Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "public safety"

Traffic signals: Long waiting list for city intersections

2012-01-14T02:30:01Z

On a sunny afternoon in August, a group of kids made their way to Valley Hi Park to play. As they crossed the intersection of Arroyo Vista and Center Parkway, a vehicle driving through the intersection clipped the leg of a 4-year-old walking in the group.

The little girl was left with a fractured leg, and neighbors were left wondering if the accident could have been prevented if there had been a traffic signal in place.

What does it take to get traffic signals installed in Sacramento – especially if residents are seeing safety issues in neighborhood intersections?

Sacramento currently has approximately 800 signals in intersections, including nearly 50 flashing beacons, according to Shad Bennett, a technician in the signal operations division of the city Department of Transportation.

The cost of installing a traffic signal – including equipment, labor and materials – varies depending on the complexity of the project, Bennett said.

“They can be anywhere from $500,000 to a couple million dollars,” Bennett said. “Even the smallest signal is in the range of $200,000 to $400,000.”

Linda Tucker, spokeswoman for the city Department of Transportation, said traffic signals are prioritized according to several criteria, and the city can afford to install typically only one per year.

“If a citizen believes a traffic signal is warranted,” Tucker said in an email Friday, “they can contact 311 and request an investigation, and a traffic investigator will look into it and then determine if it does or doesn’t make the list.”

Some of the criteria needed to install a traffic signal include the impact of school crossings on the intersection, the amount of pedestrian activity and the number of vehicle crashes – fatal and injury-only – at the location.

City transportation engineers evaluate approximately 10-15 new intersections each year for traffic signals. Potential signal locations are suggested through a variety of ways, including traffic investigations, resident requests and council member requests.

Bennett said that, once an intersection is determined to qualify for a traffic signal the location is added to a waiting list.

There are more than 100 potential locations on the list of city intersections currently waiting for some form of traffic-calming measure – and it’s growing.

“Things change, circumstances change,” Bennett said, “so the list changes a bit, too. They try to narrow the list to the top 10 most qualified when it’s time to put in a new signal somewhere.”

The waiting list doesn’t apply to new developments, however, Bennett said.

New development projects that drastically change traffic patterns may require a signal installation, but each new development project typically has funding for the signals included, so those signals are not competing with the signals on the city waiting list.

In 2010, according to the program guide, only one new project was added to the city’s traffic signal list: 29th Street at R Street. Ten other intersections were evaluated, but not included in the list.

According to the Transportation Programming Guide – the document prioritizing the city’s transportation projects, the city first looks at an intersection to determine whether there might be ways, other than a traffic signal, which would improve safety at the intersection.

There are three lead traffic investigators in Sacramento who respond to requests for traffic-calming measures, and each investigator is assigned a territory covering roughly one-third of the city.

Investigation may take two to four weeks to complete, depending on complexity.

What can residents do to speed up the process of getting a traffic signal in a neighborhood intersection where they feel there are safety issues?

Tucker said that, for residential streets, the city offers a neighborhood traffic management program that allows neighbors to collect petitions and start the process of adding any number of traffic-calming measures to their neighborhood.

Speed bumps, new traffic markings or adjusting speed limits may be other ways to make an intersection safer, Tucker said.

Once an intersection is selected for a new signal and funding for the signal is in place, the installation – from groundbreaking to up-and-running, Bennett said – takes about six to eight months.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Editorial Note: A correction was made to this article after it was published.

January 1: New Year, new laws in effect in California

2012-01-03T07:25:31Z

As of Jan. 1, laws affecting child booster seats, LGBT rights, handgun open-carry and liquor sales will be among many going into effect in California. Here are some of the highlights of what Californians – and Sacramentans – have in store for them in 2012.

BOOSTER SEATS: Previously, children had to ride in approved child restraint devices – booster seats – until they turned 6 years old or weighed 60 pounds. As of Jan. 1, children must ride in booster seats until they are 8 years old or at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Kids under 8 years who are taller than 4 feet 9 inches are allowed to use a safety belt instead of a booster seat.

HANDGUN OPEN CARRY: Bans citizens from openly carrying handguns – but Californians can still get permits for concealed weapons. Violators of the new law will be subject to $1,000 fines and six months in jail. Previously, it was allowable to carry an unloaded handgun in a visible holster.

LIQUOR SALES: SB 39 prohibits the production or sale of beer with caffeine added. AB 183 prohibits grocery stores from allowing liquor sales at self-checkout stations.

VEHICLE IMPOUNDS: Police officers will no longer be able to impound a vehicle from a sobriety checkpoint if the only offense by the driver is failing to hold a valid driver license (AB 353).

DUI CONVICTIONS: A new section was added to the California Vehicle Code that allows courts to revoke a driver license for 10 years if a person is convicted of three or more DUIs.

COPPER THEFT: AB 316 makes “stealing, taking, or carrying away copper materials” that value more than $950 a grand theft felony. Criminals are subject to fines up to $2,500 and one year in jail on the first offense, and two or three years in jail and a fine up to $10,000 for repeat offenders.

KINDERGARTEN ENTRANCE: SB 1381 pushes back the 5-year-old birthday for kindergarten eligibility from Dec. 1 to Nov. 1 for the 2012–13 school year. That date pushes back to Oct. 1 for the 2013–14 school year, and then to Sept. 1 for the 2014–15 school year and beyond.

LGBT RIGHTS/HISTORY: Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law the Gay History Act, which requires schools to include the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans in history and social studies lessons and textbooks.

Another law that went on the books in 2011 – the Transgender Non-Discrimination Law – adds “gender identity and gender expression” to the list of characteristics that require equal rights protections in the state.

FOOD HANDLER CARDS: Beginning Jan. 1, health departments will begin enforcing a new law which requires food handlers to complete a training course and assessment.

EMPLOYEE RIGHTS: AB 22 prevents employers from running credit checks on prospective employees or using credit information in a hiring decision. Exceptions are allowed for law enforcement positions and positions that require access to bank and credit information or access to confidential information.

Not every new law charts new ground this year, though – some are simply no-brainers:

AB 688: Bans California stores from selling expired infant food and formula.

AB 25: Requires schools to remove athletes suspected of having a concussion or head injury from athletic activity until a doctor or health care provider gives clearance.

SB 746: Prohibits minors under 18 from using tanning beds without a parent’s permission.

With more than 40,000 new laws going into effect across the nation in 2012, people will want to do their research to make sure they don’t inadvertently run afoul of a law that they didn’t even know existed.

Start with the list of new California laws here.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Public Safety in the American River Parkway

2011-10-18T01:34:33Z

By David H. Lukenbill, senior policy director, American River Parkway Preservation Society

Recently there has been some attention from local media about public safety in the American River Parkway.
In the October 16, 2011 Sacramento Bee story “Ranger cutbacks prompt concerns about bike trail safety”, we read:

"Most of the stuff we deal with is quality of life stuff," said Chief Ranger Stan Lumsden, who took over the job last month just as an arsonist was setting 15 fires in two separate sprees near River Bend Park.
“Car break-ins, vandalism or dogs running off leash are the norm, he said, "unless you get down to the last six miles of the parkway."
“There, in the area starting near Discovery Park, a growing homeless population continues to pose challenges for the rangers and the army of bicycle commuters who pass through that stretch each weekday.
"We're starting to see a lot more violent crime down there, assaults, anything you can imagine that the transient population does," Lumsden said.”

While this is tragic news, it is certainly not new news, as witnessed by the story in the December 2, 2004 issue of the Sacramento News & Review, entitled, “Trail of fears: The American River Bike Trail is idyllic, as long as you don’t get maced, mugged or beaten with a rock”, wherein we read:

“Between May 10 and June 30 this year, there were six robberies, assaults or combinations of the two reported on the trail in the Northgate and Del Paso Heights areas. In one incident, the victim was stabbed before the assailant took money; in two, the assailants pointed a gun or what appeared to be a firearm; and in another, a victim was hit with a stick.
“According to reports filed by the Sacramento Police Department, in all cases, the suspect descriptions were different, as was the method of operation.
“In addition to those, since 2002, there have been 11 other reported cases of assault or battery on the trail, two robberies, one rape and one attempted rape. In one case, a bicyclist was seriously injured after riding into a head-high length of what may have been fishing line strung across the path.”

In another story from the Sacramento News & Review from November 6, 2008, “Hell’s half-acre, Sacramento’s homeless weigh in: Tent Town’s top 25 tips for surviving the economic downturn”, notes:

“14. Stay away from the river
“It’s a half-mile from Tent Town to the American River, where the hard-core, chronically homeless hole up in the dense foliage leading up to its banks. The level of depravity increases the nearer you get to the water, which is why the American River Parkway is heavily patrolled by park rangers from Discovery Park to Cal Expo. “We heard screams coming from there last night,” says Kim. She’d be pretty if all of her front teeth hadn’t been knocked out. “They hauled another body out of there the other day, some mummified dude,” Ace adds. Kim shivers.”

The residents of Woodlake and North Sacramento bear the major burdens of this long term influx of illegal camping and the subsequent problems of crime, aggressive panhandling, habitat degradation, vandalism, and corrosion of the level of public safety residents rightfully expect to receive.

The situation is one stemming from a familiar source, the historic lack of attention Sacramento—and many other river cities unfortunately—have devoted to cultivating their river banks for public use and public safety.

It is especially troublesome in our area due to the history attached to our two major rivers, just in their naming.

William Holden, in his wonderful book, Sacramento: Excursions into its History and Natural World, wrote:

“One October morning in 1808 when Spanish sea captain Gabriel Moraga, 39, trekking up the big river in a horseback expedition, was struck by the lovely scene. Canopies of oaks and cottonwoods, many festooned with grapevines, overhung both sides of the blue current… the Spaniards …drank in the beauty around them. ‘Es como el sagrado Sacramento!’ …This is like the Holy Sacrament! So the river got its name …” (p. 9)

The American river was given its permanent name in 1837, according to Peter Hayes in his book, The Lower American River: Prehistory to Parkway, “by Governor Alvarado who called it the “Rio do los Americanos” because the area was frequented by “trappers of revolutionary proclivities.” (p.17)

These are two wonderful rivers, which are dearly loved by residents and we, as a community, can do so much more to ensure safe and easy access to their beauty, history, and majesty.

As far as the public safety issue along the lower section of the American, it must be of equal concern to community leaders to helping the homeless. Crimes from major to minor occur regularly in the Woodlake/North Sacramento area of the Parkway, and many in those neighborhoods are justifiably fearful about venturing into it.

As a community, we can never give up on the vision that public compassion and public safety are compatible concepts.

Disclosure: The author is the founder of the Parkway advocacy nonprofit organization, American River Parkway Preservation Society

Second suspect in viral video assault identified

2011-10-15T01:18:15Z

Sacramento Police Department press release:

The Sacramento Police Department is searching for the second suspect, 19-year-old Donnell Wade, in the unprovoked attack that was captured on video.

On October 12, 2011, the Sacramento Police Department was made aware of a video, showing suspects assaulting a female, which had gone viral on the Internet. We received calls from throughout the country inquiring about the investigation. Detectives assigned to the case discovered that patrol officers responded to an assault call on October 1, 2011, at approximately 12:11 p.m., near Center Parkway and Mack Road. The officers arrived and determined the suspects had fled the scene and the victim, a 42-year-old female, did not wish for prosecution at that time.

Based on the newly discovered video evidence of the assault, detectives continued to pursue the identity of the involved suspects. After officers saw the video image of the suspects and with crime tips that came in from the public, detectives were able to identify the suspects seen in the video. The first suspect that hit the victim was identified as 21-year-old Rasaan Zawadi. On October 13, 2011, Zawadi was taken into custody without incident. The second suspect that hit the victim was identified as 19-year-old Donnell Wade. Efforts to locate Wade have not been successful. The Sacramento Police Department is releasing Donnell Wade’s photo in hopes of receiving information as to his whereabouts. Wade currently has a warrant for assault with a gang enhancement.

The Sacramento Police Department urges anyone with information pertaining to this suspect to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP (4357) or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Arrest made in viral video assault case

2011-10-13T23:50:34Z

Sacramento Police Department press release:

The Sacramento Police Department arrested 21-year-old Rasaan Zawadi for the unprovoked attack on a female that was captured on video and believed to have been posted by the suspects.

On October 12, 2011, the Sacramento Police Department was made aware of a video of an assault on a female that had gone viral on the Internet. We received calls from throughout the country inquiring about the investigation. Detectives assigned to the case discovered that patrol officers had responded to an assault call on October 1, 2011, at approximately 12:11 p.m., near Center Parkway and Mack Road. The officers arrived finding that the suspects had fled the scene and the victim, a 42-year-old female, did not wish for prosecution at that time.

Based on the newly discovered video evidence of the assault, detectives continued to pursue the identity of the involved suspects. After officers saw the video image of the suspects and with crime tips that came in from the public, detectives were able to identify one of the suspects seen in the video hitting the victim. The suspect was identified as 21-year-old Rasaan Zawadi (first suspect to hit the victim). Detectives working with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office obtained an arrest warrant for Zawadi and were preparing to look for him, when a Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy stopped him near German Drive and French Road this morning on an unrelated incident.

The Sacramento Police Department arrested Zawadi for assault with a gang enhancement. Detectives believe that the assault was gang related. Detectives are continuing their investigation into the second suspect involved in the assault.

The Sacramento Police Department urges anyone with information pertaining to this crime to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP (4357) or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Surveillance cameras help prevent crime on Regional Transit

2011-09-03T02:18:23Z

The new cameras that were installed at several Sacramento light rail stations in May have helped prevent crimes and improve passenger safety, according to Doug Voska, a Sergeant with the Sacramento Police Department.

“People want to feel safe when they ride transit,” said Voska, who has a contract position with RT. “If they don’t feel safe, they’re not gonna do it.”

Because the cameras were primarily funded by the federal Department of Homeland Security, their main focus must be on terrorism prevention. But according to Voska, this has many crossover benefits when it comes to crime prevention and passenger safety.

“Even without a uniformed police officer, somebody is keeping an eye on things,” he said. There are officers monitoring all the cameras at the stations, and Voska said he hopes that by the end of the year, there will be people monitoring the cameras on the trains and buses as well.

Voska said that the cameras have helped officers solve numerous types of crimes, from graffiti to robbery.

The videos are often used for prosecution purposes, and the police department even uses the cameras to locate suspects who have fled from a crime scene via bus or light rail. Still, he maintained that “crime is not that high on RT, so they are primarily used for crime prevention.”

But the amount of surveillance on RT is causing some outcry among personal privacy advocates. Cres Vellucci, a member of the board of the Sacramento Chapter of the ACLU, said he is concerned over what he sees as an Orwellian affront on privacy rights.

“Pervasive video surveillance does threaten privacy rights,” he said via email. “The U.S. has … been proud to proclaim that we are willing to give a little bit in security if need be to maintain our unique freedom ... Fear, however, can make us do some terrible things.”

According to Linda Lye, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California, everything from data retention to the cost and effectiveness of the cameras has ACLU members worried. “Why are we investing scarce public safety dollars on methods that invade our privacy but don’t make us any safer?” she asked.

“If the government is going to implement measures that do invade our privacy, we want to be sure that they’re actually making us safer, and the data hasn’t really shown that with respect to video surveillance cameras,” Lye said.

She cited studies done by the ACLU in 2007 and by UC Berkeley in 2008 to support her claim that cameras do not make a big enough impact on crime. “The hard research shows that these (methods) don’t make us safer,” she said. “The thing that we find frustrating is this false dichotomy that’s often posed between safety and privacy.”

“There are far more effective, and much less expensive crime prevention tools,” wrote Vellucci, who recommended alternatives such as better lighting, community policing, and job and youth programs to “reduce crime and also help the local economy.”

Despite the ACLU’s opposition, Voska said that he believes the public generally supports the cameras.

“I’ve heard people say that they like the camera surveillance because they do feel safer,” he said. “Since we can’t afford to have a police officer on every train, we try to keep an eye on what’s going on … as efficiently and as effectively as we can. RT is not in a position to violate anybody’s rights.”

Like all other technology, the cameras are in constant need of upkeep. “Everybody who has a camera system has to deal with malfunctions,” Voska said. This includes everything from technical problems to issues with shrubbery growing into the cameras’ fields of vision.

Vandalism has also had an effect, albeit a small one. One camera has been stolen, and several of the cameras have been lightly tagged with graffiti, Voska added.

But Voska insisted that the cameras are worth the trouble. “It’s an overwhelming desire on the part of the passengers to feel safe,” he said. “Sometimes we don’t have any (officers) there, so that’s when we keep an eye on it through cameras.”

Here are links to the studies cited by the ACLU:

UC Berkeley Study: CITRIS Report

ACLU Study: Under the Watchful Eye

Natomas Community Group to Donate Equipment to Police & Fire Depts.

2011-08-01T22:30:09Z

Investigative & Lifesaving Gear to Honor Fallen on 9/11

A volunteer neighborhood association in North Natomas collected over $6,600 using old-fashioned community fundraising to purchase equipment for their nearest fire and police stations in anticipation of the upcoming ten year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and to honor the sacrifices of hundreds of public safety personnel who perished on that day.

The gifts will be presented to captains of the police and fire departments in a ceremony at the association's fourth annual National Night Out celebration in Witter Ranch Park on Tuesday evening.

Witter Ranch Community Alliance, which covers nearly 1,400 detached homes and over 400 apartments, raised the funds in partnership with Sacramento's all-volunteer non-profit Drowning Accident Rescue Team (D.A.R.T.). With proceeds from a huge community yard sale, a hot dog barbecue, individual donations, and soliciting area merchants, and by negotiating discounts with equipment suppliers, they succeeded in purchasing a MultiRAE portable gas and explosive compound detector for their new fire station (opening in a couple of weeks) and a Cellebrite forensics system for Sacramento Police Department's Kinney Station in North Sacramento.

"We told them our plans and asked them what they wanted, and that's what they said they needed, so our community worked very hard to deliver," said Janice Brannon, former WRCA board member and chairperson of the committee for the effort. "We are honored to be able to do this for them."

"Witter Ranch Community Alliance was formed in response to concerns for our community's safety, so it's absolutely fitting that we do this for our partners at our police and fire departments," said Keith Sharward, WRCA co-founder and board member. "They do so much for us so it's wonderful that we can do this for them."

"This just goes to prove how dedicated our community is on public safety. This is about saving property and saving lives," said Jason Alexander who serves on WRCA's board and volunteers for D.A.R.T. and the fire department's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Fundraising efforts had been going strong but were not keeping pace with the aggressive deadline. Then came news from their neighborhood Wells Fargo Bank branch that they would contribute generously towards the effort. "I was profoundly touched by the generosity of this donor to our cause," Brannon said. "I knew then that we were going to make our goal."

No taxpayer dollars are involved in the purchase.

"This couldn't have come a better time for us," said James Maccoun, captain of Sacramento Police Department's North Command. "Our budget has been cut to the bone so these sorts of purchases are increasingly difficult for us. Having the Cellabrite system here at the station will save our officers a lot of time and help with certain types of investigations."

"This will really help us in our response to calls regarding possible gas leaks," said Jaymes Butler, one of the captains of Fire Station 18, currently WRCA's nearest station several miles away, and vice president of Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522. "This MultiRAE detector might save a life someday, and that life could be that of a firefighter."

Also scheduled to attend the ceremony in Witter Ranch Park at 6 PM Tuesday are Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Sacramento City Councilmember Angelique Ashby, Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna, and a representative from Assemblyman Dr. Richard Pan's office.

Disclosure: Keith Sharward is co-founder and Board Member of Witter Ranch Community Alliance, an all-volunteer association for the Gateway West and Park View neighborhoods of North Natomas, and a member of the Natomas Crime & Safety Leadership Team.

Sacramento participates in National Night Out

2011-07-29T00:54:21Z

More than 50 neighborhood parties will be held Tuesday as Sacramento participates in the 28th annual National Night Out.

It’s about crime prevention, said Sacramento Police Department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong. “The idea is you get out, get to know your neighbors and show you’re visible to prevent crime.”

Leong said the block parties allow neighbors to get to know each other in a fun way, and that helps with building a stronger community.

There is no specific criteria that needs to be followed for a National Night Out event, since it is about getting neighbors together and having a good time.

“It can be as simple as an ice cream social or a bunch of neighbors hanging out together,” he said.

Police, Fire Department and elected officials make the rounds of events registered with the city, and Leong said it’s a good way to build relationships with local officials as well as help connect with officers in a relaxed manner.

To register an event, click here. Events registered by Friday will have the best chance of getting an official visit, Leong said.

LaTisha Lawson, a board member for the Oak Park Neighborhood Association, said National Night Out is a great way for residents to meet each other and start working toward bettering their communities.

“It’s an opportunity for residents to get out of their houses and take back the streets in a positive way,” she said. “They can meet each other, and then they can get together and take it to the next level and make a positive change.”

She added that many National Night Out events are formed by neighborhood watch groups, and having police and public officials come by is helpful.

“Residents and public officials can really talk about the issues in their neighborhood and really get that kind of face time with elected officials,” she said.

She added that she has written grants through the California Endowment to bring more activities – such as face-painting and music – to make the events even more fun.

City Councilman Kevin McCarty said this will be his eighth year participating in National Night Out as an elected official, and it’s one of the highlights of the year for him.

“We get out in a casual setting, and we get to talk about the neighborhood,” he said. “That certainly gives you a leg up as far as being able to address any challenges you might be facing.”

He said the events are usually small in size, with between 20 and 25 people attending, and it allows for more-intimate conversations.

“(On National Night Out), it’s not about them coming up to the council dais and talking in a formal setting,” he said. “It’s nice to just have a conversation about their street and their neighborhood.”

McCarty said he usually makes it to abut five parties in his district per year, spending about 45 minutes at each one.

Mayor Kevin Johnson mentioned National Night Out at the City Council meeting Tuesday, saying he is looking forward to having a good time visiting the different events, as he did last year.

Leong said the events are easy to start and don’t require any complex organization.

“If you haven’t heard of anything in your neighborhood, really that’s your chance to knock on a couple of doors and say, ‘Hey, it’s National Night Out and we’re getting together to barbecue some hot dogs out front. Come on over,’ ” he said.

In his North Natomas neighborhood, where a neighborhood watch group is forming, Leong said he sent an email out to the list he had for neighborhood watch.

“We’re just going to have it out where a lot of people pass by so the ones who aren’t involved can stop by and say hi,” he said.

Since National Night Out events are not organized by the city or any official group, the times vary according to whatever each event organizer thinks is best, Leong said, though most tend to start around 5 - 6 p.m.

To read about two Sacramento Neighborhoods that participated in National Night Out last year, click here and here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

ABC liaison officers: know the rules, follow the rules

2011-07-02T04:51:11Z

Despite losing 42 sworn police officers this week due to budget cuts, the Sacramento Police Department was able to keep one officer whose job is enforcing liquor license regulations and making sure licensees know the rules and follow them.

A $75,000 grant was awarded to the city of Sacramento from the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), allowing the city to fill the second of only two ABC liaison officer positions in the Police Department.

ABC liaison officers play a vital role in keeping bars and restaurants in compliance with liquor laws, said Lt. Gina Haynes of the Sacramento Police Department’s Metro Division.

According to city staff, Sacramento has more than 1,000 ABC-licensed establishments, with an average of 25 per square mile in the downtown area.

“We’re a capital city, so we really have a responsibility to make sure that we have a nice, orderly city, with venues that people are going to want to frequent in their social time,” Haynes said.

Having so many places to socialize and drink has caused some challenges for the city, however.

Haynes said alcohol-related problems, including underage drinking, are a big concern to city police because of the number of young adults and minors attracted to the many entertainment venues in the city.

In March 2010, Sacramento was ranked 20th of the Top 100 Drunkest Cities in America by Men’s Health Magazine.

Also in 2010, police statistics reported a total of 32 traffic fatalities in Sacramento, 13 of which were alcohol-related, and six of which were hit-and-run, which may have been alcohol-related.

“We would be in a whole world of hurt if we didn’t have (ABC liaison officers),” Haynes said.

Haynes said ABC liaison officers provide law enforcement and education and prevention programs for liquor license holders throughout the city.

“I would consider preventing or reducing the number of alcohol-related fatalities to be vital in the way of public safety,” Haynes said.

There are only two ABC liaison officers employed by the city of Sacramento, according to police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong.

At the same time, the city processed 900 applications for liquor licenses last year alone.

ABC liaison officers answer complaints of every color: from alcohol being watered down to people selling alcohol out of their homes to retailers operating without valid licenses.

“It goes on and on and on,” Haynes said. “Anywhere there is the possibility of making money, there is the potential for breaking the law. Liquor laws are no different.”

The officers also perform compliance inspections, decoy operations, conduct DUI checkpoints and maintain ABC compliance at special entertainment events.

“They are really the go-to resource when it comes to ABC license regulations,” Leong said. “We’re trying to change the negative numbers in relation to alcohol-related crime.”

The one-year grant award for the liaison officer position extends to June 30, 2012.

After that, the city will have to apply for another grant in order to continue the liaison officer position.

“We absolutely cannot afford to let those positions go away.” Haynes said. “They do a good job, and we need them.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Officials share fireworks and water safety tips

2011-07-02T00:16:28Z

Lighting fireworks at the Fourth of July block party is a common tradition in Sacramento, and local firefighters shared tips to make sure those fireworks are used properly so the holiday is a safe one.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Assistant Chief Dale Turner said the two most important safety concerns with fireworks are making sure they are used correctly with adult supervision and that they are used in a safe area away from combustible materials.

There should also be 30 feet of pavement, concrete or dirt around fireworks to ensure no fires are started, Sacramento Fire Department Deputy Chief Lloyd Ogan said.

He added that only “Safe and Sane” fireworks are legal to use in the city.

“Safe and Sane” fireworks are approved by the State Fire Marshal and are sold by reputable dealers.

When shooting off fireworks, Turner advised having a fire extinguisher or garden hose nearby to put out any fires that could start.

“Don’t put used fireworks directly in the trash can,” he said. “Even an hour, two hours, six hours later, they can actually cause a fire.”

He said that with most people storing garbage cans near their houses, those fires can spread and become potentially lethal house fires.

“It always happens every year,” Turner said. “It’s absolutely life-threatening, especially in the middle of the night.”

Ogan stressed the need to follow instructions on the fireworks themselves.

“Fireworks should never be held in the hand unless they are designed for that, but most aren’t,” he said.

He added that any firework that leaves the ground – such as bottle rockets – is illegal.

Fireworks should not be modified, Turner said, since they are designed to work in a certain way, and modifying them makes them illegal.

“You can get really life-changing injuries,” he said. “We want you to have fun with fireworks and celebrate our independence, but do it with conscious thought and in a safe area.”

Turner stressed the importance of supervising children with fireworks.

“When my children were young, my eldest son burned my youngest son with a sparkler, and the scar is still there 15 years later,” he said.

Anyone who has illegal fireworks can drop them off at any fire station for disposal, and they will not be penalized as long as they have not been used, Ogan said.

To ensure a firework is legal, check for the “Safe and Sane” emblem shown in the image below.

“Safe and Sane” fireworks may be legally used from now until noon on Tuesday, Ogan said.

Water Safety

With the Fourth of July weekend drawing people to the rivers, Turner stressed the importance of water safety, adding that this year’s river flows are stronger and higher than in years past.

“This year is worse than any other year,” he said. “We’ve had 89 rescues since June 17, and we usually have about 30 all year.”

Ogan added that anyone using the rivers, especially at Discovery Park at the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers, should wear a life vest and supervise children.

“Also pay attention to how long you’ve been in the water,” he said. “The water is going to be cold, and you shouldn’t be in for more than a few minutes.”

Dangers of exposure to cold water include hypothermia and lack of strength to leave the water.

For more information on water safety and how to check the fit of a life jacket, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

City Council, police union at a standstill

2011-06-21T00:55:36Z

Approval of a final city budget that includes $39 million in ongoing cuts and the elimination of 320 city positions is expected at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, but Police Department personnel aren’t holding out hope for an 11th-hour save from potential layoffs.

“The council is firm on its decision,” said Det. Mark Tyndale, Sacramento Police Officers Association (SPOA) vice president. “And we are firm in ours.”

On June 7, City Council members urged SPOA representatives to consider contract concessions for its members in an effort to relieve the burden of deep budget cuts that will have a significant impact on the Police Department and public safety personnel.

The SPOA has not made any move toward the negotiating table, however, and, according to Tyndale, union representatives have no desire to do so.

“We expect a last-minute call from the council or the city manager’s office, but it’s a not a phone call that we are going to make,” Tyndale said.

Referring to concessions the Police Department made during budget negotiations in 2009, Tyndale said that, “two years after the fact, the council has shown that they aren’t going to back up what was promised back then.”

In 2009, the union made concessions on delaying raises for department personnel for three years. Those concessions resulted in approximately $12 million in savings for the city, Tyndale said.

“We don’t believe the council will approach us (now) in good faith, and we aren’t going to open our contract to be betrayed again,” Tyndale said.

During discussion of potential department cuts at the June 7 council meeting, Councilman Steve Cohn offered a motion that would allow the City Council to use one-time funds from the Economic Uncertainty Reserve (EUR) to match pay and benefit concessions from the police and fire departments up to a total of $4 million.

The motion failed on a 6-3 vote.

“It wouldn’t have solved the problem,” Tyndale said of Cohn’s motion, “but (SPOA) would have seen it as a good-faith effort.”

Tyndale said that union members were more disappointed in how the vote was divided than the fact that the motion failed.

“Council Member Darrell Fong’s vote stings the most,” Tyndale said. “He came from our department. He knows us. He said he’d be there for us.”

Fong, the District 7 representative and a former police captain, responded in an interview Monday that, although he understands that SPOA members are upset, he stands behind his vote against the matching funds motion.

“Cohn’s motion was to give both police and fire money from the emergency reserves fund,” Fong said. “Hitting the one-time reserves isn’t something I want to do. We have to show some restraint.”

Fong, who said he will direct his City Council salary for the 2011/2012 fiscal year to the Police Department’s budget, ~~declined his $60,800 city council salary when he was elected to the council in 2010,~~ was quick to point out that both civilians and sworn officers will be laid off if this budget is approved.

“It was a tough decision I had to make,” Fong said. “I made it clear that everyone – not just police, not just fire, but everyone – needed to come together to resolve the deficit we face.”

Fong said that, going forward, he’s looking for changes that will restructure the city and avoid future deficits.

“Services have to survive, even if they’re reduced,” Fong said.

The City Council will meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 915 I St., to finalize the budget for 2011-2012.

Read the City Council meeting agenda here.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

Guide to firefighters' pay and benefits

2011-06-12T23:37:33Z

The Sacramento City Council’s tentative decision last week to make major cuts to public safety brings police and firefighter jobs into the spotlight.

Six City Council members said they intend to raise the number of brownouts or alternating closures of fire services from two to four.

While the city has no plans to lay off firefighters, the public debate over possible cuts to public safety begs the question: How much do firefighters in the city get paid? How do their benefits work?

The brownouts may be part of the final budget the City Council is expected to approve on June 21. The city is facing a $39 million deficit.

The Sacramento Press published a guide to police officers’ pay and benefits on June 5, and is now looking at firefighters’ salary and benefits.

Firefighter pay

There are several kinds of unionized jobs in the Sacramento Fire Department, according to data on the city’s website. These job titles are firefighter, firefighter/paramedic, engineer, engineer/paramedic, captain, captain/paramedic and battalion chief.

About 500 employees hold these positions, Michael Stover, administrative officer for the department, said.

“It must be noted that the current pay rates for members of Local 522 (the Firefighters’ union) are frozen until January 2012,” Stover noted.

The salary for the firefighter job ranges from $53,534 to $65,071, according to salary data published on the city’s website. A firefighter/paramedic can earn from $58,888 to $71,579 annually, in base pay.

Engineers earn anywhere from $63,613 to $77,322. Salaries for engineer/paramedics start at $66,157 and go up to $80,415. Engineers, who conduct “specialized firefighting work,” drive the fire engines/trucks and operate the pump machinery on fire engines, must have worked as a Sacramento firefighter for four years, according to the city’s website.

Pay for captains ranges from $71,917 to $87,416. Captains are supervisors who must have worked as a firefighter for five years. A salary range of $74,794 to $90,913 is for captain/paramedics.

Battalion chiefs – supervisors who outrank captains – are paid anywhere from $92,745 to $112,732.

The department has eight sworn top managers – a fire chief, two deputy chiefs and five assistant chiefs, according to Stover. For example, a fire deputy chief earns between $112,629 to $168,943. Assistant chiefs are top managers who outrank battalion chiefs.

Read the salary data for all of these jobs here.

Retirement and other benefits for firefighters

Like police officers and managers, firefighters do not pay toward their retirement benefits. A recent audit of employee benefits by City Auditor Jorge Oseguera’s office said the city covers all CalPERS retirement system contributions for firefighters, police officers and managers.

Meanwhile, city employees in other fields pay retirement contributions.

The audit stated that the city could save roughly $7.9 million on average annually if all of its workers, including firefighters, paid 4 percent of their earnings toward their retirements. Unionized fire employees also receive a health and welfare benefit from the city, basic life insurance, 12 days of vacation per year with the ability to accrue two more floating days each year, 24 hours of holiday time and 12 sick days, according to Kimberly Isaacs, city human resources manager for benefits and retirement.

Additional information about firefighters’ benefits is outlined in the Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 contract with the city, which can be read here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Police move could save money after initial cost

2011-06-03T05:06:31Z

If the Sacramento Police Department headquarters moves from Freeport Boulevard to Richards Boulevard, it could save $500,000 per year, but with it comes an up-front moving cost of $1 million, according to a report released Wednesday afternoon.

This would force other city departments – community development, parking services and code enforcement – to relocate from the building at 300 Richards Blvd. to City Hall, according to City Councilman Steve Cohn.

The idea stems from the Police Department, which has been looking at moving its headquarters from the Public Safety Center on Freeport Boulevard for the past three years to save money, police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said.

Being closer to the central city gives the Police Department numerous benefits, Leong added.

The proximity to downtown would allow police to cut gasoline costs for business conducted with the courthouses or the city, and it would be more centralized to the whole city, which would make it more convenient for the community to come for business with reports, citations, fingerprinting and similar activities.

Cohn added that it’s only feasible if there is a net savings, as the city faces a $39 million budget gap for the coming fiscal year. (To read about the budget, click here, and for more information, click on the "Storyline" tab in the linked article.)

“If we can save that kind of money, I think we need to do it,” Cohn said. “Whatever we can do to prevent layoffs, I’d support, but only if it’s an overall savings.”

With a continued structural imbalance with the general fund – having more expenses than revenue – the long-term savings are attractive, but the initial hit to the general fund would add to the current crisis.

“The costs to move would come out of the general fund,” said city spokeswoman Amy Williams. “Any savings we get later on would help the general fund.”

That move would not save any money in the coming fiscal year.

“No savings could be achieved, however, in FY2011/12 given the time needed for evaluation and implementation and the initial costs for moving,” according to the report.

Moving the majority of police operations to Richards Boulevard would fill the entire building, which would mean the other departments have to move.

Cohn said there is room at City Hall to accommodate them, but there isn’t a final plan as to where they would go yet.

“It’s taking a while to figure out all the logistics,” he said.

According to the report, a more detailed analysis will be delivered to the City Council at a later date.

A City Council budget meeting involving multiple city departments – including police, fire and parks – will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the council chambers in City Hall, 915 I St.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Memorial Day Weekend water safety

2011-05-28T00:20:24Z

River conditions this Memorial Day weekend are more dangerous than usual, and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District officials are urging people to be aware of those dangers and where to borrow free life jackets.

“Based on the heavy winter and the high volume of snow, the runoff is a little bit colder than usual,” said Assistant Chief Scott Cockrum, adding that the water is about 53 degrees in the American River – 6 to 8 degrees colder than normal.

Also, the river is flowing about twice as fast as previous years.

Cockrum added that everyone in a boat or raft should have a life jacket available, and he recommended wearing it at all times.

“Kids under 13, by county ordinance, are required to wear life jackets,” he said. “We have jacket loaner boards on the river and at Discovery Park, as well as at six fire stations. Just grab them off the board and use them, then put them back afterward.”

Life jackets available for loan are sized based on weight – for kids and adults – and Cockrum said people can check to see if a vest fits on their children with an easy test.

“Once they get it tightened down, grab the vest by the top of the arm area and pull up. It shouldn’t slip over their head,” he said.

The 2,000 life jackets were funded by a $10,800 grant from the GenCorp Foundation, Cockrum said.

A common contributor to drownings is alcohol and drug intoxication, and alcohol is not allowed on the river over the holiday weekend.

Cockrum said the majority of deaths on the river in the 16 counties closest to Sacramento can be attributed to intoxication.

If you are on the river and there is an emergency, Cockrum said to look for landmarks such as bridges as well as mile markers printed on the bike trail and mile marker signs on the river, which are red triangles with numbers in them.

For a listing of life jacket loaning locations, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Firefighters protest proposed budget cuts

2011-05-25T03:49:35Z

About 150 firefighters and their families protested the city’s budget proposal Tuesday night to cut $9.1 million from the Sacramento Fire Department. As part of press conference held to protest the cuts, the fire department staffers stood in a large group outside City Hall to show their opposition.

The city is facing a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. The idea to make cuts to the Fire Department is included in the budget plan proposed by Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka. Final decisions on the budget will be made by the Sacramento City Council next month.

A group called Protect Sacramento, led by Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 and the Sacramento Police Officers Association, held a press conference Tuesday evening to protest the proposed cuts. The press conference was held shortly before the start of a City Council budget hearing on the Fire Department.

The proposed cuts “will put neighborhoods at risk, lengthen response times, and stand in the way of our ability to deal with real life-and-death emergencies,” said Jaymes Butler, vice president of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522.

The proposed budget cuts to the department could increase the number of alternating closures of fire equipment and staffers. The number of these proposed closures was unclear at press time because the City Council on Tuesday night may approve a $5.6 million federal grant for the department. The grant may lessen the Fire Department cuts. The money comes from the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

The Sacramento Press will provide an overview of the Fire Department budget hearing Wednesday morning.

Read the budget schedule here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City Council aims to lessen police budget cuts

2011-05-18T15:46:54Z

The Sacramento City Council members made it clear Tuesday night that they do not want to make the $12 million in cuts to the Police Department recommended in the proposed budget. But it’s unclear at this point how the council will lessen the cuts to the department.

A crowd of police staffers and supporters, which swelled to about 400 at its high point early Tuesday evening, turned out for the City Council’s budget hearing.

The city is grappling with a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. A total of 149 department staffers, including 80 sworn cops, would be laid off in the proposed budget, according to police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong.

The city currently has 701 sworn cops.

“Twelve million (dollars) in cuts is too much for public safety to share this burden,” Councilman Darrell Fong, a retired police captain, said.

At the end of the City Council meeting, which ran longer than four hours, six City Council members voted not to move forward with the current proposed budget of $12 million in cuts proposed by Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka.

The city manager’s office is responsible for proposing the amounts of budget cuts, while Police Chief Rick Braziel is responsible for divvying up how to make the proposed cuts at the department.

The City Council makes final budget decisions.

Six of the nine council members rejected the proposed budget because three were absent.

Mayor Kevin Johnson was at the NBA draft lottery in New Jersey, representing the Sacramento Kings. Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell was mourning the recent death of her mother and Councilman Rob Fong was in Los Angeles on a business trip, according to Councilman Steve Cohn.

RE Graswich, the mayor’s special assistant, presented the following statement on behalf of Johnson:

“In Sacramento, we’re in the fourth year of a devastating budget crisis and we continue to face difficult challenges. When I ran for mayor in 2008, I said public safety would be my top priority.

“That continues to remain true today,” Graswich said. “Public safety is a core function of city government. It plays a critical role in how we operate as a full-service city.

“It’s critical that as we move forward, we continue to practice fiscal responsibility, eliminate wasteful practices, capitalize on efficiencies and make collective sacrifices to provide the service our residents expect and deserve. I look forward to continuing to work with my council colleagues and finding the best solutions to solving the budget crisis.”

Greg Galliano, a 25-year-old Sacramento police officer, was one of many department staffers who urged the council not to make the cuts. He said the department is currently dealing with “massive call volumes.”

“If we take these cuts,” Galliano said, “we’re going to experience something that we’re not going to be able to protect you from.”

Leong explained the breakdown of the proposed layoffs: Sworn cops, 80; Community Service Officers, 38; Crime Scene Investigators, 14; Supervising Dispatchers, 6; Records Supervisor, 1; Administrative and Clerical, 10.

At a press conference before the City Council meeting, police staffers held up numbers that signified they could be among the numbers of people laid off.

Read the schedule of budget hearings here. Learn about the debate over cuts to the Parks and Recreation Department here.

The City Council is scheduled to adopt the city’s budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year on June 21.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Cold case squad solves crime, faces budget cuts

2011-05-12T00:18:16Z

It was a beer can that gave cold case detectives the evidence they needed to make an arrest in a 1987 homicide on Friday.

Detective Peter Willover spends his time poring over homicide and rape crimes committed before DNA became a routine part of police work. He is a reserve officer who previously spent 40 years as a detective with the Sacramento Police Department.

“I’ve probably reviewed close to 100 cases,” he said Wednesday. “We focus on cases that may provide DNA evidence.”

One of those cases was the 1987 stabbing death of 52-year-old Richard Schultz in an alley near 21st and K streets.

At the time, homicide detectives had a vague description of a man who had allegedly stabbed Schultz and another homeless man, who survived his wounds.

When reviewing the report of the case in February of 2009, Willover noted the surviving victim’s statement that he, Schultz and the attacker had all been drinking beer together. That detail made the case a priority for Willover.

“We get a lot of DNA evidence off of beer cans and bottles,” he said.

The can was sent to the crime lab, where DNA evidence was eventually extracted and uploaded into a national database of DNA profiles.

It took more than two years to get a result – a fact Willover attributed to manpower shortages at the crime lab. He said the crime lab is integral to solving cold cases.

“Cases that are going to court get the first priority,” he added.

The Department of Justice’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database matched the DNA to 48-year-old Gregory Samuel Olguin, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

At 8:15 a.m. Friday, officers arrested Olguin in the 9100 block of Elk Grove Boulevard, and he was subsequently booked and charged with murder, according to a police department press release.

Department spokeswoman Laura Peck said Wednesday that she could not discuss whether Olguin made any statements or confessions, but said he is being held without bail and will go to trial.

The cold case unit at the department is composed of Willover, two other part-time reserve officers and a full-time detective.

While Willover and the other reserve officers are funded by a federal grant set to expire in October, the full-time detective is employed by the Sacramento Police Department, which could potentially lose about 12 percent of its staff, Peck said.

Proposed budget cuts include eliminating 80 sworn police officer positions, which could see the end of the cold case unit, Peck said.

“It’s all up in the air at this point,” she added. “We’re not sure what the department is going to look like.”

Willover said that, depending on the language in the grant, it’s possible that the cold case squad could be eliminated if other positions in the department are lost, including the detective assigned to the unit.

Peck said cases like the one from 1987 would essentially have no one looking into them if that happened.

Willover said there are more than 100 cases from before the early- to mid-1990s – when DNA testing became mainstream – that still need to be reviewed.

Generally, he added, homicide and rape cases top the list, since other crimes tend to be past the statutes of limitations, meaning that even if they are solved, arrests can’t be made.

The department’s cold case unit has been featured three times on the A&E TV show “Cold Case Files,” Willover said.

Most notable was a case shortly after the program was started 10 years ago at the behest of Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert.

The murder of a young woman, Penny Parker, in 1977 had originally been investigated by Willover when he was a homicide detective. She was a paper carrier for The Sacramento Bee and went missing while on her route, only to be discovered dead several days later, with evidence of sexual assault.

Willover said he had a good idea of who had committed the crime, but didn’t have enough evidence to make an arrest at the time.

In the early 2000s, the case was one of the first he looked at, and DNA evidence placed the original suspect at the scene of the crime.

Willover traveled to Arkansas, where the man was living, and he still denied knowing the woman.

A warrant was obtained, and when police knocked on the door, the suspect killed himself.

“It was a made-for-TV movie,” Willover said.

To read more about that case and Willover, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

City program targets problem buildings, slumlords

2011-04-27T00:45:45Z

When buildings become slums and havens for gangs, prostitution and drug use, a little-known city program can force landowners to clean them up or – in extreme cases – be evicted.

The Justice for Neighbors program began in 2006 and allows multiple departments – including police, code enforcement, the city attorney’s office and park rangers – to focus their efforts on some of the worst slumlords and dangerous properties in the city, resolving an average of 17 cases per year.

“Essentially, it’s a public and social nuisance (enforcement) team,” said Gustavo Martinez, supervising deputy city attorney. “We meet every month and evaluate the worst security issues.”

Property owners are required to bring their buildings into compliance and stop criminal activity on the sites, or else they can face prosecution and jail time.

Safety issues are also tackled by the program when property owners refuse to comply with city codes and ordinances.

The program went into effect in 2006 to streamline city services and cut down on the time it was taking to solve the problems, Martinez said. Many times, police and code enforcement officers were working on the same property for different reasons, and the Justice for Neighbors program ensures there are no duplicate efforts – and similarly, no duplicate expenses.

Police Sgt. Matt Young, who is a leader of the south area’s Problem Oriented Policing (POP) unit, said that involving the city attorney’s office when a situation requires it now takes less time than it did previously.

“It used to take six to eight months, and now it only takes two or three,” he said, adding that officers no longer have to repeatedly go to some of the worst places in the city before the problems are addressed.

“It’s been a very effective program,” he said.

One of the program’s success stories is the property at 3132 Third Ave. – a 16-unit apartment complex.

The Justice For Neighbors program started work on it in 2007 due to numerous problems including prostitution, drug sales, sexual assaults and a large number of neighborhood complaints, according to a presentation given to the City Council April 12.

Police were called to the property 90 times in two years, and the property continued to deteriorate, with many of the units lacking running water and electricity.

The property owner was jailed for 30 days, but when problems persisted, the court ordered a receiver to take over the property, and it was sold last June. With its sale, the city was able to recoup $66,000 in attorney’s fees and enforcement costs, according to the presentation.

By February, it was refurbished.

“Now, developers are renting out beautiful units,” Martinez said.

Approximately $500,000 has been awarded to the city through the courts, of which about $120,000 has been collected, Martinez said, adding that some properties, like the on at 3132 Third Ave., have fees attached to them that the city will recoup if they are sold.

A more recent aspect of the program is the ability to order evictions based on certain felony crimes involving guns or drugs.

According to Martinez, Sacramento joins four other cities – Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland and San Diego – in being able to evict tenants for felony gun violations, and five other cities – the same as gun crimes, but with the addition of Palmdale – in being able to evict for felony drug activity.

That authority was granted by the California Legislature as a pilot program in 2009 for guns and 2010 for drugs, and it will expire in 2014 unless extended, Martinez said.

Only a small number of gun evictions have been served, and it is designed to combat gang activity, Young said.

“We recently had one where a gang member had a sawed-off shotgun and was living across from a school,” he said.

Last year, 33 evictions were served for drug violations, and four for gun violations, he added.

Martinez pointed out that the evictions are used sparingly and typically only when landlords or property owners have “had their heads in the sand” and not responded to previous requests to stop illegal activity.

The evictions are in line with a city ordinance that says property owners are responsible for controlling criminal activity on their property, be it a residence they live in or one they rent out, Martinez added.

No special funding is set aside for the program, as it is included in the daily activities of each of the departments involved in it.

Money collected through court orders is slated exclusively for enforcement and is used for things such as purchasing new equipment for police, Martinez said.

“I think it’s a great program,” Young said. “It really streamlines the process.”

Residents aren’t able to call in complaints to the program itself, Young and Martinez said. If there are complaints, they should still call the applicable department – including police and code enforcement – and the monthly meetings held by the program participants determine which properties are the worst based on number of complaints and calls for service.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @brandon_darnell.

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.

Gang culture hinders homicide investigation

2011-04-07T00:08:25Z

Almost six months have passed since Victor Hugo Perez Zavala was shot and killed at the September Second Saturday Art Walk, and no arrests have been made.

According to police, gang-related crime like the Second Saturday shooting is hard to solve for a variety of reasons.

“In a nutshell, (the case is) wide open,” said Sgt. Bob McCloskey of the Sacramento Police Department’s homicide division. “We’re still trying to run down every lead we have.”

McCloskey said police are currently investigating leads, but declined to say how many or comment on how good the leads are, given that it’s an active investigation.

“In each case, we’re going to take and fully investigate it,” he said. “On open cases (like this), we use all the resources we can.”

The shooting has been identified as gang-related, but Zavala was not a gang member, nor do police believe he was the intended target of the shooting, in which three others were injured, McCloskey said.

The shooting happened outside a bar at 18th and J streets, where a sizable crowd was gathered, but police Lt. Bill Champion from the special investigations/gang division said that doesn’t mean witnesses will come forward.

“Within the gang culture itself, there’s definitely a ‘you don’t want to be a snitch’ culture,” he said. “A lot of times we’ll go to a gang shooting, and it’s not uncommon for a witness, or even the person who was shot, to say, ‘Yeah, I didn’t see anything.’ ”

He said gang members are “very uncooperative” most of the time, and getting any witnesses – even victims – to cooperate is difficult because gang members intimidate them.

There are ways of getting around that intimidation, including anonymous tip lines and even anonymous text tips through Sacramento Crime Alert. The police general investigations line is 808-0650.

“People can give us information to help us and remain anonymous,” Champion said.

McCloskey added that the governor’s office offers rewards up to $50,000 for tips on some cases, and Sacramento Crime Alert also offers rewards up to $1,000.

“There’s different programs at the District Attorney’s Office where we can take a witness and get the witnesses relocated, because there has been – due to the intimidation factor usually – a reluctance for people to come forward,” he added.

That program works with witnesses to make them secure – sometimes relocating them, even out of state, if necessary, he said.

The best way to combat gangs, Champion said, is to do it as a community.

“We’ve had a lot of success with neighborhood watch programs,” he said. “You have one person that stands up – it’s very easy to get intimidated, very tough to stand on your own – but if you get a whole community to stand up ... that’s the concept behind our Ceasefire program.”

Champion said criminals don’t bother those neighborhoods as much because they know they’re not easy targets.

Many residents in the downtown and Midtown areas have pointed fingers at Second Saturday, saying the event is bringing gang members from out of town to concentrate at the event.

According to Champion, that’s not a problem unique to Second Saturday.

“Sacramento’s gang problem is increasing,” he said. “We’re not talking just Second Saturday, we’re talking citywide. We have contacted a lot of Bay Area gang members at nightlife spots downtown.”

And even Sacramento’s resident gang population moves about.

Champion said gangs in Los Angeles are very territorial, but gangs in Sacramento move about the city, not necessarily laying claim to one particular neighborhood or area.

McCloskey said investigating shootings by territorial gangs can be easier, since it gives police a starting point, but with gangs moving around, it makes it harder to narrow down the suspect field.

Champion gave some statistics for increasing gang activity in Sacramento.

Crime reports related to gangs are up 37 percent over last year and 52 percent since 2008. And even though overall shootings went down 3.6 percent over last year, a higher percentage of shootings have been gang-related, with 18 percent of nonfatal shootings being gang-related in 2008, 26 percent in 2009 and 37 percent in 2010.

Aggravated assaults saw a slight rise over the past year.

Police Department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said it’s important to note that the problem can’t be addressed in a reactionary manner.

“It’s a regional issue, it’s not just a Second Saturday issue,” he said. “It’s a long-term effort, and that’s the concept of Ceasefire.”

Recent changes to Second Saturday events, he added, have been intended to bring the focus of the event back to art, but it will take time to see if those changes work out.

“I can’t overemphasize the point that it’s a community problem,” Champion said. “The community needs to respond and work together. That’s how it’s going to be effective ... making sure everyone gets involved, everyone picks up the phone and says, ‘This is what I saw.’ ”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Jury deliberating on "Pops" case

2011-03-16T03:34:09Z

The jury assigned to the case of local security guard Leroy “Pops” Fisher’s death is now deliberating, following a day of passionate arguments by both the prosecution and defense attorneys.

At stake is the future of Michael Bruce Weisz of Sacramento, who faces charges of second-degree murder and felony hit-and-run with death or injury in the case of Fisher’s 2009 death.

The prosecution and defense attorneys made final arguments in Weisz’ trial on Tuesday in Sacramento County Superior Court.

Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney Sheri Greco contended that Weisz is guilty of both second-degree murder and felony hit-and-run with death. Donald Masuda, the attorney representing Weisz, argued that his client is not guilty of either charge.

Weisz and a friend were ordered by Fisher and a second security guard to leave Badlands, a Midtown nightclub, for inappropriate behavior on Sept. 23, 2009, Sacramento Police Department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said at the time. The Police Department also said at the time that it believed Weisz ran over Fisher in his car.

Greco argued that Weisz intentionally ran over Fisher and showed “conscious disregard” for Fisher’s life. “He was driving his car into Leroy Fisher,” Greco said.

Greco, who showed photos of Fisher’s severely damaged body after the event, also argued that Weisz should be charged guilty of hit-and-run resulting in death. She contended that Weisz intentionally drove away from the crime scene to San Francisco.

Meanwhile, Masuda argued that Weisz’ mental state was affected after being Tased by Fisher with a stun pen outside the nightclub. He said that Weisz did not intentionally run over Fisher.

Rather, Masuda argued that Weisz was trying to get away from Fisher. At the scene, Weisz had been Tased, was crying and was “trying to do the best he can to get out of the parking lot.”

Weisz, fleeing from Fisher, accidentally ran him over, according to Masuda’s argument. “It’s charged as a murder, but wasn’t a murder to begin with.”

Weisz’ and Fisher’s supporters who attended the hearing sat on opposite sides of the room. Some people on both sides of the room were seen crying quietly during Tuesday’s final arguments.

The Sacramento Press will update readers on the jury’s decision as soon as it is made and information becomes available.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Staff reporter Suzanne Hurt contributed to this report.

Chief Braziel to discuss succession plans

2011-03-08T01:46:58Z

Within the next three years, nearly 75 percent of the Sacramento Police Department’s staff, ranked captain and higher, will be eligible for retirement, according to police department spokeswoman Laura Peck.

Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel will address the department’s succession plans and other concerns regarding top staff at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.

City Councilman Rob Fong requested Braziel make a presentation, saying he was concerned over former Sacramento Police Capt. Daniel Hahn’s move earlier this month to become Roseville’s police chief.

“Whenever there are openings in the region, people tend to look at our folks,” Fong said, adding that the city should ensure it’s not “grooming” chiefs for other cities.

In addition to Hahn’s recent move, Braziel seriously considered leaving last year to become Seattle’s police chief. Braziel ultimately decided to stay with Sacramento and stopped the interviewing process in Seattle.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Braziel will discuss “the future of the organization,” Peck said.

The department will need to start preparing for possible retirements of its leaders, she said. Sworn officers are eligible for retirement contributions at age 50, she noted.

Braziel, 51, said last June that he planned to retire in three to four years. Peck said Braziel was unavailable to be interviewed Monday afternoon.

The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 915 I St.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Trial involving Leroy "Pops" Fisher's death underway

2011-03-05T02:24:49Z

A friend of late Sacramento security guard Leroy “Pops” Fisher is urging the city’s gay community to attend the trial of the man charged with killing Fisher in 2009.

The trial involving Fisher’s death started last week in Sacramento County Superior Court. Michael Bruce Weisz of Sacramento faces charges of second-degree murder and felony hit-and-run with death or injury in the case of Fisher’s death.

Steve Thompson, who was a friend of Fisher’s, has already used Facebook and e-mail messages to ask more than 150 people to appear in court to honor Fisher.

“I want to bring as many people as can be allowed,” Thompson said.

He said he is reaching out to the gay community about the trial because he heard that Weisz has many supporters attending the court hearings. The presence of Fisher’s friends at the trial would show that Fisher had many friends and that “he is well-missed in the community,” Thompson said.

The Police Department said at the time that it believed Weisz ran over Fisher in his car.

Donald Masuda, the attorney representing Weisz, said Friday he was not bothered by the possibility of a crowd of Fisher’s supporters at the trial. “As long as they’re not disruptive, I don’t see any problem with it.”

In a comment to The Sacramento Bee in December 2009, Masuda contended that Fisher’s death was accidental.

The next hearing will be held 9 a.m. Tuesday, at Superior Court’s Department 12 in Sacramento, 720 Ninth St.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Staff reporter Suzanne Hurt contributed to this report.

Rangers to oust campers on American River Parkway

2011-02-17T01:24:18Z

Park rangers will be citing campers on the American River Parkway Thursday after a 48-hour notice ordering the homeless population to stop illegal camping expires, weather permitting.

“We have to enforce the law,” said Zeke Holst, Sacramento County Regional Parks spokesman. The notice was posted Tuesday at around 11 a.m. “It’s illegal to camp in the parkway, and it’s our job to enforce the law.”

If it is raining heavily, Holst said rangers will hold off until a clear day.

If it remains clear, Holst said rangers will approach campers in the parkway on Thursday and issue $115 citations to those who refuse to leave as well as confiscate and hold camping gear and other belongings.

Campers who comply will be able to take their belongings with them, Holst said.

When property is confiscated, the owners will be able to recover it free of charge by following directions on a receipt they will be given, said Steve Flannery, chief ranger.

Belongings can be recovered quickly, he added.

“We want to give their property back to them, because there’s a good chance they need (it) right away,” Flannery said.

Camping has been taking place for quite some time in the parkway, Holst said, but he added that there is currently a large group of more than 60 people camping together.

“There is certainly a sanitation concern because of the waste and the associated garbage and trash that accumulates there,” he said.

That garbage accumulation, along with other issues including damage to trees and safety concerns, had outraged advocates for the American River Parkway, as detailed here.

Holst said the 48-hour notices posted in the parkway pointed out where shelter beds are available for the homeless, but homeless advocates say there are not enough.

“On the notices, it lists 12 places where people are supposed to go to get shelter,” said John Kraintz, president of Safe Ground Sacramento, a group seeking a legal campsite for homeless. “If you call any one of them, the minimum waiting list is 100 people.”

Thirty-two beds were made available at The Salvation Army, with priority for the displaced campers, Holst said, but Kraintz said the Safe Ground campers did not want to be seen as cutting in a line that was more than 100 people long.

Those beds were funded in a partnership between the county and The Salvation Army – with each funding half of the beds – specifically for the American River Parkway campers, said David Bentley, Sacramento County coordinator for The Salvation Army. He said the beds will be available for 60 days, and confirmed that there is a waiting list for the preexisting shelter beds.

“There’s just no place for people to go right now,” Kraintz said. “The shelters are all full, and they don’t allow pets or couples.”

Officials said the Safe Ground campsite is the largest on the river, but it is far from the only campsite, with hundreds of campers in the area.

“The best estimates say there’s about 200 - 300 people camping outside in the general area,” said Joan Burke, director of advocacy for Loaves & Fishes. “The Safe Ground people are just a small fraction of the people camping. They’re the ones that agreed to be clean and sober and keep their campsites clean and look after each other.”

The rest of the campers, Burke said, are typically in small groups of between two and six people.

Burke agreed with Kraintz on the issue of available shelter beds.

“There’s a chronic shortage of shelter beds,” she said. “The turnover is slight, maybe four or five per day. The St. John’s women’s shelter typically has (a waiting list of) about 200. That gives you a sense of how big the shortfall is.”

Kraintz said the enforcement of the laws banning camping is not going to happen.

“It’s impossible to arrest your way out of poverty,” he said. “You can’t enforce laws which people cannot obey – they have absolutely no place else to go.”

He added that he fears for people whose belongings are confiscated.

“If you take away everybody’s stuff, I don’t know. We’ll have to get more stuff or go under a bridge,” he said. “We’ve got five days of rain coming at us.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Mayor to hold crime forum

2011-02-15T01:47:59Z

In response to the December shootings at a south Sacramento barbershop, Mayor Kevin Johnson will host a public forum on crime and violence on Wednesday in Oak Park.

“That was the latest spark, if you will, that brought the call for this particular meeting,” said R.E. Graswich, Johnson’s special assistant.

City Police Chief Rick Braziel and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones will attend the event, according to the press offices of the two law enforcement agencies.

Graswich said the forum will include sessions for community members to discuss the causes of crime and violence in their neighborhoods and how those problems can be addressed.

“Obviously, we can’t tolerate this,” Graswich said.

Six suspects face murder charges from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department for the Dec. 14 shooting at Fly Cuts and Styles Barber Shop at Stockton Blvd. and Lindale Drive. Monique Nelson, 30, died at the site of the shooting. Gunshot wounds were the cause of death a second person, 20-year-old Marvion Barksdale, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

The department suspects that Barksdale was involved with the shooting.

One of the six suspects, Larry Dean Jones, 29, is at large. The other five suspects are in jail, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

The forum on violence will be held from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Oak Park Community Center, 3425 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

Kathleen Haley 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.

OPINION: Sac to Charge for "Scene Stabilization"

2011-01-26T18:12:01Z

I felt compelled to write this after reading Brandon Darnell’s report on the Sacramento’s City Council’s 5-4 decision in favor of requiring non-resident drivers to foot emergency bills. You can view his article here

I find this to be complete nonsense (not the article, the decision). Especially when reading some of the responses from the City Council and others.

The Fire Chief states that it’s not to bring in revenue, but to recover costs? He’s joking right? What else is this but a new revenue stream? Top that off with the old school mentality of budgeting, especially in a government environment. Towards the end of each fiscal year budgets are reviewed to ensure all monies in the budget are spent. If it appears there will be money left over, it’s spent with no regard to fiscal responsibility. Why? Because then they can claim last years budget was just barely enough and next year they will need a bigger budget to fight increased costs, inflation, etc..

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said by declining to discuss a confidential memo, authored by the City’s Attorney’s Office, is a way to safeguard the city against potential litigation. I believe not discussing the memo and the comments made by the city council is a perfect recipe for a lawsuit. However, I’m certain by the time this goes to trial they will have figured out a way to charge the public for the City Councils ignorance.

Councilwoman Ashby goes on to say “ . . . There is no free lunch.”. Did she really just say that? Does she not realize how much in taxes people pay to support our government infrastructure? Rather than cut costs cities and states continue to spend money. Why? It goes back to the budget and the “I gotta spend it” mentality along with police and fire unions.

The worst part about this is we will now have yet another contract with another vendor, Fire Recovery USA. Who are these people and why are we going to pay them 17% to handle billing? I’m thinking their friends with someone on the city council. They have to be with people on their team such as:

Greg Schmidt – Developer in and around Sacramento
Rick Benner – Former president of the Sacramento Kings
Kevin Trost - Retired captain for Sacramento Fire
Thorne Auchter – Former director of OSHA under Ronald Reagan

Auchter is the most controversial due to his colorful past. Including his role as CEO for Grace News Network, which landed a U.S. government contract to launch an Arabic language satellite TV news station for Muslim Iraq. You can read more about Auchter here.

Based on Fire Recovery USA’s website it looks like they will be using strong arm tactics. According to their site:

“. . . While there is nothing really different about the way we bill, we do have several interesting recovery techniques in our system. We also have exclusive methods that we've developed during our years of collection experience in other industries that convinces those responsible of their fiscal responsibilities.”

That's so Soprano's. Will those techniques include new ways for individuals to sue the city?

Based on the cast of characters working for Fire Recovery USA, I have to believe they have been the driving force behind this being presented to and approved by the City Council.

Having ranted on about this I just wanted to add that the majority of firemen and policemen go above and beyond in providing services to the community. This is a rant about the Saramento City Council and government in general and should not reflect poorly on those that serve our cities.

Non-resident drivers to foot emergency bills

2011-01-26T07:01:05Z

Sacramento is seeking to recoup $300,000 - $500,000 per year after the passage of a new fire cost recovery ordinance – commonly referred to as a “crash tax” – Tuesday night.

The City Council voted 5-4 to charge out-of-town drivers who are at fault in auto accidents within city limits to recover expenses related to Fire Department responses.

Drivers could be billed from $435 for a basic “scene stabilization” to more than $2,200 for a “scene stabilization” involving more advanced issues such as hazardous materials and helicopter transportation, according to a staff report.

“I have some very serious legal concerns, and moral concerns about this,” said Councilman Darrell Fong, who joined council members Rob Fong, Sandy Sheedy and Bonnie Pannell in voting against the ordinance.

Darrell Fong raised the question of possible charges for police services in the same vein, saying he is uncomfortable with that as well.

The legality of the ordinance – and a confidential memo produced by the City Attorney’s office – were not openly discussed at the meeting. Deputy City Attorney Matt Ruyak said it constituted attorney/client privilege, despite numerous questions regarding the legality.

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said declining to discuss the memo is a way to safeguard the city against potential litigation.

“I know it’s uncomfortable,” she said, referring to the decision to charge for services that were previously covered solely by taxes. “Nobody likes anything like this.... There is no free lunch.”

Councilman Steve Cohn echoed Ashby’s sentiments.

“I don’t feel real positive about this either, but what are our choices here?” he asked, adding that the other choice is possibly “browning-out” four more fire stations.

The ordinance is designed to recoup Fire Department costs and prevent further fire station brownouts, according to city officials.

“If a non-resident is involved in a traffic accident or has a fire in their vehicle, they would be billed for the cost of the response,” said Mark Prestwich, special projects manager for the city manager’s office, in a phone interview before the meeting.

The ordinance first came to the City Council Law and Legislation Committee last summer. Proponents of the ordinance claim that city residents are subsidizing emergency response services for out-of-town drivers who do not pay taxes that fund the Fire Department.

Drivers living or owning more than 50 percent of businesses on property in Sacramento will not be charged the fee.

Opponents of the ordinance, including the Sacramento Metro Chamber, argue that charging non-resident drivers would be unfair, and might dissuade businesses from coming to the city.

There was lingering confusion stemming from the first time the ordinance was discussed by the City Council as to whether the cost would be passed to drivers not at fault in collisions.

“Anyone that’s not responsible will not be subject to the ordinance,” Prestwich said, adding that insurance companies will determine which driver or drivers are at fault.

“It’s easily misunderstood, and it’s a confusing issue,” Prestwich said.

Sam Sorich, president of the Association of California Insurance Companies, argued that drivers not at fault would, in fact, still be billed.

“An innocent driver who experiences the trauma of an auto accident could be hit with a bill for hundreds of dollars,” he said.

Speaking during the public comment portion of the discussion, Connie Anderson said she thinks the income from the ordinance would be minimal compared to the hardship endured by the individuals.

“Will Sacramento join 60 other cities in heading toward an ‘each person for themselves’ mentality?” she asked.

Sacramento Fire Chief Ray Jones said the purpose of the bill is not to bring in revenue, but to recover costs associated with non-resident drivers involved in accidents.

When questioned by Rob Fong, Jones said it is possible that if the ordinance were to be found illegal, Sacramento residents could be subject to the charges. He also said there is no “at-fault” language in the ordinance.

Billing will be handled by a third-party company, Fire Recovery USA, which will take about 17 percent of the recovered costs, according to Jones.

At least 60 jurisdictions in California currently have similar ordinances, with most – like Sacramento – billing only non-resident drivers.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Second Saturday's controversial year

2010-12-28T01:21:51Z

One of Sacramento’s biggest controversies in 2010 centered on the Second Saturday Art Walk.

Initially intended to be a family-friendly arts showcase, it had, before 2010 started, turned into two events – the art walk, and the after party – according to many Midtown residents.

On the morning of Sept. 12, the issue got the attention of the entire city when 24-year-old Victor Hugo Perez Zavala – who police say was not affiliated with a gang – was killed in a gang-related shooting outside a bar on 18th and J streets.

Several others were injured, but it was Zavala’s death on September’s Second Saturday event that brought increased scrutiny to the event.

One Sacramento Press community contributor wrote that Midtown’s concentration of bars and nightlife coupled with an event that regularly brings more than 10,000 people from out of town combined to make the tragedy inevitable.

To read her article in full, click here.

Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton argued that the shooting was not caused by Second Saturday, and the incident would not bring down the art walk or the event as whole.

To read his editorial, click here.

Community members weighed in on The Sacramento Press, proposing a “Second Saturday Synergy 2.0” in which the event would be more focused on art and possibly entail earlier start times, more police presence and other ideas.

To read their suggestions, click here and here.

More than 100 community members met with police and city officials Sept. 25 to discuss options for what might be done to both preserve the event and make it safer. Among the discussion topics were parking, enforcement of the 10 p.m. curfew for minors and better management of the event.

To read about the meeting, click here.

With the increased attention on the event, some questioned whether Second Saturday would go the way of the Thursday Night Market that used to take place on the K Street Mall.

The Sacramento Press interviewed several people involved in the Thursday Night Market, and they had differing opinions on how applicable the comparison was. One said that Second Saturday, like the Thursday Night Market, was becoming a victim of its own success while another questioned if there was actually anything going wrong with the event at all.

To read the article, click here.

Another set of comparisons was drawn between Sacramento and Chicago, with Chicago’s large, city-sponsored events.

Click here to read the article.

With October’s Second Saturday event approaching, police and city officials made plans to step up their efforts, and private citizens’ groups got involved as well.

The Guardian Angels and the newly formed Lavender Angels were not founded in response to Zavala’s death, but both groups took to the streets Oct. 9 to do their part in making a visible security presence on the streets.

To read about the two groups of “angels,” click here.

When Oct. 9 came, approximately 80 police department staff members – ranging from uniformed officers to volunteers – were out to ensure the event’s safety.

Police Department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong told reporters the following day that the event was a success.

To read about the October Second Saturday event and the thoughts of those who attended it, click here.

With the weather turning colder, November and December Second Saturday events were more subdued, but the issue is likely to come up again as the weather warms and more people come to the central city for the event in 2011.

Kevin Johnson photo by Suzanne Hurt, staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Meeting photo by Jon Mortimer. Other photos by Brandon Darnell, staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Top photo taken Oct. 9 is not the Sept. 12 shooting suspect, who reamains at large.

Council members discuss Central City

2010-12-16T02:42:44Z

Sacramento’s Central City has received a lot of media attention for shootings and muggings in recent months. However, the area is also frequently in the spotlight because of large-scale development projects, such as the downtown Railyards or George Karpaty’s trio of businesses on K Street.

The Sacramento Press recently interviewed three City Council members to learn about their plans for the Central City. Councilwoman Angelique Ashby and Councilmen Steve Cohn and Rob Fong shared their priorities for the different parts of the Central City they represent.

Ashby’s portion of the area includes the downtown Railyards, K Street, Old Sacramento, Alkali Flat and the River District. Ashby mentioned the Railyards and K Street Mall as examples of key development sites in her district.

“Some of the best opportunities in the city lie in the downtown portion of District 1,” she said.

As an elected official, she said she wants to help avoid hurdles in the development process. “In my position, I can help make sure they get those projects done in a timely manner,” she said.

Ashby also said she wants to be a behind-the-scenes facilitator for the various groups involved with projects in the area. Stakeholder groups involved with Central City development projects, such as community members, government agencies and environmental organizations, need a “point person” at City Hall, she said, adding that she wants to take on that role.

Public safety in her district, and throughout the city, is a key priority, Ashby said.

Cohn, too, emphasized public safety when asked about his work in District 3. His section of the Central City includes Midtown and part of downtown. His district’s stretch of K Street starts at 16th Street and heads east.

He pointed out the shooting death of a 24-year-old that occurred after a Second Saturday Art Walk event in September. Cohn also mentioned that the neighborhood has bar and nightlife issues. He said he wants neighborhoods and businesses to work together to solve public safety and public nuisance issues in Midtown. In his view, Midtown’s development has been a success, he said.

“I want to make sure it can continue to succeed and not be a victim of its own success,” he said.

On a different topic, he said work is under way to enhance Sutter’s Landing Park on the northeast edge of Midtown.

Meanwhile, Fong said he was excited about the R Street streetscape project in his district. Fong’s piece of the Central City includes part of Midtown and downtown. The street improvements will make the street more pedestrian-friendly and inviting, he said.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the effort to revamp the street with new lighting and parking enhancements was held in September. The street will be remodeled from 10th to 13th streets.

Click on the following links to view maps of City Council Districts 1, 3 and 4.

Learn more about some of Ashby’s priorities for North and South Natomas here.

Photos of Cohn and Fong by Brandon Darnell. Photo of Ashby by David Watts Barton.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Vina wants permanent city manager job

2010-12-15T06:29:27Z

Interim City Manager Gus Vina said Tuesday that he would like to serve as Sacramento’s next permanent city manager.

The City Council held a private meeting on Tuesday to discuss the council’s plans for hiring a city manager. The council did not discuss the details of the private meeting at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. It’s unclear at this point if the council will search for a city manager outside of City Hall. The timeline for the council’s hiring process also remains unclear.

Meanwhile, Vina is expressing his interest in the permanent job.

“When I took the position, I understood it was interim and that they can discuss the interim status and appointment at any time up to March of next year,” Vina said in an e-mailed statement. “Should mayor and council decide to launch a recruitment effort, there’s no question I’ll apply.”

If selected for the permanent job, Vina said he would like to focus on recovery in the city. “That means focusing on three things: achieving long-term budget sustainability, pursuing economic recovery and keeping the community safe,” he said.

Former City Manager Ray Kerridge resigned in February, and the City Council selected Vina for the interim post in March.

Photo by Kathleen Haley.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Police seek to purchase new Tasers

2010-12-14T01:18:55Z

The Sacramento Police Department will update its Taser arsenal if an ordinance banning purchases from Arizona doesn’t stop the six-figure deal.

Taser International, based in Arizona, has supplied the department with the less-lethal weaponry for nearly a decade, according to Capt. Scott LaCosse.

“They’re old, they’ve been through a lot of use, and the manufacturer is not supporting them anymore with training or updates or ability to get them serviced,” LaCosse said. “We’ve experienced some situations where they’re not working. They’re electronic devices.”

Police are asking the council to authorize not more than $440,000 to purchase 360 new Tasers, holsters and Taser cartridges, though the actual cost will be closer to $360,000, LaCosse said.

He explained that asking for the larger amount allows the department to account for unanticipated incidental costs such as variations in shipping without returning to the council for adjustments. In this case, he added, the amount to be authorized is higher due to anticipated prices coming in lower than expected.

The funding comes from “seized asset funds” – money generally collected from the sale of items confiscated during narcotics raids.

A city ordinance passed on June 15 orders that "where practicable and where there is no significant additional cost to the City, the City of Sacramento shall not enter into any new, amended, extended, or supplemental contracts to purchase or procure goods or services from any business or entity that is headquartered in Arizona," according to the staff report.

City spokeswoman Linda Tucker said police told her it would “involve a huge expense to replace (the Tasers) with a different vendor.”

LaCosse said there aren’t any other vendors who can supply products of the same type and quality.

Neither Tucker nor LaCosse speculated on what the City Council will decide Tuesday, but the item is on the consent agenda, which is typically passed in one motion without discussion.

In addition to being outdated – LaCosse said the manufacturer recommends a service life of five years – older-model Tasers are bulky and not practical for officers to wear at all times.

Sgt. Norm Leong said the older M26 Tasers are often left in vehicles, while the newer X26 models are smaller and can be worn on an officer’s belt at all times.

The department currently has both models, but pending City Council approval Tuesday night, it will turn in its 288 M26 models and replace them with 360 X26 Tasers.

“Right now, the manufacturer is offering a trade-in of $75 per unit toward a new device,” LaCosse said.

La Cosse said the 360 Tasers will be bought for $810 each, and 360 holsters will be purchased at $20 each. Belt clips for the holsters come in at $9 apiece, and the department will buy 1,800 cartridges for $37,600, and sales tax will come in at almost $30,000.

He added that all sworn officers will have access to the newer Tasers, and that access serves the public by ensuring officers have the less-lethal option of stopping someone at all times.

LaCosse said Tasers have been shown to reduce injuries by stopping violent suspects without officers “getting into wrestling matches that lead to a lot of injuries.”

Photos of the X26 Taser courtesy Taser International, Inc.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Police working on surveillance system

2010-12-05T22:49:21Z

The Sacramento Police Department is moving forward with plans to set up security cameras in multiple locations in the city by May 2011. However, the number of cameras the department plans to use and where they will be placed is unclear.

In April 2009, the department announced it would use $615,000 in federal Homeland Security grant funding to purchase a surveillance equipment package. The deadline for the department to buy and put the surveillance equipment into effect is next May, according to department spokesman Konrad von Schoech.

“Equipment has to be purchased and operational by May 2011, but some equipment will be operational before that date,” von Schoech wrote in an e-mail.

The department is making some headway on its plans. The City Council last week decided on a vendor, Southern California-based Absolute Surveillance, for three surveillance trailers. About $245,000 of the Homeland Security grant funding covers the trailers, according to a Nov. 30 city report.

“The camera trailer is intended to be used as a mobile video recording system where a permanent camera system is unable or undesirable to be installed,” von Schoech explained. “The deployment is usually for a short duration, just a few weeks of remote monitoring. There will be one surveillance trailer assigned to each substation.”

He further said that the department will use the camera trailers in the areas of the city’s three substations, which are located in the northern, central and southern parts of the city.

The department has some ideas for where it wants to place fixed cameras, but von Schoech said the department is not elaborating on those ideas because they are not final.

“Some locations have been identified, but not finalized,” he said. “The locations were based upon input from the area captains with input from the City Council person’s office in each district, past crime statistics and current crime trends.”

The Sacramento Press asked von Schoech to describe the process for how the locations will be selected. “There are many factors that will determine where the cameras will be placed,” he responded. “Among those factors are crime rates, crime trends, special events and areas that may present a threat to public safety. The fixed cameras will be placed based upon recommendations from City Council, the Police Department, and the availability of existing infrastructure.”

At this point, it is unknown how many fixed cameras the department intends to use. When the department announced the grant in April 2009, it said it wanted 32 security cameras to be part of the surveillance package. The police department’s request to the state for the federal grant funding also mentioned 32 cameras.

But the department is no longer saying it will use 32 cameras. Spokesman von Schoech said that he could not provide a specific number for the cameras, saying that the number will depend on many factors, including cost.

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union of Sacramento maintains its position that the cameras represent a privacy violation. The group protested the department’s plans in 2009.

“The ACLU wants Americans to have their privacy respected,” said Debra Reiger, chair of the local chapter.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Editorial: Crime and the City

2010-11-30T02:59:17Z

My, it was a busy weekend around Sacramento. And I'm not talking about the holiday.

People were shot, people were killed and people (and homes) were robbed. And there was all the other horrible stuff that happens daily.

I took the four-day weekend off from news consumption. Monday morning, I remembered why. Much of it, especially the crime news, is depressing and does nothing to improve my life. Worse, some of it is not even entirely true.

But confronting it now gives me the opportunity to ask Sacramento Press readers a question about the future of this website.

But first, as they say, the news:

The big news that I missed until Monday was that a group of four people – described in The Bee and other media as "a family of four" – were shot at (and two hit) near the Safeway at 19th and S. They were walking to Panda Express. This was, of course, seized upon by Sacbee.com commentors as proof that "downtown" Sacramento is unsafe.

Having taken place a mere two blocks from The Bee building, and since the central city remains our civic focus, this was the big news. But it wasn't the only news.

A man was shot in Folsom during a dope deal gone bad. The victim said the shooter, a customer, was from Elk Grove. Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed while walking near Encina High School in Arden Arcade. A man was shot outside the Virgin Sturgeon restaurant on Garden Highway on Sunday morning.

And Monday's big crime news was that a former Sacramento County sheriff's deputy Chu Vue was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for arranging the murder of state correctional officer Steven Lo. That murder occurred in South Sacramento. Cop-on-cop murder. What next?

Meanwhile, there were ten home burglaries over Thanksgiving week in supposedly bucolic Folsom. Notice that none of these crimes occurred in the central city. The fact that there were also 10 robberies in Midtown in November shouldn't make people in Folsom feel smug.

My point isn't that murders and other crimes don't occur in the central city; it's that they happen all over, but only downtown/Midtown gets branded for it.

Think back to the “Second Saturday shooting” that occurred in Midtown a few months ago, and how much drama it stirred up in the central city. Everything that happens in downtown Sacramento – as long as it’s bad – seems to expand in meaning when it hits the local media.

So, back to this horrible story of the "family of four walking to a restaurant" that The Bee, KCRA-3 and other outlets reported, once again stoking fear in – and of – the central city.

The truth was actually this: A 21-year-old man, his girlfriend and her two younger brothers were approached and shot at by suspected gang members.

"It's being investigated as a gang-related shooting," Sacramento Police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong told me Monday afternoon.

Which means we still don't know much. But things are rarely as simple as they may first seem, and where there is a "gang-related" crime, there is no telling who is a gangster and who is a victim, or what the relationship between the shooter and the victim might be.

What we do know is that this is a very different story than the image of a "family of four," whether from the suburbs or not, coming to the central city, going to a shopping center and being randomly shot.

How random this was, we don't know. But we do now know the make-up of this "family." But The Bee's lede and headline ("Gunmen shoot 2 members of family walking to midtown eatery") remained in place, uncorrected, as late as 6 p.m. Monday. This was even after the police had clearly said that this was not a family in any sense readers would recognize.

And thus is Sacramento's urban core tarred: not safe for "families."

This sort of news is destructive to our central city. It lacks nuance. It lacks accurate information. And it hurts Sacramento.

Beyond that, like most crime reporting, it's useless information. What can I do with it? I won't stop shopping at Safeway, I won't stop walking downtown after dark – that's after 5 p.m. these days, folks – and it certainly won't stop me living downtown.

But it did confirm the wisdom of my impulse to take the long weekend off of news. And it raised a question in my mind:

Who wants crime reporting in The Sacramento Press?

Crime news is a staple of local news reporting – TV would cease to be profitable without it – but we don't run much crime news on The Sacramento Press.

That's not because I don't like it; it's because we don't have the staff, and our readers have thus far not expressed much interest in it. But we want to expand our coverage of Sacramento, and we want to do it in ways that reflect reality, rather than just offering sensational fodder.

What do you think? Would you, as a Sacramento Press reader, like more crime reporting? This being an open platform, you can of course just post such news yourself, as Ed Fogle, of Maverick Photography, and his colleagues occasionally do.

But I am contemplating a new section on the Press, perhaps expanding our coverage not just to "crime" but to "public safety." Such a section could offer not just bad news to scare (and perhaps thrill) readers of such things, but also help make our neighborhoods safer and our citizens more savvy.

So I'm curious: Do you want more "crime" reporting? Fire reporting? Advice on dealing with either, and with other public safety issues? What would those be?

How can we do it differently, so that we don't spread misinformation or simply scare people to no good end? How can The Sacramento Press move journalism forward, so that we're not a mouthpiece for the police department on the one hand, or a cheap thrill to "sell papers" on the other?

This is what we do, and we're learning. We want to do it better, and I’d love to hear your ideas.

Q&A with sheriff candidate Scott Jones

2010-10-29T22:17:12Z

Two Sacramento County sheriff’s captains are in their final weekend of campaigning for sheriff.

Voters will decide on Tuesday whether Sheriff Capt. Scott Jones or Sheriff Capt. Jim Cooper should replace outgoing Sheriff John McGinness.

Jones sat down with The Sacramento Press on Friday morning in Carmichael to discuss his ideas and qualifications.

Read The Sacramento Press’ interview with Cooper here.

SP: In your view, what are a few of the most pressing public safety issues in the county?

SJ: We have a lot of pressing problems. Of course, everything is overarched by the budget. It’s not just a question of what I would like to do, it’s a question of what we can do within our budgetary constraints.

There are a lot of things we can do. It’s not going to involve more revenue or higher taxes. It’s going to involve becoming more efficient internally and partnering with our regional public safety partners ... In fact, I went to the police chiefs first when I started this campaign 15 months ago. I said, ‘Look, my vision is for regionalization of services for this region.’ They all agreed. All the chiefs in the county have endorsed me. There’s seven cities in the county, and all the police chiefs have endorsed me, as well as the police chief from West Sacramento and the sheriff from San Joaquin. I’ve got the regional support to carry out that vision. That’s one aspect of it.

The other is, we have to do a better job engaging with the public – engaging them in the fight against crime in a collaborative fashion with us. Because we can’t do it on our own. We simply cannot provide the level of public safety that is going to keep everyone as safe as they should be without the public’s help. So, we need to be better at engaging them.

SP: What is your strategy for how the Sheriff’s Department should work with neighborhoods?

SJ: That’s a huge component. And it kind of piggybacks with what I’m saying about being more engaged with the public. We have to rely on them. We have to change the paradigm from us being the sole proprietor of public safety to communities taking ownership of their own public safety.

Whether geographic or ethnic or religious – however a community is defined – they need to have ownership of their own public safety in cooperation with us. That involves neighborhood watch programs. That involves me exploding our volunteer forces – not only in the numbers and in the traditional roles – but finding completely new ways of utilizing volunteers to help out officers.

For example, right now, you come out of your house and find your car broken into. You can call us, but we’re not going to come. But I can send a volunteer out to take that report. It only costs me gas money. But what it does is it gives you, as a crime victim, a connection with the department. I’ve given you a level of service for the Sheriff’s Department that would not be present otherwise – you would have to be responsible for your own report. Well, this is a way I can use volunteers for little to no cost to still maintain a good public safety presence and service.

SP: What are a few key differences between you and your opponent, Jim Cooper?

SJ: You can look at a couple of things. Number 1 is our conduct. I think the best predictor of future conduct is past behavior. So, look at our past behavior – not only throughout our careers, but during this campaign as well. I’ve always been positive. I’ve never been negative in this campaign. I’ve never said anything negative about my opponent.

When I was the jail commander, I opened it up. I was completely transparent for the first time ever in the jail. So, my past conduct is going to be a good predictor of my future conduct, as his will be.

Secondly, is a vision. I’m the only one that’s articulated a vision going forward in this department. I posted (it) on my website about a year ago. I hear a lot of complaining from my opponent about perceived failures of prior administrations. I don’t hear any cogent vision about how to go forward, what he’s going to do, and how he’s going to do it. And I’ve been very clear about only looking forward throughout my campaign.

And lastly, is the support. I have, like I said, (received the support from) all the regional police chiefs – who know what it takes to run an organization. They know who’s better-equipped to do it. All the media outlets that have weighed in on this race have supported me, including the Bee, the News & Review, the Folsom Telegraph. I’ve got all the regional chambers of commerce because of my ideas and strength for the business climate in Sacramento County, and the public safety piece to (the business climate) ... I’ve got the (support of the) Elk Grove mayor. There’s a reason that I’ve got all of this support. And it’s because I’ve been able to get out my vision and work very hard and that resonates with folks.

So, that’s been my challenge for 15 months. I knew I wouldn’t have the money to compete with the union money that he got. And I knew I didn’t have the name ID or the political experience that he had. But I knew I could out-work him, and I knew I had a better vision.

SP: What is your vision, then?

SJ: It’s multi-faceted. One, is the regionalization. Second, is the collaboration with the public. And that takes on many forms. It takes on the form, for example, (of) me having office hours in the community, much like a professor – all over the community for a direct interface.

It includes me creating two more advisory boards. We have one now that’s loosely geographically based. I want to create two more: one, a business advisory board because the business climate in Sacramento County ... is extremely important for our economic recovery and sustained economic health.

The last board I want to create is a faith-based and community-based organization advisory board. I want to be able to tap into the community-based and faith-based organizations and communities – not only for the pool of volunteers they can provide, but to be a voice directly to the communities and directly back from the communities. A direct voice from the communities to me.

And I also want to utilize them to reach our young people. The problem is, the first time we show up in young (peoples’) lives can’t be when we take their father or their brother or even them to jail. It’s too late at that point. We need to show up in their lives beforehand.

I’m going to rely on the faith-based, community-based organizations ... to help me reach the young people through them. So we can not only just have enforcement for gang activity and crimes, but we have some prevention and some intervention. And that’s what’s going to change behavior. And changing behavior is the only way to effectively attack crime in Sacramento County – not just showing up and arresting bad guys.

That’s great to have more cops to arrest bad guys, but if you really want to change behavior, you have to start on the other end with prevention and intervention before it ever comes to that. And it will pay dividends; it will work.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sacramento Honors Capt. Sullenberger

2010-10-23T03:59:30Z

Less than one month after launching the Sacramento Service Plan, Mayor Kevin Johnson was joined by pilot Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger in kicking off “Sacramento Ready”, the plan’s public safety campaign aimed at engaging residents in emergency and disaster preparedness.

“We saw what happened in New Orleans with (Hurricane) Katrina,” said Mayor Johnson to a capacity filled City Council Chamber.

“In terms of a flood, Sacramento is the second most dangerous or at-risk community behind New Orleans.”

The event belonged to Captain Sullenberger, the Air Force veteran pilot best known for landing US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River off Manhattan nearly two years ago on January 15, 2009.

All 155 people on board survived, earning Sullenberger the nickname “Hero on the Hudson”.

“I thought a lot in the last year and a half about what the word hero means,” said Sullenberger. “I came to the conclusion that in our society we overuse that word.”

“When used appropriately it’s a word that describes traits and qualities that go to the very heart of what makes us human. Traits and qualities the vast majority of us have the quality of thinking of as abstractions. For certain people, these are values that have real meaning in the real life with real consequences.”

Sullenberger took time to reflect on the events of January 15, 2009, recognizing first officer Jeffrey Skiles and flight attendants Donna Dent, Doreen Welsh and Sheila Dail.

Sullenberger also described his thought process as events unraveled that day.

“Flight 1549 was completely routine and unremarkable for the first 100 seconds, and then it wasn’t,” said Sullenberger. “Within seconds I knew it would be the challenge of a lifetime.”

“My first two conscious thoughts, I remember clearly, were rooted in disbelief. This can’t be happening. This doesn’t happen to me. Then I had the sudden realization that unlike every other flight I had at that point in 42 years, this one would probably not end on a runway with the aircraft undamaged. And I was ok with that, as long as I could solve the problem.”

“I was able to force calm on myself.”

Sullenberger described how he was able to synthesize his experience and training in order to solve the problem at hand, and how he chose only to do the most important things to land the plane. In the end, he credited his life’s preparation of learning and understanding.

“We not only need to know our jobs, we need to know the jobs of people who are depending on us,” said Sullenberger. “The next person in the process. The next unit over. What are their challenges? What are their responsibilities? What do they expect me to do?”

“We have to work together cooperatively, and that requires leadership and that requires an organizational culture in which we all have a shared sense of responsibility for the outcome. And in Sacramento, I think that’s a sense of civic unity. A willingness to serve a cause rather than ourselves, and share our sacrifices”

Sacramento Ready provides a partnership between the Office of the Mayor and the American Red Cross Capital Region Chapter, formerly known as Sac-Sierra Red Cross.

"Of the many people in this country who have experienced a significant crisis in their home or neighborhood, less than half of the people surveyed by the American Red Cross have taken steps to be prepared for emergencies,” said Dawn Lindblom, CEO of American Red Cross Capital Chapter.

“At the American Red Cross, being prepared to respond to disasters is a top priority. We make every effort to ensure that we will have the necessary supplies, trained volunteers, and resources to meet the needs of those affected by disasters.”

Other Sacramento Ready partners include Sacramento Emergency Services, Sacramento CERT, Medical Reserve Corps, The Salvation Army, California Volunteers, Hands on Sacramento, and the City of Sacramento.

Sullenberger - later presented with a quilt from the American Red Cross Capital Region Chapter, a framed illustration by the Sacramento Bee’s Rex Babin, and a Key to the City - urged Sacramentans to follow his lead of preparation.

“None of us knows what tomorrow may bring,” said Sullenberger. “Each of us has a responsibility to be ready, to prepare ourselves well.”

Photos | Kati Garner

Report: Sac Fire Department lacks racial, gender diversity

2010-09-28T01:57:36Z

The city’s Fire Department lacks diversity in the racial and gender make-up of its employees, according to a committee that reports to the City Council.

City Council members plan to discuss the committee’s June report on the department’s diversity at their Sept. 28 meeting.

“With the exception of Native Americans, the numbers of females and racial/ethnic minority groups are disproportionately underrepresented in the city of Sacramento Fire Department compared to the demographic make-up of these groups within the county labor force,” according to the committee’s report, which is referred to as an “equal employment opportunity analysis.”

The committee that made the findings is part of the Small Business Development and Employment Advisory Board, which has a role in studying diversity at city hall. It used U.S. Census demographic figures in its report.

The overwhelming majority of the Fire Department was white in 2008, according to the report. While figures showed that 62.7 percent of workers in Sacramento County were white, 75 percent of the Fire Department’s employees were white, according to the report.

Women accounted for 14.5 percent of the Fire Department’s staff, but they represent 47.8 percent of the county’s working population, the report said.

Department spokesman Jonathan Burgess said it has been at least three years since the department hired any new firefighters.

Fire Chief Ray Jones, who is black, became the head of the department in January 2008.

Burgess said that diversity is a priority for Jones, and that any problems with diversity began before Jones became chief. “If this was a problem, it was definitely long before” he led the department, Burgess said.

The department is holding daily “brown-outs,” or service cuts, due to budget reductions. The brown-outs mean that eight firefighters and the equipment they use are taken out of service each day, Burgess noted.

While the department is grappling with its budget cuts, it will be hiring next year for a new fire station in Natomas, Burgess said.

Read the report on diversity in the Fire Department here.

Photo: Fire Chief Ray Jones talks to reporters at a June press conference on the city's budget.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Handful of citizens address Second Saturday issues at council meeting

2010-09-15T03:37:55Z

A handful of people attended Tuesday’s City Council meeting to comment on Second Saturday Art Walk issues in light of the shooting death of a 24-year-old after last weekend’s event.

While the death of Victor Hugo Perez Zavala outside of a J Street bar has attracted extensive media attention in the past few days, only four people commented on Second Saturday issues at the City Council meeting.

Local artist Susan Rabinovitz said the art walk has become “a tragedy.” She suggested that the city hold the art walk from 4-7 p.m.

Midtown resident Vivian Gerlach said the art walk should continue, but the “after-party” should be better controlled.

Photo by Suzanne Hurt. Local media outlets have covered the Second Saturday story extensively.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Councilmember-Elect Angelique Ashby Launches "Community Connections"

2010-08-21T02:22:56Z

Angelique Ashby Announces Series of Community Forums Throughout District One

It's become common, often expected, for politicians to have goals for the first 100 days in elected office. But what about goals for the 100 days prior to taking office?

On Monday, Angelique Ashby commemorated the 100 day countdown by unveiling Community Connections, a series of district-wide meetings seeking ideas, thoughts, input and experiences related to the challenges and successes throughout the region.

Ashby was elected to Sacramento's City Council on June 8 with 51% of the vote in a dramatic three-way race, unseating incumbent councilmember Ray Tretheway after nearly ten years in office in District One (Alkali Flat, Downtown, The River District / Richards Boulevard, North and South Natomas, and Gardenland-Northgate). Since Ashby secured over 50% of the vote, there is no need for a run-off in November. However, according to the city's charter, her term does not begin until after November's General Election. Her four year term begins November 23.

"It has its advantages," Ashby said about the delay. "On one hand, it's a little challenging because a lot of folks think I'm in office already and we're full of energy and can't wait to start taking care of the peoples' business. But on the plus side, it gives us the opportunity to work towards a smooth transition and to make sure our plans and partnerships are solid."

"My commitment to you as residents and business owners in District One is to represent the District's needs and goals and to maintain the highest quality of life standards possible in each of our diverse and unique neighborhoods," Ashby wrote in her announcement. "Community Connections is an opportunity for collaborative input and dialogue in formulating a comprehensive plan that seeks to strengthen our community and our neighborhoods."

Comprised of three meetings around three central themes -- Public Safety, Economic Vitality, and Quality of Life -- information gathered at the forums "will be used as a guideline identifying key areas of concern in District One and will provide the community support needed to direct the efforts of my four years as the elected councilmember in this community," Ashby said. "I need everyone's insight, support and partnership to set us off in the right direction from Day One."

The methodology Ashby will be using is not at all new to her. "It's actually the same formula I use in my work," Ashby said, referring to her career as a consultant designing and implementing programs and service delivery systems in the social services field. "In fact, we used the same process back in 2008 when we formed the Natomas Crime & Safety Leadership Team." A forum of nearly four dozen community leaders convened to prioritize issues, brainstorm solutions, and choose a team of leaders to advance the action plan that had the group's endorsement. "We accomplished all five of our objectives in just one year's time. It's a proven system and I have no doubt we will be able to put it to work for us again."

The meetings are open to the public and scheduled as follows:

1: Public Safety
Thursday, September 9, 6 to 8 PM
Homecoming Apartments, 4800 Kokomo Drive

2: Economic Vitality
Date, Time & Location To Be Announced Soon -- Check for Updates

3: Quality of Life
Wednesday, October 27, 6 to 8 PM
South Natomas Community Center, 2921 Truxel Road

Council to consider billing nonresident drivers for emergency services

2010-07-21T00:56:34Z

The next car crash you get into could be more costly than you think. Especially if you’re not a Sacramento resident.

The City Council Law and Legislation Committee decided today to put the measure on the Aug. 5 council agenda.

The goal of the proposed fee is to collect between $600,000 and $1.3 million, allowing the city to reopen one of the browned-out fire stations by next year, according to Sacramento Fire Department Operations Deputy Chief Lloyd Ogan.

Council members Robbie Waters, Lauren Hammond and Sandy Sheedy voted for sending the measure forward, while Councilman Steve Cohn voted against it on the grounds that he would like more details.

As it currently stands, when drivers who are not Sacramento residents are involved in a collision, they will be billed a minimum of $435 for a basic response from the Fire Department, Ogan said.

One of the major details to be figured out is if nonresident drivers involved in a collision would still be charged if they are not at fault.

The prices go up as services increase, depending on whether hazardous materials need to be cleaned up, a fire needs to be extinguished or other factors, Ogan said.

“In general, the high level of service we provide is to a constituency that does little in supporting the cost of that service,” Ogan said.

He added that the Fire Department sees the issue as Sacramentans subsidizing nonresident emergency costs with their property and utility use taxes.

Between 30 and 50 percent of collisions the department responds to involve out-of-town residents, according to Ogan.

Cohn asked that the proposed ordinance include a mechanism to audit the third-party company charged with billing insurance companies for the fees.

Sam Sorich, president of the Association of California Insurance Companies, said the proposed ordinance makes revenue promises it can’t fulfill, could increase insurance rates for California drivers and is unfair to nonresident drivers.

“When insurance policies do cover emergency response fees, the inevitable result is higher insurance costs,” Sorich said. “Those costs will lead to higher insurance rates for our customers.”

Sorich added that the proposed fee “literally adds insult to injury” by billing drivers who recently underwent the trauma of a collision and cited a report released last month by the Yolo County Grand Jury that found a similar program in Woodland to be a “financial failure.”

Ogan said other local agencies, including Roseville and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, have either adopted similar ordinances or are in the process of doing so.

“Roseville has been doing it for some time now, and it has been a successful program, and they are coming in pretty close to the projected (revenue) recovery they are hoping to get,” Ogan said. “Metro Fire is ready to move on it.”

“We’re not here to make money,” Sheedy said. “We’re here to recover our cost factors only...not to balance the budget with it.”

If approved by the City Council on Aug. 5, the Fire Department would go through the bidding process for companies to handle the insurance billing and could be ready to institute the changes by mid-September, Ogan said.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press

Photos by Ed Fogle Maverick Photography

County leaders pass budget with at least 725 layoffs

2010-06-18T03:20:44Z

At least 725 county employees will be laid off as a result of the county budget approved by the Board of Supervisors Thursday in a 3-2 vote.

The board has now balanced its the county's budget, which had a $181 million gap. The total budget for the 2010/2011 fiscal year is $3.5 billion. Of that amount, $1.9 billion makes up the county’s general fund.

Supervisors held lengthy meetings on the budget over the course of four days this week.

Supervisors Roberta MacGlashan and Roger Dickinson voted against the budget’s general fund allocations, offering different reasons for why they disagreed with the budget. Supervisors Don Nottoli, Susan Peters and Jimmie Yee voted in support of passing the budget, which led to its approval just after 3 p.m.

MacGlashan said she could not vote in favor of the budget because it did not put enough money toward public safety.

“This budget tells the residents of the unincorporated area they’re on their own,” she said.

Dickinson objected to the budget because he said he thought it did not make social services a higher priority. While public safety is the board’s top priority, he said, it’s not the board’s only priority.

“We have an obligation, a duty, particularly as a county, to address those who are the least among us,” he said.

Supervisor Don Nottoli said he felt he had a responsibility to pass a budget for the county, even though the budget includes compromises.

“The bottom line is that there’s not sufficient funding,” Nottoli said. “Yes, we prioritize and we make decisions.”

Major cuts to public safety and social services programs and departments are included in the budget.

Before the board passed its budget, it lessened the damage to some departments. Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness said earlier this week that the department faced a $37.6 million budget gap.

Because the board moved additional dollars to McGinness’s department Thursday, the sheriff’s deficit was lowered to $19.8 million.

McGinness declined to estimate how many layoffs his department would need to make to balance out his budget.

“Everything’s on the table at this point,” McGinness said after the hearing. “We need to find a way to live within our new budgetary constraint, which just got constricted by another $20 million dollars.”

The layoff figures are not final at this point, according to Nav Gill, the county’s chief operations officer. However, there could be more than 725, he said.

The county refers to the budget that was passed Thursday as the “recommended budget.” That’s because it will look at its figures again in September, after hearing how the state’s budget will affect the county.

Ann Edwards-Buckley, director of the county’s Health and Human Services Department, said her department was cut in several areas, including public health services, public health nursing, Child Protective Services and in-home support.

“We’ll have significant reductions in health care services for the poor,” she said.

The public can watch Monday's meeting here. View Tuesday's hearings here. Watch the video of Wednesday's meeting here.

Photo of Supervisors Roberta MacGlashan and Don Nottoli by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sheriff: Layoffs could wipe out patrol efforts

2010-06-15T05:21:54Z

Expressing outrage during Monday's county budget hearings, Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness told the Board of Supervisors he did not believe public safety is its top priority.

“We're dealing with this challenge that we cannot take ... (and) the public can’t take it,” McGinness said.

Board members plan to wrap up work this week on a budget with a $181 million deficit. County administrators say they have found ways to restore $59 million to the budget, but that would still leave a $122 million gap.

McGinness told the board that county officials are asking him to cut $37.6 million. To make those cuts, he said he would need to lay off as many as 255 deputies, including all the deputies currently working on patrol. The county currently has 226 deputies on patrol, according to McGinness’ presentation. Another idea would be to shutter the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center, he said. With the "wholesale release of inmates" from prison, the department could scale back its staffing, according to the presentation.

“We would have to do more than close and eliminate the River Cosumnes Correctional Center or eliminate virtually all of patrol,” McGinness said.

The board may approve the budget for the 2010/2011 fiscal year later this week, according to the county’s schedule of budget hearings. To address the deficit, county staffers are planning to lay off 725 employees in July.

That figure for layoffs does not include those that McGinness may make at the sheriff’s department.

Supervisor Jimmie Yee told McGinness that public safety was the board’s first priority. McGinness responded that he has “heard those words,” but he disagrees with Yee’s comment.

McGinness’s challenge to Yee’s comment received applause from law enforcement supporters in the audience.

Roger Berkenpas of the West Fair Oaks Neighborhood Watch Association was among others who spoke against further cuts to the sheriff’s department. The department lost many essential services that affected neighbors last year, he said. A new park is being vandalized nightly, he said. “We can’t get patrol out there."

Meanwhile, Sacramento County Chief Deputy District Attorney Cindy Besemer told the board the District Attorney’s office would need to lay off 50 employees, including 11 attorneys, to meet the requirements in the draft budget.

Budget cuts would also hurt the county’s Correctional Health Services Department, said AnnMarie Boylan, the department’s director. She said cuts to the department would cause a continual waiting list of 400 patients.

The budget hearings cover many departments. The Sacramento Press will link to the video of Monday's budget hearings as soon as the county makes it available online.

Tuesday, June 15:
The meeting will start at 2 p.m. and cover cuts to the county’s Medically Indigent Services Program, Health and Human Services and Human Assistance.

Wednesday, June 16:
The meeting will start at 2 p.m. and include discussions on the In-Home Support Services Public Authority, Retiree Health and the Transient Occupancy Tax.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Arena project, green initiative topics in State of the City address

2010-02-26T02:43:22Z

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 highlighted four areas of focus to bring Sacramento back to a stable economic environment and make it a world-class city.

Downtown

Johnson’s first goal is to strengthen the downtown core. Saying the success of Sacramento is in its neighborhoods, he stressed the need to make them successful.

His plans for doing that are to “put cars back on K Street” and actively bring in new retail stores to revitalize the currently pedestrian-only mall. He said he also intends to “unlock the grid,” making it easier to access the downtown area from all parts of the city by removing the current barriers that hinder the free flow of traffic. One way to do that would be connecting roads that currently do not intersect.

Another goal is to develop a viable plan for the Downtown Plaza mall over the next few months, which currently has one third of its retail space vacant.

Green Initiative

With New York being the capital of finance, Los Angeles being the capital of the entertainment industry and the Silicon Valley being the capital of the technology industry, Johnson said he wants to make Sacramento the capital of the green industry.

“I strongly believe Sacramento has the potential to be a national leader when it comes to green space,” Johnson said, adding that he wants to make Sacramento the “Emerald Valley.”

In developing jobs in the “green sector,” Johnson said Sacramento will be a host to myriad new jobs on all wage levels, which can help diversify its employment.

“Sacramento is over-dependent on government jobs,” Johnson said. “We need to diversify.”

Johnson compared the possibility of harnessing a new green industry to the Gold Rush.

“We have the opportunity to have a Green Rush,” Johnson said.

Arena Project

“We need a new entertainment and sports complex in Sacramento,” Johnson said.

His comments followed a panel discussion with members of the Sacramento First Citizens’ Task Force, which was formed in November.

During the panel discussion, member Larry Kelley gave a brief outline of the seven proposals the task force has received thus far, which range from using the current Arco Arena site in Natomas to bringing the new arena downtown to the railyards, the docks or the K Street Mall.

“This is something the voters have voted down previously,” Kelley said. “It’s something I think we need as a community. People don’t know where Sacramento is.”

Member Christopher Lehane said that a number of public hearings regarding the complex have been very helpful and provided the task force with “an enormous amount of information.”

The task force will release its report to the public March 11 and bring it to the City Council March 16.

“I do think this is a unique opportunity for this community if done right,” Lehane said.

Johnson – who was not present for much of the panel discussion – said Sacramento is in a better position than ever before when it comes to discussing the topic.

“We should, as a council, come up with a consensus with what we want to do going forward (with the arena project) within 30 days of receiving that report,” he said.

He added that that will be before the end of the Kings’ season.

There are a couple of major hang-ups with the project, however.

“I can’t tell you yet where (it will be located) and how we’re going to pay for it, but we have made a lot of progress.”

Friery said there will eventually be a “ripple effect” in money coming into the city through sales tax dollars and job opportunities if the complex is located downtown.

Johnson and task force members said the arena will not only be about basketball, but an “entertainment and sports complex.”

One of the proposals would locate the arena at the current Cal Expo site and include a theme park.

Metro Chamber CEO Matthew Mahood said the sports and entertainment complex is a necessity to Sacramento.

“A properly located entertainment and sports complex will create thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic benefits for the entire region.”

Mahood added that a report released Jan. 7 from the task force predicts that building and running the new complex will create 4,095 jobs.

Reforming City Hall

Johnson’s fourth main point in bringing the city back on track was his ongoing goal to reform city government.

“We’ve outgrown our current structure,” he said. “I think it’s very difficult to have nine bosses and nine separate agendas.”

Though he didn’t use the term “strong mayor,” he did call for a system with an executive mayor, term limits and an independent budget analyst.

The City Council approved the independent budget analyst Tuesday in a move Johnson said was a step in the right direction.

“I believe we can come to a compromise,” Johnson said, adding that he hopes to bring the issue before voters on the November ballot.

“We’re going to do all of this if we have a spirit of cooperation,” Johnson said. “We have to put aside personal differences.”

Johnson admitted to not being perfect in that area thus far.

“I take full responsibility for the fact that I have not done a good job in this area,” he said, “but I can only do so much on my own.”

Johnson said the recent resignation of City Manager Ray Kerridge is a sign of the “broken system.”

After commenting that Kerridge “epitomized the very best of what a public servant should be,” Johnson addressed him, and said his legacy will be “bringing us all together, so thank you very much.”

Other Points

Johnson commended Sacramentans on their volunteerism over the past year, acknowledging the 1.5 million volunteer hours that tripled his goal of 500,000. This year he is asking Sacramentans to double that and volunteer for a collective 3 million hours, which he said equals about 12 hours per resident over the year.

Public safety was another topic Johnson brought up, citing that Sacramento is the second most dangerous city in California for violent crime – behind only Oakland. He is asking the council to find the money to hire 30 police officers with a goal to increase the ratio of officers from one and a half officers per 1,000 residents to two.

But there is still the projected $35 million-$40 million budget deficit to contend with as well as the fact that FEMA is requiring Sacramento to address the levees that are currently in violation of federal requirements to prevent floods.

Despite the obstacles standing in Sacramento’s path, Johnson remained optimistic.

“We’re going to get through it,” he said. “Sacramento is not going to cower in the corner and wait this recession out.”

Audience members had mixed reactions to Johnson’s speech, but said they hoped for the best.

“I thought it was awesome,” said Jeff Pemstein, a homebuilder. “Sacramento is a great city.”

Pemstein said he is confident that the economy will turn around and Sacramento will once again head in the right direction.

Brian Seymour, who works in emergency project restoration, said he thinks Johnson is very energetic.

“He obviously wants to see this city grow,” Seymour said.

Seymour said there were no surprises in the speech, but he characterized Johnson’s remarks to Kerridge as “unceremonious.”

“Hopefully the Council will be able to play in the same sandbox," Seymour said, but when asked if he thought it was a real possibility, he replied, “Not really.”

The budget deficit was of concern to Mahood, who wrote in a press release that the “gap can’t be closed with smoke and mirrors. The mayor and Council are going to have to make some tough decisions to get a balanced budget.”

Mahood also said the Council will have to make cuts to departments where spending is out of proportion to their counterparts in comparable cities.

Picture 1: Metro Chamber CEO Matthew Mahood

Picture 2: Sacramento First Task Force members, from left, Larry Kelley, Tom Friery and Christopher Lehane and moderator Carl "Tobey" Oxholm III.

Picture 3: Mayor Kevin Johnson

Picture 4: Mayor Kevin Johnson delivers his State of the City address to the Metro Chamber.

Photos by Tia Gemmell

Riverfront Media Photography

www.phototia.com

Brandon Darnell is a copy editor for The Sacramento Press.

Councilman Robbie Waters' plans for 2010

2010-01-14T04:36:27Z

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 communications director at California State University, Sacramento.

Patricia Clark, Waters’ district director, spoke on behalf of the councilman in a phone interview Wednesday. Clark said Waters has been working hard to build up neighborhood associations and watch groups. He wants to help make the groups stronger and expand their numbers, she said.

While the district already has many neighborhood groups, there are still parts of the district that are not covered by an association and do not have a neighborhood watch, she said.

Building up neighborhood associations and watch groups “can contribute to making our district a strong community so that criminals will know they will not succeed in our neighborhoods,” according to Clark, who said she was quoting Waters.

Waters’ second highest priority will be the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library, Clark said. The councilman’s office plans to open the library’s doors in September, according to Clark. The 15,000-square-foot library will be part of the Sacramento Public Library system.

Pocket-Greenhaven Library will be located at Sacramento City Unified School District’s School of Engineering and Sciences. It will serve the school as well as the community, Clark said.

She added that efforts are underway to pursue “silver certification” for the library under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

Waters’ third focus of the year will be communicating with residents about programs, resources and events, according to Clark. The councilman’s office frequently updates Waters’ website and communicates with residents through an e-mail list, Clark said. Waters wants to continue those efforts and increase the level of communication with residents, she added.

“We really want all residents to be well-informed of all the resources that are available to them,” Clark said.

Read Councilman Kevin McCarty’s priorities here. Learn about Councilwoman Lauren Hammond’s plans for the year here. Councilman Steve Cohn’s plans for 2010 can be read here.

Photo of Waters by Anthony Bento.
Drawing of the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library courtesy of the city of Sacramento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

OUR CRIES ECHO FROM ONE SACRAMENTO NEIGHBORHOOD TO ANOTHER- Part One

2009-10-13T22:38:25Z

"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 coffin where his body had lain.

She put photos of Robert’s smiling face all around the memorial and then she laid there sobbing.

A crew would remove her memorial and she'd go back and set it up again until she was told she could no longer set it up.

Debbie told me, "I moved here (to Meadowview from Oak Park) so he would live. I wanted him to be safe. There was too much violence in our old neighborhood". She cried, blaming herself. I held her and told her, "It's not your fault. The violence is everywhere we can afford to live".

I stood where 17 year-old LaMarr was shot and killed. LaMarr's body laid covered in a tarp in the middle of the afternoon.

He was shot and killed in the middle of a busy street. Teenagers walking from a nearby high school gathered and stood sobbing. There were no grief counselors.

In fact, during this time a Harry Potter film was being shown at theaters. I watched the news and saw grief counselors were sent so moviegoers wouldn't be traumatized when a lead fictional character died. I went to the county supervisors time and time again asking, “Where are our grief counselors?"

I never saw grief counselors at the sites where youth were dying -- where real humans laid dead -- gunshot wounds in the chest, back, head, neck.

Streets would fill with friends and families of the victims holding vigils.

At LaMarr's candlelight vigil, I looked over and saw Debbie. I went to hug her and she held me so tight and cried, "I didn't know him. But I had to come. I know how I felt at Robert's vigil and I wanted to support the family."

A mother whose son was murdered goes to the vigil of another murdered child and relives her pain over and over.

We lit a candle and said a prayer. I recall leaving Robert's memorial and going next to one for 18-year-old Shaneel. Shaneel and Robert were shot and killed a day apart.

Two families stood in vigil over the site where their loved ones took their last breath. It never surprised me to see the family of a murder victim in tears, supporting another murder victim’s family.

For a while after Shaneel died, someone in his family would hang a sheet on a pole near where he died. I would see youth standing there at the site. One boy would just stand and talk as if waiting for Shaneel to reply.

I spoke to the family of 19-year-old Derek. His sister held her younger brother as he lay dying in her arms. He looked up at her and his last words embedded in her memory are, "Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me."

She held him with his blood covering her shirt, screaming, “Where are they? Where are the paramedics?”

She cried, "No, Don't you leave me. I told you I won't leave you. Don't you leave me," as he took his last breath. I didn't know Derek. He died and I was two blocks away at another funeral. His family gave me a picture of him with members of his family in appreciation to a stranger who showed them love in the midst of so much pain.

I loved Jack with all my heart. He was a 16-year-old neighborhood youth with a smile like Denzel Washington. I was taking my son to the Folsom Outlets to buy a winter coat and Jack asked to ride along. When we got to the outlet store I pulled my son aside and told him, "I can buy you this one coat which costs a little more or I can buy two jackets, one for you and one for your friend Jack."

My son said, "I'll take the cheaper one. He doesn't have a coat." The boys wore the coats home, looking like twins, with smiles as radiant as can be.

I began planning a march and rally to bring awareness to the violence. Jack looked at me and said, "No one cares." I told him, "People do care. I'll show you just how much. I'll show you the pen is mightier than the sword."

I began writing of all the deaths. Jack smiled every time he came to the house and saw me busy at work. He said, "You are going to show me, aren't you?"

On March 11, Jack came to the house saying Dontehad been shot and killed that afternoon in an apartment complexthat was supposed to have a police substation.

The following day, Jack came to the house and said, "Deantwean was shot and killed. He was with a friend and he was shot, too."

The following day another 18 year old was shot in the head. By the grace of God, he survived. I wrote letters and e-mails, speaking of the deaths mounting in a community divided into victims and suspects.

I was on a Regional Transit bus about to go home. The street was filled with commotion. Youth were standing on both sides of the street. I asked the bus driver to stop.

I ran to the scene and heard: “It’s Jack. They shot Jack.” 18-year-old Jack lay at a mini-mall, gunshot wounds to the chest.

I held his 15-year-old friend, whose shirt was covered with Jack's blood. The ambulance drove away. I waited for the 15 year old's mother to arrive, then drove with a girl at the scene, to the hospital.

I ran to the registration counter and gave Jack's name. I was asked, “Are you family?" I said "Yes." They took me aside and said, "I'm sorry he didn't make it.”

Jack died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I felt ill. Youth are not life-flighted to area hospitals. There were two hospitals close to where Jack was shot but he was taken by ambulance across town to the medical center, where he was dead on arrival.

I begin to wonder if Jack was closer to the truth than I. Does anyone care? Our children are dying. Families are mourning. People are suffering. Our cries echo from one Sacramento neighborhood to another.

I sat at David's funeral. Shortly after the funeral began, a petite woman walked to the microphone, hands trembling, and said softly, "I need this funeral to go as quickly as possible. I just buried his brother."

Her movements were so slow and painful. It appeared as though pain carried her. David's brother Damon was murdered less than two years earlier. Their mother then began to tell the people in attendance, “David was a good boy.”

A mother whose son was dead wanted people to know her son was a good boy.

I went for a walk early one morning and gazed down. Printed on the sidewalk were the words, "Here lays my 2 brothers Anthony and Albert shot and killed, They dead. They with God now."

My mind drifted to the family of 18-year-old Gregory and 20-year-old Hudson, two other brothers shot and killed, dying minutes apart. Another family having to bury two of their children in Sacramento, the city of Trees. A city with so many distractions that youth death and youth arrest always seem to get overshadowed with yet another agenda.

I spoke with 21-year-old Wesley’s father. He was in great pain: "I wanted my son to live"

Wesley’s body laid covered in blood on a grassy area in an apartment complex. There are two painful sides to a youth violence crisis: Families are mourning the loss of their beloved child -- dead. Families are mourning the loss of their child sentenced to live and die in a California state prison -- the walking dead.

In every violent death, the suspect was another youth. One dead on our streets and another walking dead in prison. I saw so many in a psychological frozen state.

Bodies found in dumpsters, gutters, middle of streets, schools basketball courts, fast food restaurants, gas stations, shopping malls, in their homes, outside their homes, on their front porch, running to make it home, North Sacramento, South Sacramento, East Sacramento and West Sacramento. I looked for a safe haven but there was none.

A Florin Honor Roll student, 15-year-old Shavtavia, was shot and killed as she left a graduation party. Phillip, 16, was shot and killed outside a birthday party. Three others were shot and survived, including a 14-year-old

Jelisa, 16, was shot and killed outside a house party. Donte, 16, was shot and killed.The body of 16-year-old Durey laid dead in the middle of the street. The body of 17-year-old Bobby was found behind the bushes. The family of 21-year-old Adrian awoke to a nightmare. Right outside their door, their son lay in their front yard.

Can you imagine opening the door to see your child dead and know they were running home to you, to safety?

Lenny, 13, stood with friends on a Sacramento street. Boom.He was shot and killed as his friends watched in horror.

Arturu, 11, was shot in the head. He lived but is blind. Curtis was another teen with a beautiful smile. At age 15, he was shot and survived. Curtis worked so hard at job skills classes and showed his life skills certificates to his grandfather. Just when Curtis was beginning to think of a future, he was shot again. He died at age 16. I will never forget his eyes. He would smile at me and his eyes would sparkle.

I received a call from Ralph. His 18-year-old son, Ralph Jr., had been shot and killed. "I had to go to the morgue to view my son's body. Eighteen bullets, bullets even in his groin."

A father cried as he spoke to me -- a stranger -- just wanting to talk to someone about the pain and suffering.

I went to the city of Sacramento seeking a Youth Death Review Team to save the lives of Sacramento's sons and daughters. But my efforts on behalf of the Youth Death Review Team were in vain. But I continue to labor through the pain.

I went to Donald's funeral. His mother, Toni, came and spoke at a rally I held. Toni was so proud of her son Donald. Can you imagine walking into the bathroom to find your son lying in a tub filled of blood? She can not get the memory out her mind.

The church was filled to capacity for Donald’s funeral. I attended the car wash by which his family, as so many others, are reduced to focusing on their inadequacies -- the fact they can’t afford to bury their child.

Can you imagine wanting and getting a job to buy nice things for your child only to have a job and not be able to afford to bury that child?

Natasha and her younger children were tied up. She will never forget the sound of the gunshot that took her son's life. When I look into Natasha's eyes, they are always teary and swollen in pain.

I can't imagine being tied up, wanting to help my son but not being able to break free, hearing him being shot, knowing that he died while I was in the next room.

Someone knocked on Debbie's door. Her son James answered it. Debbie was awakened by gunshots. She ran to her front door to find her 18-year-old son, James, dying in his younger brother's arms.

Debbie and Natasha have come to youth violence meetings seeking youth violence prevention.

I received a call from Carla. She cried, 'Rhonda, do you know what it's like to answer the phone and your sister tells you come over, your son is dying, shot dead"

Carlos is dead. I stayed on the phone for an hour and listened to her cries.

At 19-year-old Tyesha's funeral, her grandfather stood and said, "This is not a funeral. Tyesha is a Christian. She knows God. It's her homegoing."

And then the family asked for prayer for the youth who took their beautiful daughter's life.

Shirley has attended countless youth violence meetings. She has stood and addressed city officials in the midst of her own pain. At her son Michael's funeral I held a youth who was 19. When you look into his eyes you see the memories of death.

He spoke softly, "I've been to 20 funerals." A boy has been to more funerals than the number of years he's been alive. All this in the city of Sacramento, the city of trees, where it appears life and freedom are blowing in the wind. At every funeral, the church, hall, wake and cemetery are filled to capacity.

Often, youth lined up along the sidewalk because the church was overcrowded. Sometimes I'd see some familiar faces that I saw at other funerals and more often than not I saw a few hundred faces I hadn't seen before. The deaths affect so many people, so much pain.

It has been painful to write of Sacramento's sons and daughters who died a premature death as a result of youth violence in a city that appears to have other priorities, priorities that overshadow life and freedom.

Our mayor's priority is a "strong mayor" proposal. I don't share his enthusiasm on changing the charter of Sacramento. I'm far too busy wanting to change the tide of deaths as families cry rivers of tears, and drown in seas of neglect and oceans of pain.

I couldn't get the city to fund a Youth Death Review Team. But I've learned when the mayor wants a strong mayor proposal we quickly have a strong mayor Charter Commission formed.

Can you imagine how painful it is to walk for five years in the valley of the shadow of death and be right where you started seeking a Youth Death Review Team? I've walked in a circle. I must again plead with another Mayor for Sacramento youth to have life and know freedom.

The mayor looks in one direction -- suppression -- and looks to those who want more funding to saturate communities with armed patrol. I haven't met a family yet whose child has been murdered who has not preferred prevention over suppression.

When you’ve seen so much pain, witnessed so much suffering, you can not be pacified with minimal efforts. Watching the mayor’s Youth/Gang summit was painful. A community suffering was pacified with a quick fix. Heck, it wasn’t even masqueraded as a fix.

Can you imagine the pain of seeing the mayor put a band-aid on a fracture and call it a day? Can you understand the anger of seeing yet another minimal effort that duplicates the efforts made year in and year out?

Can you imagine being in pain and seeing the crisis and tragedy in your community swept under a rug?

Can you imagine suffocating in misery, your pain blanketed until budget hearings are scheduled and a police union official says, “We need more money. If we get less we’ll do less." You and others are working with so much less and wanting to do so much more. Can you imagine seeing so many others being paid and the funding never quite reaches the community directly affected and exposed to the violence?

I used to be embarrassed that I was low income. At youth violence meetings I would wait until everyone had left before I walked out. I didn’t want them to see me walking home as they were driving away in their nice cars. I am no longer embarrassed. Being a resident of the low income community I learned to love unconditionally. Equally important I learned many of us are loved conditionally-- when and if funding is available.

Once I walked home from a youth violence meeting in the dark and the rain, but I didn’t feel rain drops falling on my head. I felt a steady flow of tears because I walked to the meeting with high hopes and sat through constant disappointment, learning it wasn’t even about us, it was all about money.

The truth is we need more resources and we are not getting them because in the city of Sacramento life and freedom takes a backseat to political games of greed and deceit. A community is divided by morgues, cemeteries, funerals, vigils, courts and prisons.

On this painful journey, I‘ve seen much love in the midst of so much sorrow. I've also stood at meetings and seen people focus on money and not on our pain and our deaths. I've seen the heartless and I've been embraced by the loving.

I stood in front of the mayor on Tuesday and he appeared to look right through me. It's painful. But I've labored for now five years without pay going to countless city hall, county supervisor, community town hall meetings, summits, workshops, funerals, vigils and car washes to bury the dead and I watched so many make everyone and everything else priority.

It seems crime does pay. A whole lot of folks are getting funding and we die. Poverty pimps circle over our dead as vultures trying to get funding for our crisis. And then we have elected officials who use the crisis, stating, "Public safety is our number one priority." But there are few doves of peace and many vultures. Public Safety is a priority for politicians to get into office and no longer a priority once in office.

Our children are dying. As I sat in City Hall attending a Charter Review Commission hearing, tears came to my eyes as I prayed perhaps one day we'll sit here for a Youth Death Prevention Commission. Tears came to my eyes as I realized I walked in a circle to again plead with a Sacramento Mayor to hear our cries and significantly address our suffering.

I've prayed that one day I'll sit in a meeting that willaddress our pain and suffering. But I won't hold my breath. I might just end up like so many more -- breathless.

Our cries continue to echo from one Sacramento neighborhood to another. Wherever we can afford to live.

Rhonda Erwin

Community Activist / Mother living in a community divided into youth victims and youth suspects

Sac Police hold sting for crosswalk safety

2009-08-12T01:47:24Z

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 their rights are,” Sgt. David Hargadon said.

The drivers who received tickets violated a vehicle code that fines drivers for not yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks. The total amount of the ticket for these violations is $214, according to Ginger Sylvester, public information officer for the Sacramento Superior Court.

The intersections of Broadway and 33rd Street, and Marysville Boulevard and Roanoake Avenue were among those patrolled by officers during the operation. Intersections were selected based on complaints from citizens, Hargadon said.

Hargadon noted that he read a comment on the Sacramento Bee’s website about downtown intersections, but the department completed its last crosswalk operation at several locations downtown earlier this year. The department is trying to spread out its enforcement of crosswalk violations throughout the city, he noted.

While the operation was mainly focused on vehicles cutting off pedestrians at crosswalks, officers also enforced jaywalking rules. With his headphones on Tuesday morning, Robert Arnstad of Oak Park jaywalked at the Broadway and 33rd Street intersection. He was slapped with a ticket — jaywalking violations come with a $178 fine, according to Sylvester.

“I don’t like being set up for,” Arnstad said, adding that he would fight the ticket in court.

Price thought the jaywalking ticket was fair. If a jaywalker cuts across a street and a vehicle hits him or her, the driver has to live with that experience. “You have to take into account: It’s not [the driver’s] fault and they hit a pedestrian. That’s a lifelong effect on somebody.”

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter at The Sacramento Press.

A look at Sac's Homeland Security program

2009-08-11T02:30:07Z

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 area is] dealing with planning issues related to homeland security. Some of that has to do with preparedness in the region. The other part of it is used for training...There’s also specific funding that is used for an intelligence gathering unit that’s put together — and that’s the Regional Terrorism Threat Assessment Center, which is basically run by the Sheriff’s Department. [The city of Sacramento] also has somebody on RTTAC. It’s a requirement of the [federal Homeland Security grant] that 25 percent of the funds be used towards that investigative body.

At one point, we got a lot more [federal Homeland Security] money. It’s a lot less now — we’re barely hanging on. Initially, we were on the chopping block. But we actually were able to maintain our viability, and I think we have some good things to come when it comes to providing training for the region.

SP: I was reading the website, and the Sacramento Regional Office of Homeland Security holds dozens of classes for law enforcement agencies--

Somers: --and fire.

SP: What kinds of things do local agencies learn in these classes?

Somers: It depends on the time and place. Some of it has to do with incident command systems. Part of the stuff is mandates that come down from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or from the federal government through the National Incident Management System.

One I just saw is swift water rescue...You’re expanding the capabilities of the fire department [so] that they’ll be able to perform in different environments.

And again, you can’t predict where it’s going to happen. Who would have thought the World Trade Center would have come down? And how do you prepare for dealing with the debris and rubble, or trying to do evacuations there? So, they do the Golden Guardian Exercise, which is the statewide initiative...They’ll pick a location, they’ll run a live exercise in a sense that they’ll have role players and everything.

SP: What is that called?

Somers: The Golden Guardian Exercise. It’s required by the state that we show our readiness to respond to different disasters as a region. And we try to involve everybody.

And it’s kind of like a softball team. You can hold all the practices you want. But the way you find out you’re ready is you actually have a game. And then [after] the game, the coach says: You know what, we weren’t very good at hitting...Now you can actually work on something because you’ve had an opportunity to diagnose what the problem is, or [diagnose] the shortcomings or deficiencies that you have in the organization.

SP: I was reading the website again and I found an intriguing class title. There’s a class called “Taming the Wild Zebra” and it covers bioterrorism. How do local agencies use that course in their work in the Sacramento region?

Somers: I haven’t a clue. I’d have to go find out what the specifics of the course are. Sometimes it’s all about marketing.

SP: Can you explain the purpose of the regional Homeland Security office?

Somers: It’s to provide coordination for our response to dealing with terrorism acts, natural disasters or manmade disasters.

And obviously what’s one of the big disasters that can happen in the city of Sacramento? Flood.

SP: What are the homeland security threats in the Sacramento region? You mentioned flooding.

Somers: That’s probably the biggest prevalent one. You also look for locations that have a large population that show up at one time. A school can be a location where you have a homeland security issue. The community center down here on J Street [can be a location]. When you have a large event — depending on what it is — it could be a homeland security issue. When you have a large event or large gathering, it’s an opportunity for someone to do something. And so, you have to be prepared. We have a major international airport...you have different seats of government; you have a celebrity who is governor of the state. The government of the eighth-largest economy in the United States is centered right here in Sacramento. So, you have a lot of targets.

SP: Can you just briefly explain what incident management is?

Police Department spokesman Norm Leong: The ICS system was actually started by California fire departments. The name of it was kind of changed to NIMS, for the national program based on the California system. But a program like Homeland Security allows everyone to be on the same page throughout the nation to operate underneath that same system.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Homeland Security dollars for Sacramento region

2009-07-18T02:39:39Z

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 in accordance with the approved Homeland Security budgets and program guidelines.” The funding is to be used over a three-year period, starting in the 2009/2010 fiscal year and ending in the 2012/2013 fiscal year.

The regional Homeland Security office includes the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI, according to Leong. Sweeney, who wrote the report, was not available to explain specific details about the funding because he was on vacation Friday.

Among other duties, the Homeland Security office holds training classes for law enforcement agencies, Leong said. The office’s website lists the titles and descriptions for dozens of classes including “Anti-Terrorism Concepts for Patrol Personnel” and “Improvised Explosive Device Awareness.”

The description for the anti-terrorism concepts class states: “This 8-hour course is designed to enhance patrol personnel’s capability in fighting the war on terrorism. Course material will cover the Building Blocks to Terrorist Attacks, Pre-Incident Indicators, Terrorism Interdiction, Overview of Islamic/Right Wing and Environmental Terrorist Groups, Legal Issues, and Intelligence Systems.”

A course called “Taming the Wild Zebra” teaches participants about bioterrorism. The class description notes: “Learn to pick out clandestine biological laboratories, access the dangers medical aid patients present to you, and understand how to safely sample, document, package, and transport bioterrorism specimens.”

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Police: Security cameras on Del Paso used infrequently

2009-07-14T05:18:08Z

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 surveillance trailers and other related equipment. The $615,000 surveillance package would come from Federal Homeland Security grant funds. The state will distribute the federal grant funds to the city.

The Del Paso Boulevard Partnership, a group that advocates for businesses in the area, as well as other businesses, asked Sheedy’s office to install the three cameras on the street, Cummins said, adding that while the cameras may not capture images of crimes, they will be useful for collecting evidence.

The Del Paso Boulevard cameras, which were installed earlier this year, cost $25,000 and were paid for out of redevelopment funds.

Sacramento Police Department spokesman Norm Leong said there have not been many cases -- of which he is aware -- when the three security cameras have been used as evidence. The cameras may be preventing crime, he said, noting that it is not possible to gauge prevention.

The Sacramento Press asked for statistics on how often the police department uses the security cameras. Police officers document usage of surveillance images in reports, but the department’s computer system does not track how often officers review or make copies of footage from security cameras, Leong said.

Cummins said that the cameras will enable city officials and staffers to collect evidence of public nuisance problems allegedly generated by specific businesses on the street. The cameras will provide surveillance footage that city officials can gather after crimes or problems have been committed, she said. The footage can then be used as evidence, she explained.

Sheedy’s office reviewed numerous studies on surveillance cameras and concluded that cameras do not usually capture crimes, but they do capture evidence, Cummins said.

She also said that the cameras on Del Paso Boulevard are useful because there have been traffic accidents near the cameras. Cars have crashed into city property on the street, Cummins said. Footage from the cameras can give the city information about the vehicles, she said, and make sure that the damage to the city property is paid for by the driver’s insurance company.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City officials, ACLU debate surveillance system

2009-07-09T03:20:59Z

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 and other related equipment. The money would come from Federal Homeland Security grant funds. The state will distribute the federal grant funds to the city.

While the grant money was promised to the city in April, the city is still waiting to receive the federal funds from the California Emergency Management Agency. The city expects to receive the funds, but is still working with the state to obtain the funding, said Sacramento Police Department spokesman Norm Leong. If the city receives the funding, it will buy the surveillance equipment through a procurement process, according to the police department.

The city’s plans are stirring public debate. The local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union is opposing the city’s planned surveillance system. Jim Updegraff, the chair of the Sacramento County Chapter of the ACLU, claimed in May that numerous studies have “demonstrated video cameras are ineffective in reducing crime.”

The Sacramento Press reviewed a recent academic study about surveillance effectiveness and asked officials in the police department and the mayor’s office to comment on its findings. UC Berkeley researchers studied the city of San Francisco’s surveillance system, known as the Community Safety Camera program, and released a report in December 2008.

One of the areas examined in the report was violent crime. “We find no evidence of an impact of the Community Safety Cameras on violent crime,” the report states.

While the UCB researchers do not see connections between security cameras and violent crime, they state that surveillance cameras could have caused property crimes to drop. “We find statistically significant and substantial declines in property crime within view of the Community Safety Cameras,” according to the report.

Leong said that security cameras already help the police department to combat crime. The department analyzes footage taken by private citizens and video from cameras at businesses, Leong noted. “We know for a fact, as a tool to solve crimes, it’s always been helpful,” he said. "Locally, both violent and property crimes have been solved with the use of surveillance footage."

Mayor Johnson’s spokesman Joaquin McPeek referred to the cameras as a tool.

"We're going to use every tool in the toolbox to reduce crime in Sacramento, including these cameras, and we can do it without infringing on civil liberties,” McPeek said.

Security cameras are now installed at some city facilities, Police Chief Rick Braziel said in May. Leong also noted that there are three surveillance cameras on Del Paso Boulevard. The security cameras currently being used are not part of the system that would be paid by the $615,000 grant.

Johnson and Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel were not available to respond to questions Wednesday.

Read the UCB report through the ACLU’s website under the "related documents" section. The report is titled “CITRIS Report: The San Francisco Community Safety Camera program.” The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society is a UC Berkeley research program.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Brush fire threatens Sac State structures

2009-06-28T03:21:46Z

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.

Crossing guards for 2nd Saturday?

2009-06-10T21:49:00Z

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

House fire under investigation

2009-06-06T01:34:27Z

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 got hot outside family court

2009-06-04T03:46:05Z

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.

99 in South Sac backed up in busy mid day traffic

2009-05-31T09:24:03Z

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.

Four survive dramatic crash

2009-05-31T08:52:11Z

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 and moved some of the debris out of the road way" said Cook. Per Cook, the officer who arrived first on scene broke the windows out of the vehicle with her flashlight then her and cook helped the two remaining occupants hold still to prevent further injuries until paramedics arrived.

"The guy…was being trapped by the steering wheel who flew across; I thought he was driver but he said he wasn't driving…and said his back hurt and couldn't feel his legs. The other lady had lacerations that you could literally see to the bone…and they were just mangled inside there." said cook as he stood on the road side replaying the surreal event in his mind.

One person from the incident was taken into custody by CHP on scene. Open alcohol bottles were found in the vehicle. Officers were still on scene investigating when called for further details. CHP dispatcher stated that an officer would call us back with more info. Those details will be posted in an update when they become available.

Sacramento City Firefighters quickly knock down blaze allegedly sparked by homeless.

2009-05-29T07:00:06Z

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 with facial injuries. At this time, it is unknown if there have been any arrests.

Grass fire incident Chief's final call

2009-05-28T10:53:58Z

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 residents clear brush and grass 30 feet from their homes. Trees and other large fuels should be 100 feet away.

Arson investigators noted that had there been a breeze, the outcome of this fire could have been much different and structures could have been lost.

This incident would mark Chief Moreno's last as he retired at the end of this shift. Chief Moreno proudly served 24 years with the department. When asked what he planed to do in his retirement, Chief Moreno stated that he was going to be ranching and working on his projects. He further stated that he would always leave options open for consulting and other opportunities.

Congratulations Chief Moreno on your retirement. You will certainly be missed by the firefighters you led and the community you served faithfully for so many years.

Surveillance: RT stations possible terrorism targets, police say

2009-04-24T06:59:29Z

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 said.

Leong emphasized that the “homeland security” definition includes threats such as natural disasters, threats to public transit, and threats to high-traffic areas where mass incidents can occur.

He noted that the term “terrorism” isn’t limited to violence from other countries, adding that the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing case was an example of domestic terrorism.

Major events and crowds can potentially draw terrorists, including in Sacramento, Leong said.

Federal funds will pay for the city’s new surveillance equipment, but the funds were awarded to Sacramento by the state. The California Emergency Management Agency receives federal Homeland Security funds, which it doles out to local governments.

The surveillance equipment system Sacramento will buy with the funds includes 32 cameras and four mobile surveillance trailers, according to a copy of the Sacramento Police Department’s request to the state.

Precise locations for the equipment have not yet been selected, but Johnson said Monday that K Street and Regional Transit stations were the kinds of high -traffic and high -crime sites suitable for the new cameras.

The police department will work with the City Council and the public to choose sites, Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel said earlier this week.

Jay Alan, communications director for the California Emergency Management Agency, said the Homeland Security funds are used for multiple hazards that include terrorism prevention. He cited earthquake prevention and mitigation, and port security as some of the programs that are part of the Homeland Security program.

Asked about Sacramento’s light rail stations, Alan pointed out past terrorist events involving transit, such as the 2004 attacks on trains in Madrid, and the 2005 attacks on the London Metro.

Alan also echoed Leong’s comments, saying that if the city used surveillance equipment along the city’s Regional Transit stations, the equipment could possibly prevent terrorism.

The state gave the money to the city of Sacramento because the city’s project fit the Homeland Security guidelines, which apply to counterterrorism as well as to other security events, Alan said.

The surveillance equipment the city will purchase will also be used as a deterrent for crime and as an investigative tool, Alan said.

The city will hold a procurement process for the cameras and the other surveillance equipment, said Konrad VonSchoech, a spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press.

Police address privacy concerns over security system

2009-04-21T05:38:24Z

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 process, I actually met with members of the American Civil Liberties Union, when there were other issues coming up with cameras.

Any fixed cameras that we have currently that go into areas that would be considered private, we mosaic-out through software. For example, we have surveillance cameras at some of our facilities…and if they encroach in someone’s personal space, we actually mosaic that out.

But for most part, you’ll see them on K Street Mall, where areas are open to the public, and anyone can video those including the general public.”

SP: How long will you keep the video records?

Sacramento Police Department Spokesman Konrad VonSchoech said that if the police record a criminal activity on video, the department would keep the video for five years. VonSchoech said this timeframe conforms to the code for records retention.

If the video contains evidence, however, police will keep it for as long as it needs to prosecute a crime, VonSchoech said.

Police to install security cameras at several sites

2009-04-21T05:31:45Z

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 to Oakland in violent crime statistics, Johnson said, noting that these statistics are “not acceptable.”

The package of equipment will include 32 cameras and four mobile surveillance trailers.

Johnson said the cameras will be installed at high traffic and high crime locations such as on K Street and near major Regional Transit stations.

“The new system will create a powerful deterrent for would-be criminals,” Johnson said. “Similar systems have been used in other cities around the country and played a major role in reducing crime.”

California Emergency Management Agency Acting Secretary Matthew Bettenhausen said Monday that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has “made very clear that the government’s No. 1 one priority needs to be public safety."

While Johnson mentioned K Street and Regional Transit stations, specific locations have not yet been chosen. Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel said the police department is going to work with the city council and community members to choose locations.

In addition to fixed cameras, the package includes some mobile cameras to use at special events and other places where crimes “pop up,” Braziel said.

One of the city’s next steps is to hold a procurement process for the cameras and the other surveillance equipment, said Konrad VonSchoech, a spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department.

Braziel said he hopes the system will be ready to be installed by fall.

Sacramento Fire Department Paramedics

2009-03-23T20:42:14Z

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 do.

They are trained in advanced airway management and can treat persons suffering from Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, and many other life threatening airway problems. They have many different tools at their disposal to treat heart attack victims, and they can administer many different drugs for a variety of illnesses and injuries. They even have the ability to use a tool to infuse the patient with life saving fluids and drugs when a patient’s vein is not accessible for an I.V. They treat seizures, asthma attacks, drug overdoses, and all kinds of trauma including gun shot and stabbing victims, auto accidents, etc. I have not scratched the surface of what these men and women can do. I like to tell people that we bring the emergency room to your home!

Paramedic training consists of well over a thousand hours of classroom study along with hospital and field training. There is also a large amount of continuing education that is required throughout a Paramedics career. Many people who start a paramedic training program do not finish. The training is difficult and lengthy. It takes a lot of commitment to become a Paramedic. It is very stressful and it is not for everybody!

The Sacramento Fire Department is definitely not the first Fire Department to use Paramedics. If you are as old as me, you will remember the TV show from the 70’s, “Emergency”. It showcased two Los Angeles County Firefighter/Paramedics. I’d be lying if I said this show didn’t influence my career choice!

Most of the Nations Fire Departments now utilize Paramedics and are the First Responders to their communities Medical Emergencies. It was a very natural progression for the Fire Service to respond to these types of calls. Fire Stations are strategically located through out a community and for a very long time Firefighters have been trained in basic first aid. Throughout the years we have definitely stepped up this level of service.

The Sacramento Fire Department currently has 23 Fire Engines, 9 Fire Trucks, and 12 Medics. All of our Medics (Ambulances) have Paramedics assigned to them and our Fire Engines and Trucks also have Paramedics on board. It would be very rare to find an Engine or Truck Company without a Paramedic on board. This is why we send a Fire Engine or Truck to every medical aid call. We can get a Paramedic to you in a short amount of time.

Our Firefighter/Paramedics not only serve the citizens of Sacramento, but they utilize their medical training all over the world. Our Firefighter/Paramedics responded to some of our largest disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and the 911 attacks. We also have three of our Firefighters currently serving our Country in the National Guard in Afghanistan as Flight Medics. A few other members of the Sacramento Fire Department have also served in Iraq and other parts of the world!

Sacramento Fire Department – An Agency in Crisis

2009-03-05T06:23:23Z

Chris Harvey – Sacramento Area Firefighters, Local 522

The Sacramento Fire Department has a proud tradition stretching back over 159 years. In a recent Sacramento Press article by Jim Doucette, the history of the department was described in detail. He sheds some light on the day-to-day operations and gives a good idea of a typical day in the life of a Sacramento firefighter. But your Sacramento firefighters are currently involved in the fight of their lives, and it’s not one they signed up for when they took the oath of office and swore to protect your lives and property. Your firefighters are fighting for the very survival of the department as we know it. The Sacramento City Council continues in their efforts to reduce staffing, lay off firefighters, and drastically lower the level of public safety in Sacramento. A few facts and figures will serve to illustrate this assertion:

From 1977 to 2007, the population that the Sacramento Fire Department serves has increased from 268,000 to over 520,000. This is an increase of almost 100%. Fire Department calls for service increased from 15,000 to over 68,000 per year, an increase of almost 400%. But no additional fire companies have been added since 1977. Sacramento firefighters on average run more calls than their counter parts in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. There were over 70,000 calls for service in 2008, an average of 200 incidents a day. And yet the City is proposing to eliminate 50 fire department positions, including 44 layoffs, and maintain rotating engine closures. This means longer response times, fewer firefighters at the scene, increased safety risks to citizens and firefighters, and higher overtime costs. Most alarmingly, the City is also proposing to reduce engine staffing from four (the industry standard) to three. This translates to slower and less effective response; increased insurance and Workers Compensation costs; greater risk of property damage, injury, and death; and less effective medical response. Every city on the entire West Coast with a population density and size equivalent to Sacramento staffs its fire equipment with at least four firefighters. Three-person staffing is typically used in rural, suburban, or small-town fire departments.

Each call is potentially life threatening and time critical, whether a fire or a medical aid. A typical fire will double in size for every minute of burning, and it is essential in densely populated urban areas to get firefighters on scene and actively fighting fire quickly. In medical emergencies, brain death due to lack of oxygen occurs after 4 minutes. For a drowning or heart attack victim, an additional minute of delayed treatment often means the difference between life and death. With the confluence of two major rivers, Sacramento already has a higher-than-average death rate due to drowning. In 2006 Sacramento led Central Valley Cities in fire-related property loss at $33.1 million, reduced staffing could potentially double that number. The civilian fire death rate in Sacramento is 2 to 3 times that of comparable cities, and a reduction in staffing could increase that rate dramatically. Studies in major cities show up to 54% more firefighter injuries with three-person crews vs. four-person crews, resulting in higher Workers Compensation costs. Reduced staffing response per engine could result in re-classification of the city’s ISO rating, meaning higher insurance rates.

The city says everyone needs to do their part to close a $50 million budget deficit. But look at some of the things public money is being used for at the same time we talk about putting your safety at risk:

$5.4 million … to subsidize development of nightclubs on K Street, including one with a “Mermaid Bar”
$55 million … for 32 acres of land at the Sacramento rail yard, at nearly six-times its market value;
$18.6 million … to buy out nine properties on K Street, at three times their assessed value;
$5.4 million … to extend a riverfront “sidewalk to nowhere”
$4 million … to subsidize the temporary relocation of the Greyhound Bus Station.

The Sacramento Fire Department budget has been chronically under-funded for years. Most cities spend about 66% of the budget on public safety – but the City of Sacramento spends less than 50%. Emergency call volume has increased significantly over the last 15 years, and we cannot currently meet the National Fire Protection Association recommended standards for dispatch, response and drive time. We understand the city budget is stretched thin, but firefighters need more resources, not less. Large swaths of new development in Sacramento are without adequate fire or emergency medical coverage. The Fire Department has been reduced over the years in the face of increasing population growth and increasing call volume. Your firefighters have been doing more with less for decades, and we do not believe that this is the time to cut fire department funding or staffing. Please contact your City Council member to voice your concerns over public safety cuts.

Carbon Monoxide Poisons Family of Five

2008-12-10T18:25:15Z

About one month ago I wrote an article for the SP about the dangers of Carbon Monoxide. Last night we had the Sacramento Fire Departments first emergency call of the season with Carbon Monoxide. A family had been using their fire place all day and they also had been using two gasoline power generators inside their closed garage for at least one month. The fireplace may have not been venting properly, and of course using generators inside your garage with no ventilation is a recipe for disaster.

Luckliy for them, the staff at Kaiser Hospital South recognized the sysmptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning when the mother and two boys came to Kaiser for medical treatment. These signs and symptoms include, nausea, vomiting, headache, sleepiness, and sometimes red skin color. . The hospital staff called us and when our first fire engine arrived, they found two more girls with the same symptoms. We transported the two girls to the hospital, and fortunately they should all be OK.

However this could have been a huge tragedy. I firmly believe that if not for a family member taking the Mother and her boys to the hospital, and if the family would have gone to bed last night without this problem being recognized, the entire family would have probably died. Carbon Monoxide is a poison and it kills.

This poison gas is produced by anything that burns. Fireplaces, gas stoves and heaters, gasoline and diesel powered equipment, and barbeques all produce this poison. Fortunately if these items are in good working order, if they are properly cleaned and maintained, you should not have a problem. We recommend that you have your fireplace and wood burning stove cleaned and inspected by a professional at least every year or two. All of your gas powered stoves and heaters should also be serviced and inspected periodically.

If you or family members believe that you may have a Carbon Monoxide emergency, open your windows and doors and get everyone out, and call 911. There is much more information available about the dangers of carbon Monoxide and other safety tips. A good web site is http://www.carbonmonoxidekills.com/

Sacramento Fire Department Disaster Search Dog Passes Away

2008-11-13T21:26:14Z

The Sacramento Fire Department regretfully announces the passing of Ana, the first nationally certified Fire Department Disaster Search Canine and the first dog certified by the Search Dog Foundation. Ana spent her last shift yesterday at Fire Station #56, and passed away last night from cancer. Ana was born on July 4, 1995 and had officially retired in February of this year.

Ana is best known for her work at Ground Zero at the World Trade Center, Hurricane Katrina, and three separate building collapses here in Sacramento. Ana was not only a member of the crew of Fire Station #56, but she was a member of the Sacramento Fire Departments Urban Search & Rescue Task Force #7. Her handler is Sacramento Fire Department Captain Rick Lee. Captain Lee and Ana were inseparable. Ana spent most of her time with Captain Lee, both on and off duty. Those who knew and worked with Ana enjoyed her very much and were awe inspired by her strong work ethic.

Ana had been featured in several local and national news stories, a feature on National Geographic’s “Dogs with Jobs” show, a spot on “Animal Planet” and an interview with CNN. She is also featured in a book titled; “Dog Heroes of September 11th”. There is a large picture of Ana at 3rd & Capitol Mall in downtown Sacramento on a fence at the former construction site.

A memorial service will be held, date and location to be announced later. Donations can be made in memory of Ana, and much more information can be found at the Search Dog Foundation at www.searchdogfoundation.org

Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week

2008-11-07T00:16:47Z

Next week is California’s Carbon Monoxide (CO) Awareness Week, an opportunity to help educate families about this deadly threat before the weather turns colder.

In the past two years, nearly 100 Californians, many whom were children, have suffered carbon monoxide poisoning in more than 20 incidents across the state. Public health experts agree that someone involved in just one CO incident may develop long-term health effects that could last a lifetime. Evidence indicates that overexposure to carbon monoxide can inflict lingering or even permanent bodily harm, such as memory loss, speech and mobility problems, or psychiatric issues, like depression.

All of these incidents may have been prevented had there been working CO alarms installed.

Odorless, colorless and tasteless, carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, and having a working carbon monoxide alarm is the only safe way to detect this poisonous gas in your home.

The California Air Resources Board, in a 2005 report to the California Legislature, estimates that each year, carbon monoxide accounts for “30 to 40 avoidable deaths” and “hundreds to thousands of avoidable illnesses.”

In my work with the Sacramento Fire Department, I have seen firsthand the devastation CO poisoning has on families and know the importance of doing all we can to prevent these senseless tragedies. I encourage homeowners to make the decision to ensure maximum protection for your family and act now by updating your CO alarm or purchasing one if you don’t have one installed in your home.

By practicing good safety habits at home, families stand a much better chance of not becoming a victim of this silent killer. Don’t wait ‘til it’s too late. For more information about CO Awareness Week, carbon monoxide, and how to help protect your family, visit www.knowaboutCO.com.

Captain James Doucette
Public Information Officer
Sacramento Fire Department

Sacramento Home Fire Safety

2008-10-31T16:47:20Z

This years California Wildland Fire Season is nearing its end. This past fire season has been an ugly and deadly one. But here in Sacramento we are entering our "Urban Fire Season". What I mean by that is this is the time of year where we start seeing more structure fires and unfortunately this is usually the time of year that we experience our fire deaths.
More people are spending their time indoors for obvious reasons. With that we have fires that are caused by defective heating equipment, fireplaces, candles, cooking, and the all too common, "smoking". Now is the perfect time to go through and check the safety of your home. It's is also a very good time to sit down with your family and talk about fire safety and go over and practice a fire escape plan. Never think that fire cannot happen to you. It can and it is devastating.
In Sacramento we have twice as many fire deaths as compared to any similar sized city in California. The public needs to be proactive and make sure that they do not live or work in a fire trap. There are many resources available to the public regarding fire safety. Visit our website at www.sacfire.org to get more tips. Stop by any of our fire houses and talk with the Firefighters there. They will gladly give you some sound advice.
Probably the most important tool that you can have to help prevent fire deaths is a simple smoke detector. Smoke detectors have demonstrated time and time again that they do save lives. They do not prevent fires, but they give you warning and the time to safely escape your home in the event of fire. I can honestly say that in my 29 years as a Firefighter, I have never been on a home fire that has had a working smoke detector and someone there has died. It rarely ever happens, and if it does there is usually some other factor involved, like alcohol or drug use affecting the persons ability to safely escape.
With the change of the clocks this weekend, now is the perfect time to change the batteries in all of your smoke detectors. Only use brand new fresh batteries. Statistics have shown that over 90% of the homes in the U.S. have smoke detectors. That's the good news. The bad news is that in over 25% of the homes with detectors, the detectors do not work. Usually this is due to "dead batteries". It is a good idea to replace your smoke detectors after 10 years. They start to lose their effectiveness around then.
Please do not become a grim statistic. Make sure you and your loved ones are protected. And make sure you have working detectors in your home, preferably in every bedroom of the house. Please feel free to give me a call or drop me a note. The Sacramento Fire Department is here to serve.
Captain Jim Doucette, Public Information Officer
Sacramento Fire Department