying how it wouldn't happen in Sacramento. Sacramento is prepared... (If Sacramento was prepared in 2005 for what occured post Hurricane Katrina surely we're prepared in 2009 to handle any disruption which could occur at Second Saturday.

You may feel safer, but you wouldn't get any sleep.

I don't get much sleep now with the sirens, helicpoters, shots and awakening to a nightmare

9:30 PM is generally before the folks who come downtown to get drunk and mix it up even arrive, and certainly before they finish getting their mean on. Second Saturday itself is pretty peaceful: one reason is simply the variety in ages of people. Events that draw a broad age range tend to be more socially self-regulating, and the obvious presence of public safety officers at prominent corners (although more outnumbered than at other events, they are definitely visible) only encourages that self-regulation.

But we aren't talking about Second Saturday. We're talking about what happens much later at night, after midnight until about 4:00 AM on Second Saturday weekends.

Events that are less mixed, like nightclubs attended primarily by young people, can be a more volatile mixture, and that is really what we're talking about--not Second Saturday, but the "event after the event" that draws a meaner crowd. It's the same thing that plagued Thursday Night Market--not the crowd that came for the event, but the people who arrived in its wake. Some are predators, hoping to take advantage of easily-rolled drunks. Some are just high-spirited kids who assume that downtown Sacramento is a consequence-free Disneyland where they can behave however they like. In either case, they are present downtown just as they are in North Sacramento and your neighborhood, Rhonda--and in all cases, it seems like our police simply don't have the manpower to do their jobs.

Nobody is saying that we have to cancel Second Saturday because of these incidents--the point is that if we want to have them, we need to take into account the occasional changes in the weather. If it looks like rain, it behooves us to put on a raincoat. Nobody is saying we have to shut down every entertainment venue--but we should be regulating them, and discouraging (and in the extreme, shutting down) those who are unwilling or unable to exercise control over their patrons.

Rhonda, as Managing Editor of SacPress, I would encourage you to do what William Burg does: Write and post your stories on our site! You obviously have an interest in improving the city, and experience in doing so, and your respectful tone is very welcome here.
I for one would love to see you spend some time on writing some stories on youth and violence in our city, what is being done, and what COULD be done.
This is a great venue for your ideas, even beyond the comments field. If you're interested in contributing, please contact me at david@sacramentoPress.com to talk more about it.

Rhonda, Thank you for honesty and willingness to learn the history of this issue. I really underline what Bill Burg stated. NONE of us has a problem with Second Saturday itself. The problem is the 2700 block of J Street has been promoted as the post Second Saturday party central. At the first Midtown Business Association Hospitality Zone Assessment meeting Sonny Muyugba took full credit for creating this situation when he was promotions manager for Paragary Restaurant Group. The post Second Saturday partying has only greatly exacerbated an existing bad problem. Sometime after 9:00pm when the kitchens close we have eight bar/nightclubs on one block catering to a 20 something party hardy crowd. This is in the middle of a residential neighborhood that is well over 100 years old. The comments by the two persons is likely cynicism over a strongly perceived role of the city, especially Council Member Steve Cohn and city manager Ray Kerridge, in creating this situation. The city is also viewed as having done little or none to mitigate the problem. In the next few days I will post an article or articles on what goes on in this neighborhood on Second Saturday after most folks go home.

advocate; 1) I would not judge your neighborhood and what is going on there by one or two visits and then state generalizations, either. I said I've attended "Second Saturday" twice I never said I was only downtown in the area of J and 27th Twice......

2) I don't generalize- statements like "some will like it and some will not shows I don't generalize.

3) Advocate I am sure they hear the same sounds. Have they/you seen the same number of DEAD human bodies on Sacramento streets? Have they attended funeral after funeral with a family putting their son in a casket to be placed in the ground" Have they laid over their child body's eyes frozen in horror as gunshots were being shot at him, casings the size of your thumb? I laid over him praying to God to please let the next bullet take my life and not that of my child. Have they called their son's cell phone and a person who robbed him at gunpoint who put a gun to his head answered the cell phone and said 'HE'S DEAD"? Have they called back begging and pleading for the person to please let you hear your son's voice and be told HE'S DEAD? Have they drove through their community looking for their child, looking for the robber (since the police said, 'Mam this is not CSI..." when you begged them to call his phone, the robbers are answering it) and have to drive unarmed, without backup, without a bullet proof vest through your neighborhood looking for your child, afraid of finding a corpse, afraid of never finding your child but not afraid or running into the arm robber to find your child? Did they move out of their home like a thief in the night to another neighborhood only to awaken to gunshots being shot at others with your children trembling remembering the day youth came to your house and shot off rounds sounding like bombs, came in your backyard to enter the house and KILL your child, their brother? Have they held their children on the floor waiting and waiting on officers to arrive and finally have to go out side and yell out to the people I WANT MY CHILD TO LIVE? Advocate I LIVED A NIGHTMARE Do you HONESTLY think I really care how you feel about me??? Advocate I seen dead bodies, spoken repeatedly to family members whose CHILD TOOK THEIR LAST BREATH dying in the arms of a sibling, a mother tied up with her younger children as her child was shot in the head, in the next room. AND YET I STILL CARE with all my heart about the pain, anger, outrage of others no matter how horrible my pain HOLDING a neighborhood youth who I loved as my own child - who said no one cares- and then DIE, DEAD on arrival to UC Davis med center,... YET I still sympathize with residents --downtown outraged of post second saturday....- whose nightmare is not the same as mine but equally important to me. I wouldn't dismiss it but to be honest whether or not you dismiss my pain- I could care less. Living the pain gives you a tough skin. I'm not trying to make friends.... I am trying to make a point.

4) Do I care if the folks have met the city manager? NO. Do I care that I have? NO. I care about the truth. I have spoken with Kerridge more than once and since you have no idea of the nature or our conversation you wouldn't have a clue of how transparent it was. But I do. And no games were being played - you can believe it or not. I REALLY don't care. By the grace of God, I can see through people and I'm beginning to see through you. You appear to find what you're looking for. And since I don't think you see me accurately, well, my guess is you aren't seeing Kerridge accurately. So, while your opinion is surely valued by family, friends and some or all on this site, it is of no value to me. Thanks and have a great day. PS. Sometimes people ride in on horseback to save the day and leave on foot. If you are afraid of being wounded; you may not want to come near a battle. I don't want to fight this small battle of the wits with you, but I will. It's the little battles that can prepare me for the bigger ones.