Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "rick braziel"

Crime rate down 18 percent in Sacramento

2011-09-22T00:50:50Z

Despite budget reductions and recent layoffs in the police department, serious crime in Sacramento has dropped 18 percent over the last three years – the second largest decline in California among cities of similar size – according to a report that Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel presented to City Council Tuesday.

Braziel told council members that the core mission of the Sacramento Police Department hasn’t changed since 2008 when he took charge. The mission, he said, is still “reduce crime, engage the community and provide excellent service.”

What has changed, however, is the number of police personnel – 81 sworn officers were laid off in July – and a department budget reduced by $12.2 million this year.

Over the past four years, police department budget reductions have resulted in $35 million in cuts and a loss of 372 positions, according city staff reports.

Still, Sacramento crime rates have been on a downward trend since 2007, Braziel said Tuesday.

Braziel’s report to the City Council included crime rate information compiled from department records and annual crime statistics from the FBI.

Braziel attributes the numbers to a “more focused effort” to achieve department goals, and an emphasis on working as efficiently as possible with the resources available.

“We have really focused on our 911 (call) center and operations in the field,” Braziel said. “We actually have more people answering the 911 line than (we had) three years ago.”

Braziel said staffing for field resources – patrol officers, traffic officers and officers on the streets responding to calls for service – has gone down 15 percent since July.

The investigations staff has been reduced by 35 percent, Braziel added.

“Those reductions are what necessitated a change in our dispatch protocols,” Braziel said.

In his last report to City Council in June, Braziel told council members that, with such a reduction in staffing, the department would no longer respond to some types of service calls, such as “cold” burglaries, where the suspect was no longer on the scene and the victims weren’t in danger.

“However, if we find a pattern or a series (of incidents) or something unique about an incident,” Braziel said, “we dispatch reports out to officers in the field and a patrol will go out to the scene to follow up.”

By prioritizing responses to nonviolent crime calls, Braziel said he is able to streamline operations and focus personnel where they are needed most at any given time.

Councilman Jay Schenirer told Braziel he was pleasantly surprised by the report.

“With budget cuts and an economy that is bad as it’s been in 40 or 50 years,” Schenirer said, “to see crime (in Sacramento) go down, that’s great.”

Schenirer said he would chalk it up to how well Braziel is running the department, and the continuous development of new ideas to reduce crime that are coming from the department.

Braziel told council members that violent crime is down 20 percent, and property crime is down 17 percent over the last year. All crimes together – excluding homicides – year-to-date crime rates are down 12.5 percent from last year.

“We are definitely continuing to trend down,” Braziel said.

The police department was able to bring back 35 laid off officers due to a grant waiver the department received in July.

One more grant request is pending, Braziel said, and he expects to have a result by the end of September or early October. If the city receives the second grant, it will restore another 35 officers to the police department.

“It’s a credit to the (police) department, and to the men and women on the front lines, so to speak, working every day and doing more with less,” Councilman Rob Fong told Braziel after hearing the report. “We obviously have very good people working on the force.”

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

RAAM UPDATE: Team SacPD on final push through the Appalachians

2011-06-24T19:26:29Z

Team SacPD is on their home stretch. “Group B is on the way to meet group A for our final day of racing. On the way to the finish line!” was sent out on the team’s Twitter feed Friday morning.

Having cycled just over 2,820 since Saturday afternoon’s start, Team SacPD has just 176 miles to go, however, embedded photographer Kati Garner stated, “…the last day of RAAM is not an easy ride for the racers…..they are in the Appalachians, full of ascents and descents for miles and miles.”

Team SacPD is the first all police officer team in the history of Race Across America (RAAM), fully comprised of police officers from the Sacramento Police Department doing the race on their personal vacation time with a goal to bring support and recognition to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

“The Sacramento Police Department is embarking on a unique adventure that will bring national attention to the nearly 19,000 law enforcement officers who have been killed while protecting the communities of this nation,” Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel stated.

The Chief further stated, “On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 53 hours. As a racing member of Team SPD, I encourage you to help us at the Sacramento Police Department honor America’s law enforcement officers as we work to commemorate the sacrifice of our fallen comrades.”

As the team rides their final leg Friday, the time clock is shadowed by their passionate mission. Todd Carr, crew person, stated “it is stressful because of tough navigation, little sleep and the climbs. This past week has taken a toll on our racers. We can’t see the end of the tunnel because we have major mountains in our way.”

As the team members trade off in the relay, they’re able to get messages from the crew members who are monitoring their Facebook and Twitter feeds. You are able to cheer them on through this last leg by messaging them directly.

TeamSacPD’s Twitter: CLICK HERE>>
TeamSacPD’s Facebook Fan Page: CLICK HERE>>

Meet the entire team volunteer support crew at their RAAM web site>>

RAAM UPDATE: It's all downhill from here

2011-06-21T06:49:28Z

It’s all downhill from here… so to speak. Monday, in the Race Across America, Team SacPD concurred their highest elevation climb of the race. With their climb to nearly 11,000 feet above sea level Monday, the team has climbed a total of 55,952 vertical feet since the start of the race Saturday.

From this point, the majority of the race is downhill except for a few smaller elevations climbs later in the race.

At the time of this posting, the team is skirting the southern part of Colorado and is about half way across the state. At this point they have traveled almost 1,030 miles and have about 1,969 miles to go.

The only significant challenge reported today was a racers blown tire shortly after the start of the day.

RAAM UPDATE: Team SacPD has strong second day

2011-06-20T07:14:00Z

Sunday was a long but rewarding day for Team SacPD in their second day of Race Across America. The team traversed north east through Arizona and at the time of this posting they are just north of Tuba City heading toward Utah.

Team SacPD is now 33 hours into the race and have traveled over 615 miles. They have climed a total of 32,744 vertical feet and are presently around 5,000 feet above sea level and will reach around 11,000 feet in this assent.

The day was not without challenges. Early in the day one of the riders wasn't feeling well and had to sit out several relay rotations, but later returned to the race reportedly doing well. The same van that broke down Saturday developed mechanical trouble again Sunday near Sedona, Arizona, forcing the team to shuffle some crew and gear around.

Overall, the crew and team remain strong and in good spirits. They have aproximately 2,381 miles to go.

RAAM Update: Team SacPD starts strong Saturday afternoon

2011-06-19T06:10:01Z

Team SacPD, started the Race Across America (RAAM) Saturday afternoon. Starting from the pier in Oceanside, they already peddled over 170 miles with just under 2,830 to go at the time of this post. They have cumulatively climbed 8,789 vertical feet and reached a top elevation just over 4,000 above sea level.

The team is now commencing a stretch in the race where over the next 750 miles they will ascend to an elevation of over 10,000 feet above sea level. Until they reach that elevation, they will be on a consistent climb with few brief downhill breathers.

Shortly after the races start, one of the teams vans with relief riders on board, broke down with radiator issues. “1st crisis! One van died…. We will be flexible and work through it,” the team stated on their Facebook page.

And they're off... Team SacPD starts trek across America Saturday

2011-06-18T20:19:36Z

Oceanside, CA | Team SacPD starts pedaling across America, a 3,000 mile trek, at 2PM today and will end in Annapolis, Maryland.

The first all police team to compete in the Race Across America (RAAM), Team SacPD, entirely comprised of officers from the Sacramento Police Department, assembled in Oceanside over the past few days, prepping and taking care of last-minute details heading into the big start at 2PM Saturday in Oceanside.

Team SacPD is riding to raise awareness of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. “The eight member SPD Team will raise money and bring media attention to the National Law Enforcement Memorial, Washington DC. Working with the hundreds of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies along the route, Team SPD will honor law enforcement officers killed by carrying their names, visiting local and state memorials, and encouraging media coverage of our efforts,” Chief Rick Braziel stated.

Friday the team was busy with preparatory activities: Chief Braziel and another officer were interviewed for a documentary of their RAAM experience, per embedded Maverick Photographer, Kati Garner. Teams also went to see the first part of the race and posed for team and individual photos. Participant support vehicles were inspected yesterday as well as their bikes, shoes and helmets for safety.

For more information about Team SacPD, read their bios and learn more about their mission, you can visit their site here>>

Follow Team SacPD’s progress here>>
locate Team Sacramento Police in the category dropdown menu on the top right.

More photos from Friday>>

TeamSacPD's Facebook Page>>

Follow TeamSacPD's Twitter>>

Layoffs of 35 city cops avoided

2011-06-15T05:37:18Z

Thirty-five police jobs were saved from proposed layoffs after the Sacramento Police Department received a waiver on a federal grant that funds officer positions, spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong confirmed late Tuesday night.

The number of proposed layoffs in the 2011/2012 budget for Sacramento police officers has dropped from 81 to 46.

The City Council will vote next week on proposed budget cuts that include layoffs of cops and other Police Department staffers. Council members were weighing whether to lay off 81 police officers, but the grant waiver means they will decide whether to lay off 46 officers. The council will also choose whether to lay off 68 civilian police department staffers – those proposed cuts were not affected by the federal grant waiver.

The city is facing a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

"This grant exemption is a positive in an otherwise difficult budget year,” Police Chief Rick Braziel wrote in a Tuesday night press statement. “We are thankful for the quick approval of this grant exemption, which would not have been possible without the efforts of Bernard Melekian from the Department of Justice, the support of Congresswoman Doris Matsui and the hard work of our police staff.”

Meanwhile, Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka told the City Council at a Tuesday night budget hearing that she had no update on any labor concessions from city unions. Despite the standstill, “staff continues to have an open door” to negotiations with city unions, she said.

In addition, the city could still negotiate with the unions for possible concessions after the budget is approved, Masuoka said.

While Councilman Darrell Fong, a retired police captain, has said he intends to vote for the police cuts, he announced at Tuesday’s council meeting that he would redirect his City Council salary for the 2011/2012 fiscal year to the Police Department’s budget.

The base pay for Sacramento City Council members is $60,800 annually.

“I’m hopeful as we continue between now and next week to keep having discussions and hope to get to a better place,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said at the meeting.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Guide to salary and benefits for police officers

2011-06-05T18:45:55Z

The local media is abuzz about the city’s proposals to lay off 80 sworn Sacramento police officers, among other police staffers, to help balance the city’s budget.

But while information on the proposed layoffs has been reported, many Sacramento residents may not know the basic facts and salary information for police officers in Sacramento.

The City Council, which is wrestling with a $39 million budget gap, is expected to approve the city’s budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year on June 21. The recommendation to lay off cops – as well as other cost-cutting measures – comes from the city manager’s office.

Here is a guide to help residents understand the salary and benefits for the average police officer in Sacramento.

Pay and benefits for police officers in Sacramento

The average police officer in Sacramento earns a salary of about $70,000, according to police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong.

Police officers’ salaries increase through a range of steps. Leong explained that six months into the job, a police officer rises to the second salary step, and then each year the officer rises to the next step. There are five steps.

The Step 1 salary is $56,897. An officer at Step 2 earns $59,742, rising to $62,729 for Step 3. The Step 4 pay is $65,865 and jumps to $69,159 at Step 5. Read the step information here.

Most of the officers in the department earn about $70,000 per year, Leong said.

On top of the base salary, benefits for police officers include the city’s payments of about $28,000 into CalPERS each year for each officer, Leong said.

Management salary ranges are higher than the ranges for the average police officer. For example, a police captain – the department has eight – can garner a minimum salary of $113,872 and maximum earnings of $170,808. View salaries for management police personnel here.

The department has 701 sworn personnel, including 31 lieutenants, captains and deputy chiefs, led by the chief of police, according to Leong.

Police Chief Rick Braziel's salary is $207, 855, according to the city's website.

A consulting firm, Management Partners, studied the city’s finances and operations in an April 2010 report. The firm evaluated Sacramento in relation to Bakersfield, Fresno, Long Beach, Oakland, San Jose, Santa Ana, Stockton, Albuquerque, Austin, Denver and Oklahoma City.

Management Partners found that “per capita expenditures for the Sacramento Police Department ... are slightly below the average” of the comparable cities.

The firm wrote in the report that “care must be taken to avoid reductions in the core service of patrol and call response.”

Police retirement benefits explained

A sworn police officer can retire with benefits at age 50, Leong said.

In order to retire, an officer must have five years of work experience connected to the CalPERS system, according to Leong.

City police officers, firefighters and managers do not have to pay a percentage of their earnings to their retirement benefits, according to a recent audit of employee benefits conducted by City Auditor Jorge Oseguera’s office.

Instead, the city pays the full amount of their contributions to the CalPERS system, the audit notes.

By contrast, other kinds of city employees, such as those in the building trades and in the engineering unit, must pay a part of their salaries to their retirement benefits, according to the audit.

“If all employees contributed 4 percent to their pensions, the city would save about $39.7 million over the next five years – or about $7.9 million on average per year,” the audit states.

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.

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.

Youth violence forum draws large crowd

2011-02-17T06:47:26Z

In the view of Sacramento community activist Kathy Jenkins, stronger parenting of youth is key to reducing gang violence. At a forum in Oak Park on youth and gang-related violence, Jenkins told a crowd of about 150 Sacramento residents, city staffers and police officers that assertive parents should influence the lives of young people.

“This is called parenting, this is not policing,” Jenkins said.

“If we could parent, and if we can raise,” she added, “and if we can encourage, and if we can take guns and give books, if we can give dolls instead of pimping ... If we could do these things, we could put (the police) out of work. I would rather see them writing parking tickets.”

Jenkins was one of many speakers at the forum, organized by Mayor Kevin Johnson’s office. Johnson had planned to attend the Oak Park event, said his special assistant, R.E. Graswich. But he canceled in order to accept an invitation from the White House to spend time on Wednesday with President Barack Obama, according to Johnson’s press office.

Police Chief Rick Braziel, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones and Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully were among others who made remarks at the forum. Residents also participated in the forum by brainstorming ways to halt youth violence in the Sacramento area.

Braziel explained the police department’s Operation Ceasefire program, in which officers meet with youth involved with violence, he said. “We bring them in and give them alternatives,” Braziel said.

The department and local support service programs provide services to the youth so they can stop a violent lifestyle, Braziel said. Other partners in the program include the U.S. Attorney’s office and the District Attorney’s office, he said.

Jones emphasized prevention of gang violence and said it was part of his gang strategy. “What’s been long overdue is the prevention side,” he said.

One of the attendees, Malcolm Stone, 63, told The Sacramento Press that he recently moved to south Sacramento from Riverside County. He said he had earlier thought that Sacramento was somewhat “sleepy.” He and his wife are “shocked about all the violent crime in the news” in Sacramento, he said.

Assistant City Manager Cassandra Jennings wrapped up the event, telling the attendees that city leaders plan to create an action plan to address youth violence. She said focus groups will be organized in March, and another community forum will be held in April. In June, the city hopes to have an outline of a strategy, she said.

Kathleen Haley 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.

A deeper look at changes to police chief's salary

2010-09-10T03:41:40Z

At first glance, it appears that Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel is raking in the money this year. In just the last three months, he garnered an 8 percent salary increase and a new retirement perk.

However, Braziel’s salary and benefit gains are not as simple as meets the eye. There’s a back story that involves the timing of Braziel’s raise.

Police Department spokeswoman Laura Peck and city spokeswoman Amy Williams both emphasized that Braziel’s raise is not a new development, because the city has owed him the extra money for years. Peck said she could respond to questions without the need for the chief to comment directly to The Sacramento Press.

To make sense of the information, The Sacramento Press asked city staffers to explain Braziel’s raise and new retirement benefit.

Braziel now earns an annual base salary of $198,262 after his mandatory furlough time is subtracted from his pay.

When Braziel became the Police Department’s head in 2008, “he voluntarily took a 12 percent decrease in pay with the understanding with the city manager at the time that it would be restored in 6-12 months,” Williams wrote in a e-mail.

Mandatory furloughs made up 4 percent of the 12 percent decrease, said Konrad von Schoech, a police department spokesman.

When Braziel received an 8 percent raise in June, it was a restoration of the amount he had not been paid earlier, Williams said.

At the same time, Braziel received the raise when he chose to stay in Sacramento after applying for a police chief job in Seattle earlier this year.

Braziel earned the 8 percent raise June 5 — four days before he announced to the public that he would not leave Sacramento. He said at a June 9 press conference that the raise was not the reason he chose to stay in the city.

His raise comes from the city’s general fund and was approved by Interim City Manager Gus Vina, Williams wrote.

Braziel, who has worked for the city for 30 years, also received a “senior employee pay” benefit last month. Williams’ statistics show that Braziel is one of 153 longtime city employees who are using the benefit, which boosts an employee’s retirement compensation after the employee retires. Furloughs offset the program’s costs to the city, Williams wrote.

Employees enrolled in the program have participated in the Public Employees Retirement System or the Sacramento City Employees Retirement System for at least 25 years, according to a city staff report. The program will expire in June 2013, the report said.

As police chief, Braziel is considered a department director.

Figures provided by Williams show that Braziel earns the highest salary of his 10 other counterparts at City Hall, all of whom make six-figure salaries. Marty Hanneman, director of the Utilities Department, is second to Braziel in earnings with a base salary after furloughs of $177,512.

A link to information about the salaries of department heads and other city officials was recently posted on the front page of the city’s website. “It was posted a few weeks ago after the Bell City scandal,” Williams said. “We were getting a lot of media calls asking for salary information, and we wanted to be transparent.”

Here is a list of the names and salaries of the city’s 11 department heads after furloughs are accounted for:

Rick Braziel, police chief: 198,262

Martin Hanneman, director of utilities: 177,512

Ray Jones, fire chief: 169,824

James Combs, director of parks and recreation: 159,919

Reina Schwartz, director of general services: 159,858

Barbara Bonebrake, director of convention, culture & leisure: 158,375

Max Fernandez, director of community development: 156,855

Jerry Way, director of transportation: 149,873

Geri Hamby, director of human resources: 144,414

James Rinehart, director of economic development: 139,872

Leyne Milstein, director of finance: 125,211

Read city spokeswoman Amy William’s responses to Sacramento Press questions about department director salaries here.

Read an Aug. 10 report report from city staff that includes information about the “senior employee pay program” here.

Sacramento Press staff reporter Suzanne Hurt contributed to this report.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Braziel: I'm staying

2010-06-10T03:30:16Z

Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel announced Wednesday he has withdrawn his candidacy for the chief of police job in Seattle.

The 30-year veteran of the Sacramento force will get an 8 percent pay raise city officials said had been promised to him when he was hired. But Braziel said the extra $15,000 was not the deciding factor for him.

Instead, he decided that living and working in Seattle would not make him and his family happier. He was able to make the decision only after getting far enough along in the process to get to know the city of Seattle and its leaders, including Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, Braziel said.

"I'm staying here. I love the (police) organization and I love this city," he said at a City Hall press conference Wednesday afternoon.

"It goes back to, when you wake up in the morning, where are you going to be the happiest?" Braziel added. "Sacramento is a better fit for Rick Braziel."

Braziel, 50, was among three final candidates considered for the top spot with the Seattle Police Department. He met with interim City Manager Gus Vina Tuesday night to discuss staying in Sacramento. They then notified Mayor Kevin Johnson and Seattle officials about his decision.

Calling Braziel an "out-of-the-box thinker," Johnson said the city's goal now is to keep the police chief here until he retires.

"You don't want to let a good person slip away," Johnson said.

Braziel had initially been offered a 20 percent pay raise when he was promoted to police chief more than two years ago. He "voluntarily" accepted just a 12 percent raise because of the city's financial woes, with the understanding that the other 8 percent would be forthcoming, Vina said.

Braziel would have replaced former Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, who was tapped by President Barack Obama to become director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in 2009.

Cities from around the country have come courting Braziel and may continue to do so, Johnson said.

But Braziel said he expects to retire from the Sacramento Police Department in three to four years.

Seattle's mayor said Braziel was "a strong candidate" who has accomplished "remarkable things" in Sacramento.

"I am disappointed Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel withdrew his name today from consideration for our city's next police chief," McGinn said Wednesday in a prepared statement. "The people of Sacramento are lucky to have him."

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Tretheway claims police officers' union stole his online identity

2010-05-28T05:36:06Z

City Councilman Ray Tretheway has claimed that opponents of his re-election campaign have stolen his online identity.

In a May 21 letter addressed to several local agencies, including the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office, Tretheway alleged that the Sacramento Police Officers Association illegally registered the website domain name raytretheway.com.

The police officers’ union acknowledged that it has registered raytretheway.com but said it has not violated any laws.

Campaign statements show that SPOA provides financial support to Angelique Ashby, one of Tretheway’s competitors in the District 1 City Council race.

“It’s identity theft, clear and simple,” Tretheway said in an interview Thursday. “Identity theft of 2010. And I read a quote from another media — print media — that they intended to use (the domain name) to mislead voters. That doubles my anxiety.”

Tretheway alleges in his letter that Ashby supporter and campaign contributor Keith Sharward initially registered the domain name last August. SPOA became the new administrator of the domain name between April 19 and May 20, Tretheway claims.

He alleges that the registration of the domain name by Sharward and SPOA is illegal under a state law on cyber piracy. The law says that is it “unlawful for a person, with a bad faith intent to register, traffic in, or use a domain name, that is identical or confusingly similar to the personal name of another living person or deceased personality, without regard to the goods or services of the parties.”

Tretheway said he aimed to register the domain name last year, but found it was registered to Sharward. The councilman said Sharward was "new to politics," and he didn't want to fight with him.

But Tretheway said he views SPOA differently. When he recently became aware that the domain name was in the hands of the SPOA, it was like an "amber alert" went off, he said.

“It is my name, and I would like it back,” Tretheway wrote in the letter.

In addition to the District Attorney’s office, Tretheway sent the letter to Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel, City Attorney Eileen Teichert and the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission.

“We have received the letter,” Sacramento Police Department spokesman Norm Leong wrote in an e-mail Thursday. “We are reviewing it at this time. Thus far it appears the sections referenced from the business and professions code are civil and not criminal but we are conferring with the city attorney’s office on the matter.”

Teichert was not available Thursday afternoon.

Mark Tyndale, vice president of SPOA, strongly disagreed with Tretheway’s statements.

“On the issue of the domain name, I did contact our attorney when we did it,” Tyndale said. “Our attorney assures us there is nothing illegal about it, as long as we’re not using it as a means to divide (people)," he said.

"We don’t feel like it’s anything illegal at all," he added. "We just think it’s a political tactic."

Tyndale alleged that it is inappropriate for Tretheway to send his letter to the city attorney. “And I’m also concerned that he’s using the city attorney to clarify his campaign legal issues, which I think there’s kind of a conflict there,” Tyndale said.

Ashby said she had no knowledge about the website until Tretheway publicized his letter last week. “I didn’t find out about it until I heard about it from the media,” she said in a Thursday interview. “I don’t think we need it. I don’t think it’s necessary.”

She and Tretheway have opposing views of Sharward's role in her campaign. In his letter, Tretheway said that campaign documents show that Sharward has been paid by her campaign. But Ashby said Sharward received a reimbursement, "not payment for services rendered."

At this point, SPOA has not done anything with the domain name. The website www.raytretheway.com is a blank page.

Read Tretheway's letter here.

Photo of Tretheway and council members by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sacramento's Rick Braziel in top three for Seattle police chief job

2010-05-12T05:26:31Z

Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel is one of three top candidates for a job leading Seattle’s Police Department.

Braziel, who has served with the Sacramento Police Department for 30 years, has advanced past several other candidates for the Seattle position.

"Tonight I was notified that I am one of three candidates still in the running for chief of police in Seattle,” Braziel said in a statement Tuesday evening. “Ultimately, Seattle Mayor McGinn will make a decision on who is the best fit for the city. I am honored to have made it this far in the selection process. My success is a reflection of the great work the men and women of the Sacramento Police Department do everyday.”

In late April, Braziel was competing against 10 candidates for the position. The city of Seattle announced May 5 that the total number of candidates fell to 9 — two candidates had dropped out of the running.

The city of Seattle is now looking at three final candidates, including Braziel.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City Hall updates: Braziel's interview, billboards for dollars

2010-05-08T05:06:49Z

Braziel in Seattle

Police Chief Rick Braziel will be in Seattle on Saturday to interview for a job leading that city’s Police Department, Sacramento Police Department spokesman Norm Leong said Friday. Braziel is competing with 10 other candidates for the job.

Leong added that the city of Seattle is expected to narrow the group of candidates to three on Tuesday.

***

Billboards and dollars

The Sacramento City Council will decide Tuesday whether to sign leases with Clear Channel Outdoor for four digital billboards to be placed on city property. The city would garner $330,000 in signing bonuses, according to a report by Tom Zeidner, senior development project manager.

During the first five years of the leases, the city would take in $720,000 in rent each year from the four billboards.

Zeidner’s report said the billboards would be placed at the following spots: the north side of Interstate 80 and east of Northgate Boulevard; Business 80 and Fulton Avenue; the west side of Highway 99 and south of Mack Road; the west side of Interstate 5 and south of Richards Boulevard.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Police chief talks about possible move to Seattle

2010-04-27T05:12:53Z

Police Chief Rick Braziel was just 19 years old when he joined the Sacramento Police Department. Now 50, Braziel said he has spent his “entire adult life” with the department.

Braziel, who talked to reporters at a Monday night press conference, is competing for a police chief job in Seattle that would take him away from his 30-year career with the Sacramento department.

Major city police chief jobs pop up infrequently, he said. “Knowing that I’ve been here 30 years, and there’s an opportunity that kind of intrigued me with Seattle, I went ahead and applied."

He pointed out that he is an empty nester: None of his five children live at home.

“So now is the time,” Braziel said. “If you’re going to do something, and move and do something new, now is the time to do it. Because the kids haven’t settled down with wherever they’re going to end up in their lives.”

Braziel is vying for the position along with 10 other candidates. “ And, at the end of the day, the mayor (Mike McGinn) will ultimately select who the best fit is for the city of Seattle,” he said.

As Sacramento's police chief, Braziel earns a salary of $182,400. In response to a reporter’s question, he said that a discussion about the salary for the Seattle position is too early.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Press release: Chief of Police in running for Seattle job

2010-04-26T19:57:29Z

The following open letter from Sacramento Chief of Police Rick Braziel was just released by the Sac PD:

"Hello,

"Before you hear it elsewhere, I wanted to share with you a decision I made. Recently, I was approached by an executive search firm and asked to apply for the Seattle Chief of Police position. After considerable thought, I decided that this was an opportunity that I should pursue.

"This has been a very difficult decision for my wife and me. I joined the Sacramento Police Department in 1979 and after 30 years of service, I continue to love and cherish each day here. I firmly believe that this is one of the most professional law enforcement organizations in the country. Any success that I have had is because of you, the incredible men and women of the Sacramento Police Department.

"At this point, I am simply one of many candidates for this position. I am in no way “looking to get out” of my current position. I love this organization and would be very happy to remain as your Chief if I am not selected. The Seattle position is an opportunity that I needed to explore.

"As always, I will keep you updated as the process continues."

The Chief of Police will not be doing interviews on the subject until Thursday.

Union presses council to hire more police officers

2010-02-10T06:21:56Z

The president of the Sacramento police officers’ union appealed to the City Council on Tuesday to fill 75 vacant officer positions at the Police Department.

Brent Meyer, president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, made his remarks at the meeting after Police Chief Rick Braziel spoke about the early release of 190 inmates last week from the county jail.

Meyer asked the City Council to think of the department’s 75 vacant police officer positions as it evaluates the city’s budget this year.

“I’m here to urge you to act,” he said.

Braziel, meanwhile, presented information to the City Council about last week’s early release of the inmates from county jail. The release was the result of a new state law.

Braziel said the city learned about the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department’s plans late.

“Unfortunately for us, we were not notified until the afternoon of Feb. 2,” he said.

Braziel noted that inmate Kevin Eugene Peterson was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault the day after he was released from county jail last week. Braziel said Peterson also is accused of assaulting a Regional Transit passenger.

Peterson left jail 16 days earlier than he was scheduled to be released, according to a Feb. 3 story in The Sacramento Bee.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

E-mails reveal city's talks on security cameras

2009-07-31T05:40:37Z

Photo: Mayor Kevin Johnson has mentioned K Street and Regional Transit stations as possible locations for new surveillance cameras.

The Sacramento Police Department and Mayor Kevin Johnson’s office anticipated a battle with the local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union over the city's plans to buy 32 surveillance cameras, e-mails show.

The debate between the Sacramento County chapter of the ACLU and the Sacramento Police Department over the effectiveness of surveillance cameras is revealed in documents obtained by The Sacramento Press.

The ACLU argues that surveillance cameras do not cut crime. Norm Leong, spokesman for the police department, said that security cameras already help the police department to combat crime.

The locations for the cameras have not yet been selected, and the money has not yet been received by the police department, Leong said. The cameras and other related equipment would be paid for with a $615,000 grant from the Homeland Security Administration.

In May 19 and June 1 e-mail messages between police department managers and staffers at the offices of Mayor Kevin Johnson and City Councilman Rob Fong, Capt. Ken Bernard of the Sacramento Police Department alerted officials about the ACLU’s concerns.

“This is a heads up regarding the camera grant," Bernard wrote. "The ACLU is going to be fighting us accepting the grant, so I thought we should all be prepared to address potential council concerns.”

Bernard then addressed Chief Rick Braziel in the e-mail message: “Chief--it appears that the mayor may be trying to get you involved in a conference call to address the ACLU’s concerns.”

In the e-mail, Bernard also asked whether the city had conducted research on the effectiveness of surveillance cameras.

“Has anyone involved in the writing of the grant done any research as to their effectiveness?” he wrote. “Might be nice if can quote some stats or have some talking points to counter the ACLU’s position. Thoughts?”

*Photo by Sacramento Press staff reporter Suzanne Hurt.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sac PD may fill detective positions

2009-07-30T04:00:26Z

The news that the Sacramento Police Department will receive $9.5 million in federal stimulus dollars means that the department’s specialized units may eventually receive a boost in staffing, according to department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong.

The department announced earlier this week that it had been selected to receive federal money under the Recovery Act Funding to Support Law Enforcement program. The money will be used to pay the base salary of 35 officers for three years, Sacramento Police Officers Association President Brent Meyer said.

Meyer said he was “ecstatic” about the federal money, noting that the department thought it might have to lay off 67 police officers earlier this year due to the city’s budget problems. The department avoided the layoffs through the union’s negotiation process with the city. However, the department expected that hiring would be stagnant over the next two years, Meyer said.

The 35 new hires will work on patrol in the field because the first assignment for new police officers is patrol, Leong explained. Police Chief Rick Braziel has set the minimum number of officers on patrol at 275, Leong said, and the department has a number higher than that on patrol right now. But 103 officer positions in the department are now vacant.

With more officers working on patrol, the department could choose to open the testing process to fill specialized jobs, including detective positions, according to Leong. Officers currently working at the department could apply to move to a specialized job, he said. Any moves within the department could not take place immediately because the new officers will need to learn their new assignments, he added.

The department’s detectives are overworked, Leong said. Filling more detective positions would allow the department to work on additional investigations it has not been able to pursue, and would also help improve customer service, he said.

Department managers will decide which units should receive additional staff, he noted, and the department has not yet received the federal dollars.

To respond to the failing economy, the department downsized specialized units, including narcotics and traffic, Leong explained. When Braziel joined the department in January 2008, he immediately prepared the department’s budget to face economic hardship, Leong noted.

To brace itself for the recession, the department cut back on overtime and did not fill positions that became vacant, he explained. “For a long time, we had cost savings because we were able to save money by not filling un-budgeted, and even budgeted positions,” Leong said.

*Photo of Chief Rick Braziel courtesy of the Sacramento Police Department.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Racial profiling commission outlines new goals

2009-07-29T04:36:44Z

A group that advises the Sacramento City Council on racial profiling issues has laid out its new goals, which include a plan to use community meetings to improve relationships between the Sacramento Police Department and citizens.

The 13-member Community Racial Profiling Commission outlined its new objectives in a July 28 letter to the City Council. The letter, which is the commission’s quarterly report to the City Council, summarizes the commission’s work from January to March.

The commission's new goals are:

* “Foster better police/community relations through activities such as the CRPC community forums and the stakeholder workshops.”

* “Analyze relationships between racial profiling and social issues using quality research.”

* “Understand policing from a police perspective.”

Councilmembers did not make any comments about the report at their Tuesday meeting.

However, Pastor C. Singleton of Sacramento addressed the City Council. Singleton is a member of a local community group under the umbrella of the Caravan for Justice organization, which lobbies state legislators to reverse certain laws.

Singleton told councilmembers that her group wanted to meet with the City Council and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office about racial profiling issues.

After the meeting, she told The Sacramento Press her views on racial profiling in Sacramento. “It’s prevalent here,” she alleged.

Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel, who attended the City Council meeting, told The Sacramento Press that the police department takes allegations of racial profiling seriously and investigates them. He said that most racial profiling allegations raised by community members concern events that have occurred outside the city, which means that the police department is not the law enforcement agency at issue.

The police department helps community members contact the agency that has jurisdiction over the area where the event occurred, he said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Civil liberties advocates protest city's plans to install surveillance system

2009-05-27T06:09:54Z

Civil liberties lawyers and advocates are objecting to the city of Sacramento’s plans to install new security cameras and related surveillance equipment at several locations in the city.

Jim Updegraff, the chair of the Sacramento County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told the City Council Tuesday that the planned surveillance system would be “an affront to the privacy and civil liberties of the citizens of the City of Sacramento.”

Mayor Kevin Johnson and Police Chief Rick Braziel last month publicized the city’s plan to use a pot of $615, 500 in Federal Homeland Security grant funds to fund a new surveillance system with 32 cameras, four mobile surveillance trailers and other related equipment. Johnson said the surveillance system was important because Sacramento has ranked second to Oakland in violent crime statistics over the past seven to eight years.

But Sacramento County’s ACLU chapter and ACLU attorneys in San Francisco are challenging Johnson and Braziel’s views.

Outside the meeting, Updegraff told The Sacramento Press that the ACLU’s opposition does not mean the group plans to sue the city. The group always tries to work with issues, he said.

But the group’s firm opposition is clear. Updegraff told the City Council that the surveillance system will invade citizens’ privacy and will not fight crime. The group is also calling on the City Council to hold a public hearing about the planned surveillance system.

“Study after study, from San Francisco to London, have demonstrated video cameras are ineffective in reducing crime,” Updegraff said.

The Sacramento County ACLU chapter and ACLU attorneys in San Francisco together are directly challenging statements Johnson made last month about the surveillance system.

“The new system will create a powerful deterrent for would-be criminals,” Johnson said last month. “Similar systems have been used in other cities around the country and played a major role in reducing crime.”

Updegraff questioned the accuracy of Johnson’s comments, noting that ACLU attorneys had studied Johnson’s remarks. “Our attorneys in San Francisco are not aware of any studies in the country that support the comments of the mayor,” Updegraff said.

The local ACLU chapter is also challenging one of Braziel’s statements.

Braziel said at a press conference last month: “The cameras we put up will only be in places that are in open view of the public, so it is no different than somebody walking down the street with their videophone and taking pictures.”

The Sacramento County ACLU chapter “disagrees” with and “deplores” Braziel’s comment, Updegraff said.

Images from innocent people’s videophones “do not end up in police files,” Updegraff said, and are not shared with other law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and the Sacramento Regional Terrorism Threat Assessment Center.

Sacramento Police Department spokesman Konrad VonSchoech said last month that the city will hold a procurement process for the cameras and other surveillance equipment.