Mayor Kevin Johnson called for city government reform, the launching of a green initiative, increased public safety and moving forward with the arena project at his second State of the City address Thursday. “The state of the city is in our hands,” Johnson told the members of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. “The key is not about getting hit, it’s about getting up again.” Johnson discussed the hits the city has recently taken, including an increase to 13 percent unemployment from about 5 percent just a couple years ago, high crime rates and lackluster business performance, but he emphasized the need to be optimistic. “This is our time, Sacramento,” Johnson said. He high

Sacramento City Councilman Robbie Waters wants to advance public safety in his district by bolstering neighborhood associations and watch groups. Waters, a former Sacramento County sheriff, said that public safety is his top priority for the year. The Sacramento Press is publishing a series on the 2010 goals of members of the City Council. Links to stories on other councilmembers’ goals can be found at the end of this story. Waters represents District 7, which includes the Greenhaven, Pocket and Valley Hi neighborhoods. He is running for re-election in June. His opponents in the race are Darrell Fong, who had a longtime career as a Sacramento police officer, and Ryan Chin, the strategic

"Please don't make me do it. Please don't make me see him covered in dirt." I trembled as I heard Debbie's cries. Tears flowed down her face as her husband picked her up and carried her to the grave site. Debbie fought with all her heart not to see a casket holding her 17 year-old son Robert laid in the ground. "You have to do this Debbie, you can do this," her husband said. I watched a mother praying to take her breath and give it to her child. She laid over his casket wanting him to breathe. It was painful. For months I would see Debbie with a blanket lying on the ground where Robert took his last breath. I watched her go to the murder site and place a little white gate the size of a

Sacramento Police Officer TJ Price walked through crosswalks at various intersections Tuesday. You might think he had an easy day, but he said was nearly hit at the intersection of Marysville Boulevard and Roanoake Avenue in North Sacramento. As part of a police operation, Price wore plainclothes and walked through crosswalks like any other pedestrian. Police officers were on the lookout for the drivers that cut off Price and other pedestrians at crosswalks. More than 50 citations were distributed as part of the operation, said Konrad Von Schoech, a spokesman for the department. In addition, four vehicles were towed. The department wants “to educate the drivers and pedestrians on what th

Do you know much about the local Homeland Security program? We reported recently that $3 million in federal funds will help fund the Sacramento Regional Office of Homeland Security. But we wanted to learn more about the local program and its dozens of training classes for local agencies. The Sacramento Press sat down with Sacramento Police Deputy Chief Sam Somers and department spokesman Norm Leong to delve into the details of the regional office’s work. Sacramento Press: Can you provide details on how the Sacramento Regional Office of Homeland Security will spend the $3 million in federal funds? Deputy Chief Sam Somers: The way that we spend that is in a couple different areas. [One a

The regional Homeland Security program will receive more than $3 million in federal funds for its training and preparedness efforts, as well as for staffing and operational expenses, according to Sacramento Police Department spokesman Norm Leong. The City Council earlier this week decided to move U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant money to the Sacramento Regional Office of Homeland Security. The regional office will allocate the money to a specific program known as the Urban Area Security Initiative. A July 14 report to the City Council from Sacramento Police Lt. Tom Sweeney said the $3,150,680 in funding “will be used to pay for equipment, labor costs and contractual agreements

As civil liberties advocates and city officials debate the city’s plans to implement a new surveillance system, three security cameras are already operating on Del Paso Boulevard. Joann Cummins, district director for City Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy, said the Del Paso Boulevard cameras will be useful for recording evidence to prosecute a couple of liquor stores that are allegedly creating a public nuisance. The Sacramento Press reported in a July 8 story that the local American Civil Liberties Union has raised objections to new cameras that may be installed on K Street and at other locations, arguing that they do not decrease crime. The city plans to buy 32 security cameras, four mobile su

City officials and civil liberties advocates are taking opposite positions on the city’s plans to set up security cameras at several locations in Sacramento. The two sides are presenting opposing views on the effectiveness of surveillance systems. Mayor Kevin Johnson said in April that the surveillance system would help decrease crime in Sacramento. While locations for the cameras have not yet been selected, Johnson has said that K Street and Regional Transit stations are the kinds of high-traffic and high-crime sites that could be suitable for surveillance. The city intends to purchase a $615,000 surveillance package that includes 32 security cameras, four mobile surveillance trailers a

Sacramento, CA- A brush fire on the campus of Sacramento State University broke out Saturday afternoon, between the buildings and the railroad tracks. The fire was against one of the buildings however firefighters made a quick attack and the structure was saved with no internal damage. The cause of the blaze is under investigation but believed to be arson. Subjects in a red car were witnessed setting the fire. At the time of posting, full details are not available, but check back for follow-up information.  

Hi Folks, Our Midtown Sac PD Captain, Dana Matthes, is looking for a few good people to do crossing guard duty on 2nd Saturday. If you've got the urge to help out, or know someone who might, please give her a call at 808-4511. They have a training program to get you all ready. Time is short and we don't have any volunteers yet! Please help if you can, Thanks! /Rob Kerth Midtown Business Association

At 2:54 p.m., Thursday afternoon, Sacramento City Firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire. When they arrived they found a two story home well involved. Per Capt. Jim Doucette, the occupants were out of the house when firefighters arrived, however the family dog was not located. The fire started on the ground level, per Doucette, and the occupants did not know how the fire started. Doucette did mention that the fire is under investigation and that the occupants would not be able to occupy the home. There were no injuries and surrounding structures were not threatened.  

Things may or may not have got heated in family court today, but it definantly got hot outside the courthouse. A small brush fire ignited in the field adjacent to the Family Courthouse around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon on the corner of Power Inn Rd and Cucamonga Ave. While the fire was relatively small, Sac Fire called for a second alarm due to winds picking up and driving the fire across the field in the direction of the courthouse, per Capt Doucette of the Sacramento City Fire Department. Metro fire units from battalion 9 responded to assist in the second alarm. The fire was contained quickly and a little over an acre was involved. There were no injuries and no structures involved.

If you were traveling north bound on highway 99 around 1:30 p.m. and got stuck in some major traffic Saturday afternoon, this incident may have been the cause. Firefighters, CHP and tow truck driver get ready to move a rolled over vehicle off the side of the road. Details are not available yet about this incident that took place Saturday afternoon, shutting down all but one lane on highway 99 north between Fruitridge and Florin. Rather than flipping the vehicle back over on it's wheels, the wrecked car was winched and slid right on to the flatbed tow truck. Details for this incident are not yet available. An update will be posted as soon as more details are flushed out.

Smoke, flying debris and a rolled over vehicle is what Jerry Cook saw in front of him as he traveled south on Business 80. Four occupants are very fortunate to be alive today. At approximately 10:30 p.m. Saturday night, their Buick Lacrosse slammed into the barriers at the interchange of West Business 80 and Highway 160. The vehicle smashed through all the sand filled barriers then flip over coming to rest on it's roof. Jerry Cook was driving down 80 when all he saw in front of him was a cloud of smoke, flying debris and other cars dodging around the debris as the Buick came to rest. "No one was doing anything to help when myself and a lady officer helped two people get out of the car an

Just months after Mayor Kevin Johnson clears out "tent city", Sacramento's homeless are back in the area setting up camp. Just south of what was formerly known as "tent city", Sac Firefighters were called to a grass fire behind Downtown Ford, and off of 18th Street and Brier Rd. at approximately 9:20 p.m. Down an embankment between the bike path and Downtown Ford, some homeless had set up camp. Sources say that there was an altercation and the area was purposely set on fire. Sac City Firefighters contained the fire to the immediate area with approximately two to three acres involved. Per Capt. Jim Doucette, SacFire, Paramedics transported one victim of the altercation to the hospital wi

  Sacramento Metro Firefighters extinguished an early morning blaze before it reached several threatened homes.   Shortly after 12:00 a.m. Thursday morning, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department was called to a grass fire to rear of 3600 Glencrest Lane. When firefighters arrived, and were able to access the fire ground, it appeared that there were actually three fires. Several additional grass and structure engines were dispatched to protect the homes. When asked if this was indeed three separate fires and was this possibly arson, on scene arson investigators stated that it was under investigation. Battalion Chief, Frank Moreno (Bat 15), stressed that it is very important that reside

The $615,000 the Sacramento Police Department will spend to purchase security cameras and related surveillance equipment comes from a pot of federal Homeland Security funds. Mayor Kevin Johnson said earlier this week the surveillance equipment may be used at K Street and at Regional Transit stations. But what is the connection between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Sacramento sites such as K Street and the local light rail stations? Sgt. Norm Leong of the Sacramento Police Department said terrorism is a Homeland Security concern, but other threats fall under the definition of “Homeland Security,” as well. “Transit hubs are naturally potential targets for terrorism,” Leong

The Sacramento Press talked to members of the Sacramento Police Department Monday about the city’s plans to install a new $615,000 surveillance system in the coming months. Locations for the new equipment have not yet been chosen. The funding, which comes from Federal Homeland Security Grants, was awarded to the city by the state. Sacramento Press: Can you speak to the issue of privacy concerns? Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel: “The cameras we’ll put up will only be in places that are in open view to the public, so it’s no different than someone walking down the street with their videophone and taking pictures. We’re very sensitive to those issues. In fact, early on, as we started

The city may install new security cameras at Sacramento’s K Street and Regional Transit stations, as well as at other possible locations in the coming months, Mayor Kevin Johnson said at a press conference Monday. Sacramento will pay for a new surveillance system consisting of new cameras and related equipment from a pot of $615,000 in Federal Homeland Security grant funds. Though the funding is from a federal pot, it was doled out to the city by the state. “I campaigned on this notion that we wanted to make public safety a top priority, and today is a significant victory in our efforts to make good on that promise,” Johnson said. Over the past seven to eight years, Sacramento is second

I became an EMT in 1979, one year before becoming a Firefighter. Back in those days the Sacramento Region had EMT’s and EMT 2’s. Today we have EMT’s and Paramedics. EMT’s are what we call in laymen’s terms, “Basic Life Support Providers”. We can take vital signs, perform CPR, insert basic airways, and perform many other basic life support functions. Paramedics however can do so much more. In our Fire Department, well over one half of our Firefighters are trained as Paramedics. The citizens of Sacramento are much better off because of this! What a Paramedic can do for victims of medical emergencies truly amazes me and I think that most people really don’t know what these amazing folks can