Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "law enforcement"

What happens when Sheriff K9's retire?

2012-01-03T03:01:18Z

The Sacramento Sheriff's K9 Association held a fundraiser and demonstration Sunday at Pet Food Express on Fair Oaks Blvd.

Along with meeting the K9's, getting to rub a K9 belly and meet their handlers, goers had the opportunity to purchase the new 2012 SSDK9 calendar loaded with dynamic images of the dogs and their handlers by XSiGHT Photography and Video.

Ike, one of twelve active K9’s in the unit, has seen his fair share of rough and tumble, part of the job as a K9. Deputy Pomerson, Ike’s partner and handler, related how Ike went over a fence after a bad guy and punctured a lung. With the punctured lung, Ike still latched on to the bad guy until deputies apprehended the perp. Ike’s chest swelled to almost twice his normal size and he was rushed to medical care and saved. After a two week recovery, Pomerson related, Ike eagerly went back to work.

Pomerson shared tales of his partner, such as how he slides back and forth in the back seat responding to calls.

“It seems the more he (Ike) is tossed around in the back, [the] more he’s excited and ready to get the bad guy when we arrive at the scene.”

Pomerson also explained the toll the tossing around takes on the K9’s, giving them an average of five to seven workable years. When the K9’s retire, “they get to de-stress and just enjoy the rest of their life as a pet and adapt well,” stated Pomerson.

We got to tag along while Pomerson gave Ike a bath at the pet store. Even though the water was nice and warm, Pomerson agreed Ike would much rather be getting wet in the river.

When Ike retires, Pomerson will purchase him from the county for one dollar plus tax, and Ike will enjoy his retirement as the family pet. With Ike’s retirement, Pomerson will get a new K9 partner. At that time, Pomerson explained, the hardest part for Ike will be not going to work.

On their off days they do absolutely no work related things at all, and when it’s time to go back to work and Pomerson dons his uniform, Ike gets all excited.

“Even when I chirp the alarm on the car or move the car around, Ike gets all excited thinking it’s time to got to work,” said Pomerson.

A large portion of the fundraising proceeds are dedicated to the retirement needs of the K9’s who served their community. The fundraising calendar is a wonderful way to get to know the beautiful and talented animals that protect and serve our community.

If you are interested in donating and being involved with the SSDK9 association, their site has all the information and details you need to get engaged. Be sure to check out SSDK9 Association fundraising golf tournaments and marathons as well.

SSDK9 Demo/Fundraiser from SacMav Rapid Media on Vimeo.

Deputy Amos talks about the K9's>>

Law enforcement, firefighters box for charity

2011-08-22T05:31:59Z

Law enforcement and correctional officers, military personnel and a firefighter went toe to toe in the boxing ring Saturday night, raising money for charity in the Battle of the Badges Fight Series: Road to the Championship.

Held in the intimate courtyard setting of Liquid Nightclub in Citrus Heights, the well-attended event benefitted charities including the Armed Forces Foundation, Firefighters Burn Institute and Sacramento Sheriff's Toy Project.

Battle of the Badges Fight Series events are a lead-up to the title fight at Battle of the Badges VIII. Last year's Battle of the Badges VII was held in August at Memorial Auditorium.

All bouts had a three-round limit, and on the card Saturday were 10 preliminary matches and one main event, featuring heavyweights Bryan Williams (Fresno PD) vs. Mike Gomez (CDC-CSP Sac).

Highlights of the evening for the crowd included a lights-out KO of David Richardson (CDC Solano) by Chris McElroy (CDC CSP Sac) and a brutal pummeling of Mike Hernandez (El Cerrito PD) by Noel Montes (CDC-CCPOA) that went the full three rounds and left Hernandez's face covered in blood.

All boxers were ranked by the United Combat Association and the matches were officiated by the California State Athletic Commission. Visit the Battle of the Badges website for information on upcoming bouts.

Fight results:

1. Brent Burkhart (CDC-DVI) defeated Gary Mungia (Army)

2. Jed McNamara (Dept of ABC) defeated Jose Hermosillo (Williams PD)

3. Dru McDonald (Sac Fire) defeated Craig Hamblin (CDC Solano)

4. Fracnsico Flores (Stanislaus County Sheriff) defeated Neil Tremethick (Army)

5. Brenden Reavis (CPS) defeated Javier Banuelos (CDC CSP-Sac)

6. Ruben Jones (CHP) defeated Eduardo Barajas (Williams PD)

7. James Davis (CDC-Folsom) defeated Craig Colosimo (CDC - Mule Creek)

8. Chris McElroy (CDC CSP Sac) defeated David Richardson (CDC Solano)

9. Chris Martinez (Avenal PD) defeated Orlando Rivera (Border Patrol)

10. Noel Montes (CDC CCPOA) defeated Mike Hernandez (El Cerrito PD)

11. Bryan Williams (Fresno PD) defeated Mike Gomez (CDC CSP Sac)

All images copyright: Steven Chea

Sacramento Law Enforcement 5 K Foot Pursuit

2011-05-12T22:39:00Z

Saturday, June 18, 2011
Registration is open now! Click here to get started!

Foot pursuit in progress. Suspect is wearing running shoes and shorts and was last seen at the corner of Broadway and Marina View Dr. near Miller Park. Suspect is on the run and is going the distance heading East on Broadway. Suspect was last seen suspiciously running down the middle of the street. Suspect is unarmed and traveling at high speeds on foot. The suspect is unidentified but has been accused of public enjoyment of running and raising funds for charity.

Come join us for the 5K Foot Pursuit and kids’ ½ mile fun run happening Saturday, June 18th at Miller Park to benefit the Law Enforcement Chaplaincy of Sacramento. We will have post-race snacks, a law enforcement expo, and an awards presentation for age group winners (top 3). The course utilizes the new bike trail bridge between 2nd St. and Front St., the Riverfront Promenade, the tunnel on K St. between Old Sac and downtown, a touch of Downtown Plaza, and Old Sacramento.

5K Foot Pursuit been added to the Buzz Oates Run Sac Race Series for 2011. Get registered and race your way into the top 10 age graded standings and you can earn some prize money. See all the details here: www.runsacraceseries.com

Annual Law Enforcement Candlelight Vigil

2011-05-03T00:41:28Z

Sacramento, CA | Sunday night at the California Peace Officers’ Memorial, located at 10th Street and Capitol Mall across from the Capitol, a candlelight vigil was held to honor the memory of fallen Peace Officers, and to add 11 more names to the honor roll.

Peace Officers from around the State and as far as San Diego made the trip not to only pay tribute to those fallen Officers, but to help keep the memories fresh in citizens’ minds, so that these great sacrifices will not be forgotten.

There was an overflow crowd at the event, which not only included fellow Peace Officers and their families, the families of the fallen, but the general public that wanted to pay their respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for others.

After the ceremony, many could be seen walking around the memorial to find names of their loved ones, their former colleagues, or that officer that touched their lives.

One such person, who wished to reamain anonymous, found the name of a fallen officer that meant everything to him and his family, as he shed a few tears. “He gave his life protecting me and my neighbors”

Article/Photos: Rusty Kleine, MaverickPhotography.us
Photos: Kati Garner, Maverickphotography.us

MaverickPhotography.us and SacMav.com work in cooperation and collaboration with the Sacramento Press and are the designated photographers for the California Automobile Musem and Just For Corvettes.

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Attorney General addresses gang problem in Sacramento

2011-04-20T05:38:18Z

California Attorney General Kamala Harris stressed the need to treat the gang problem with a community approach using prevention, intervention and enforcement. Harris was the guest speaker at Mayor Kevin Johnson’s gang forum Tuesday night in Meadowview.

“We have to be smart on crime,” Harris said, eschewing the old notion of the only two choices being to be hard or soft on crime.

She likened the gang violence problem to a public health problem like an epidemic: The best way to prevent it is through inoculations and early treatment, but by the time it is being dealt with in the emergency room, it’s too late, and too expensive.

Harris said combating gang violence should be dealt with regionally, a point that Johnson emphasized in his opening remarks.

“Crime and gang violence doesn’t stop at city lines,” Johnson said. “It goes across multiple jurisdictions.”

Johnson said there are 60 gangs and about 6,000 gang members in Sacramento County, and that students in second and third grade are being peer-pressured into joining gangs.

According to Johnson, the city and school districts will be working together, since the schools oversee youths for seven hours per day during the school year.

They will combine efforts through after-school programs, joint use of facilities and a renewed focus on school safety, he said, adding that benchmarks will be set up so progress can be measured.

One area Johnson focused on was the reading level of third graders, a point he brought up at his State of the City address earlier this year.

“If you can read, you’re not going to jail,” Johnson said after mentioning that 70 percent of incarcerated people are illiterate and only 30 percent of Sacramento’s students are reading at their grade level by the time they finish third grade.

Harris agreed, saying there is a “direct connection” between public education and public safety.

Another aspect of gang and criminal behavior Harris talked about was the “revolving door” of the California criminal justice system.

She said the average prison sentence in California is two years, and 70 percent of people released from prison commit crimes again, highlighting the need for education and prevention programs.

One of those programs is the Ceasefire program through the Sacramento Police Department, which works with gang members to get them out of the gang lifestyle. To read more about the program, click here.

During the question-and-answer session following Harris’ remarks, William Boyer, a resident of Colonial Heights in Sacramento, said police are often viewed as a threat when they come into communities with gang activity.

Harris said that to stop the problem of gang violence, police need to work with the community and the schools and elected officials. She added that witnesses to crimes need to come forward and testify, a problem that plagues gang enforcement, as Sacramento Police recently told The Sacramento Press.

Assemblyman Roger Dickinson attended the forum and said afterward that he agreed with Harris’ and Johnson’s remarks about gangs being a problem the whole community needs to work together to solve.

He also said that he wants to see various state violence prevention programs work more closely together and eliminate some of the redundancies so more resources can go to the actual problem instead of the bureaucracy.

Boyer, who was critical of police presence in the community, said he thinks Ceasefire is a very good program and a great start, but he wants to see more done, especially when it comes to funding to fight the problem.

“They show all these rich people on TV, big cars, mansions and beaches, of course these kids want that, but they’re poor,” he said. “They will get rich or die trying. They need to have more opportunities so they can be educated.”

Gregory King, who works with the Always Knocking nonprofit organization, said the Big Homie Street Team is a program through the nonprofit in which volunteers talk to kids on the streets and show them there are other options. Always Knocking is an organization focusing on ending youth and gang violence.

He said he thinks forums like the one Tuesday night are important, and they are having an effect.

“I’ve been coming to these for years, and each time, there are more new faces,” he said. “People are talking, and people are listening. It’s getting the community together, and people are going to react.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Faith, business groups to advise sheriff

2011-02-08T01:29:52Z

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said Monday that he will ask faith and business groups to advise him on public safety issues. At a briefing with reporters at the Sheriff’s Department building downtown, Jones said he will create two new advisory boards with representatives from religious, community and business groups within the next three months.

Jones had pitched his plan to establish the two new advisory groups during his political campaign for sheriff last fall. These groups will help the department connect with youth and improve the county’s business climate, he said.

Jones has not yet named anyone to the new advisory groups, according to the Sheriff’s Department press office. The department already receives feedback from one group, the Sheriff’s Outreach Community Advisory Board.

The faith and community-based board will be “a mechanism to recruit and retain good, quality volunteers,” he said. “But also to reach the young people, which we have to do a better job of.”

Mindi Russell, executive director of the Law Enforcement Chaplaincy of Sacramento, said a faith-based group advising the Sheriff’s Department would help combat gangs and drug use because faith leaders deal with those problems “within their own house of worship,” she said.

Sacramento Metro Chamber President Matthew Mahood praised Jones on the idea of a business advisory group.

“It is something we applaud, and we appreciate his outreach to the business community,” Mahood said. “We encourage other elected officials to be as inclusive as possible with the employer community as we work together to improve the economic climate.”

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Ask Officer Michelle - Stolen Vehicles Towed After Recovery

2010-09-05T18:56:35Z

Posted by tlstay

Good Morning,
My vehicle was stolen in February from my driveway. It was recovered in perfect condition after only a couple of days one mile from my house. Apparently, standard operating procedure is to have the vehicle towed to a tow yard before we are notified that the vehicle was recovered. We were advised of the recovery at 3pm and couldn’t leave work until 4:30, which was when the tow yard closed. We went to pick it up at 8 am the next morning, and the charge for towing and storage was $245. While I was happy to have the vehicle recovered, this was frustrating, to say the least. While I understand the need to remove stolen vehicles from their location in a timely manner, I don’t understand why a call wasn’t placed to us. Our home and work numbers were readily available on the police report and a call could have been placed to us just as easily as to the tow company. A sensible solution to me would have been a call from the police department to say that the vehicle was found and I had X number of hours to come and get it or it would be taken to the tow yard. Even if the vehicle wasn’t drivable, the towing on my insurance policy would have brought the car to my house. If I didn’t have this coverage and had to pay towing out of pocket to my home, it would still be less than the cost of the standard tow charge in these situations (more than any other tow charge) + storage. I could have walked to the recovery location to drive my car home! Could you please explain why the tow companies are automatically called in this situation? Perhaps there is a piece to this that I’m not understanding.
Thank you, and thanks to all of the officers for their great work.

Dear tlstay,
I understand that this could be maddening to you. I too have had my vehicle stolen out of my driveway before I was a police officer. It is a very strange feeling when you go to use your car and it is gone. You never realize what a liberty it is to have a car until it is gone. Usually, when officers with the Sacramento Police Department find a stolen vehicle, we try to contact the registered owner. If you or someone at your address is the registered owner, the police will radio to dispatch to attempt to contact the registered owner. When the registered owner arrives on scene, the officer does the necessary recovery and transfer paperwork and releases the vehicle to the owner. I can’t speak for the officer who recovered your vehicle. I’m sorry for your trouble.

Take care,
Officer Michelle

District 7: Robbie Waters backs Darrell Fong

2010-08-12T01:09:22Z

Outgoing Sacramento City Councilman Robbie Waters is backing candidate Darrell Fong in the runoff election for the District 7 seat that covers the Pocket/Greenhaven and Valley Hi neighborhoods.

Waters, who has served as the District 7 council member since 1994, lost the race in June to opponents Darrell Fong and Ryan Chin. Waters came in third place out of four candidates, with 27 percent of the vote.

Chin led the group in the June election with 37 percent of the vote. He is now competing in a runoff campaign against Fong, who garnered 32 percent of votes cast. The two candidates must face off again because the city’s rules say that a council candidate needs at least 50 percent of the vote plus one vote to win.

The runoff election will be held Nov. 2.

“I think it will help a lot,” Fong said, commenting on Waters’ endorsement.

Both Waters and Fong had long law enforcement careers with the Sacramento Police Department. In addition to his career at the police department, Waters served as Sacramento County’s sheriff from 1982 to 1987.

Fong said he and Waters understand the importance of law enforcement to residents and businesses. He also said they are public servants who grew up in Sacramento.

Fong emphasized that District 7 should change its City Council representative when he was running against Waters. In a phone interview Wednesday, Fong repeated that residents want a change in leadership. However, Fong has not criticized Waters’ work as a city councilman.

In an Aug. 3 letter to voters, Waters explained that he endorsed Fong because of his law enforcement background.

“Over his 30-year career in Sacramento’s Police Department, Captain Fong has demonstrated integrity, bravery, and leadership,” Waters wrote. “Darrell put his life on the line as the leader of our city’s Gang Task Force.”

Meanwhile, Chin said the city could benefit from his “strong business background,” experience with education and community service. Currently, Chin is a strategic communications director at California State University, Sacramento. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Davis, and formerly worked for Hewlett-Packard.

Chin pointed out that Fong referred to himself as an “outsider” on the city of Sacramento’s website, but is endorsed by council members Waters, Rob Fong and Sandy Sheedy.

In response to Chin, Fong said he has never been involved with politics and is not seeking political office beyond the City Council.

Waters was unavailable for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Photos of Fong and Chin by Kathleen Haley. Photo of Waters by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Dear Sacramento Police Department: Please Don't Kill Me!

2009-12-15T00:06:33Z

The chance of a person being killed by a police officer because he or she has a mental illness may rise due to budget cuts, lack of proper treatment and the police being unaware that the person suffers from a mental illness. If you need to call the police on a loved one or someone you know who has a mental illness because of erratic or psychotic behavior, let the police know that he or she suffers from a mental illness.

According to the Sacramento Bee, Giat Van Truong, a 35-year-old man who suffers from schizophrenia was shot to death while becoming violent with the arresting police officer. According to Sheriff Sgt. Tim Curran, the arresting officer was unaware that Giat was mentally ill, although Giat had been arrested on mental health holds (5150) several times throughout his life. It is also important to note, however, that Giat had a history of violent crimes as well. This was the third high-profile case in Sacramento County in the past two years regarding killing someone who exhibited signs of a mental illness.

In 2008 the Sheriff’s department came into contact with over 1,700 people known to have a mental illness or behaving in such a manner that it was assumed they could have a mental illness. With the lack of funding for specialized training in this area many police officers are not able to accurately determine if someone is violently resisting arrest or is scared, confused and may be psychotic due to a mental illness.

As noted by the National Institute of Mental Health:

Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people. Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion — about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 — who suffer from a serious mental illness. In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity.

I understand that the Police Department has many duties and there is not much money for training in the mental health field. However, it is important to consider that someone who is not acting rationally may be mentally ill and needs compassion and understanding rather than a bullet and death.

Safe Ground yet to be found

2009-07-15T04:27:26Z

Police arrived at the most recent Safe Ground location on North D and North 11th streets Monday afternoon to notify about 100 homeless campers that they must vacate the premises.

Safe Ground is an attempt to find a safe, legal space for the homeless to settle.

Reverend David Moss was the only arrest made that afternoon for trespassing. Sacramento Police Department spokesperson, Sgt. Norm Leong commented, “He refused to identify if he was camping on the site and refused to leave.”

The empty lot is owned partially by the city and two private property owners. Joan Burke, Director of Advocacy with Loaves & Fishes, said those camping were aware only of the city ownership of the property.

“We came here to facilitate the removal of illegal camping and trespassing complaints of neighboring businesses and owners of the property,” Leong said.

Since the closing of the shelters, the homeless have now been forced to leave a fourth camping location since July 1.

The first was on a vacant lot at 420 Richards Blvd., the second was a vacant parcel of city owned land at 100 Bercut Dr., and the third was a small camp site between the Volunteers of America Shelter and the Union Gospel shelter on Bannon St.

“Thus far everyone is cooperating and moving their property,” Leong said.

Leong said that the police department does not claim itself as an organization fit to solve the homeless issue. “Our job is to enforce ordinances and laws in place," Leong said.

Since their time searching for a safe space to settle, the homeless have become self-governing.

“Campers as a group elected five people to be on a governing board,” Burke said.

She said the board is a Council of Elders, inspired by tribal practices, which helps make decisions about the group in a democratic process. “Each camper signed an individual pledge that the campground be drug, alcohol, and violence free,” Burke said. “It was the first thing the entire camp decided on."

Following the clearing of the lot, Joan Burke made her way to a meeting on the 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness.

In a phone interview Tuesday morning, Burke explained that the policy board met and voted Monday to ask the city of Sacramento to "adopt a moratorium on the enforcement of anti-camping laws."

This advisory policy will be passed from the board, which consists of non-profit organizations, businesses, law enforcement, and the homeless community, to the Sacramento City Council and the City Manager's Office.

The campers are planning to go to the City Council meeting Tuesday night with their gear to raise questions about where they will be sleeping tonight.

“This is a grave situation with nowhere for folks to go,” Burke said.

Sac PD's Buck recognized as Top Dog in Sacramento

2009-06-17T22:37:02Z

The following is a press release from Sergeant Norm Leong of the Sacramento Police Department.

The Sacramento Police Department was recognized as having the top police dog in the region based on an online contest. Officer Randy Van Dusen and K-9 partner Buck won the contest, beating out seven other police K-9’s in the region.

"He meets thousands of kids, and really helps kids come out of their shell when they meet the police," said Van Dusen. "Buck is strictly a patrol dog, he searches for serious bad guys. Those who are hiding and don't want to come out. He's one of the dogs that assists the SWAT team with high risk warrants."

The contest was created by Dr. Donna Schwontkowski, a retired Chiropractor, after she attended a K-9 competition and thought the community should be more aware of the talented dogs that are a part of law enforcement’s K-9 units. Schwontkowski put together a web site and received sponsorships to support the contest. Schwontkowski received over 3000 voters who watched individual videos on each K-9 at www.SacTopDogContest.com. The results of that contest placed K-9 Buck as the top dog.

"He's a really good all-around protector," Van Dusen added.

The Sacramento Police Department would like to thank Dr. Donna Schwontkowski for her efforts in recognizing the fine work that K-9’s do for Law Enforcement and the community.

WHY IS'NT STATE CORRECTIONS DOING THEIR OWN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS?

2009-02-26T16:13:07Z

In a recent article in the Sacramento Bee, dated February 26, 2009, The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced that the death of an inmate in their Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga was being investigated by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department.

My question to CDCR is simple: Why does the largest law enforcement agency in the western United States, with over 30,000 sworn peace officer personnel, allow a county sheriff’s office to conduct their criminal investigations?

CDCR is, bar none, the biggest cop-shop in California, yet they are running on decades-old policies and doctrine, mainly that they (CDCR) are not really law enforcement, but are actually a social service agency for the benefit of the inmate population.

Apparently, the directors, under secretaries, and even the secretary of the agency are still resistive to the concept that they are, whether they like it or not, law enforcement officers of a police agency, and they should be acting accordingly.

They certainly shouldn’t be allowing other agencies to investigate criminal activity in any prison under their control. The special agents of the Special Services Unit, Law Enforcement and Investigations, and the institutional investigators should be the primary, no, the only investigators of criminal activity related to inmates under their jurisdiction.

Until the CDCR hierarchy begins to accept their role as law enforcement officers, the prisons in this state will forever be nothing but welfare agencies for inmates.

Law enforcement youth development program

2009-01-23T06:26:00Z

The City of Sacramento Department of Neighborhood Services announces:

The Sacramento Police Department is developing a Law Enforcement Youth Development Program (YDP).

They are seeking a diversified group of young adults between the ages of 13 – 18 years old. These selected students must meet minimum requirements, such as a 2.0 GPA, leadership skills, school attendance, citizenship, and be interested in a possible career in law enforcement. Potential candidates must fill out an application, receive permission from their parents (if under age 18), and pass an interview. Upon acceptance into the program, students will be assigned a law enforcement employee to help guide them through the program.

The program will help guide students through academics and social experiences and direct them towards success. Successful students will have the opportunity to obtain part-time jobs as Public Service Aide's (PSAs), student trainees', record clerks, and Community Service Officers (CSOs) while going through the program.

For more information, please call Sgt. Shawn Rogers 808-0880, Officer Justin Brown 808-0887 or Officer Kris Sundby 808-0889.