Sacramento Crime Stats Soar as Violent Homeless Crimes Push Business Owners to Brink

In a new report from Sacramento’s ABC10 News, business owners along the Broadway corridor in downtown Sacramento were interviewed about the daily crime and vandalism by homeless vagrants. The report is devastating.

“’They s*** all over the place. Right here, right in front of my door,’ explained liquor store owner Dharmendra Ram, pointing to various areas on the sidewalk in front of the store.”

The most recent Monthly Sacramento Police Department Chief’s Report from August supports the ABC10 report. “The statistics show us that violence continues to be a major concern,” SacPD Lieutenant Brian Kinney said in his report to the city and residents. “It should be noted these increased trends are not unique to Sacramento. Most, if not all, major cities throughout the country have seen increases in violent crime.”

Here’s just the August numbers:

Shooting Reports: 43.6 % Increase

Number of Victims Shot: 35.2 % Increase

Our officers continue to do great work and make proactive arrests.

Arrests for Possession of Firearm: 68.5 % Increase

Numbers of Reports with Firearm Seized: 58.7 % Increase

Total Number of Firearms Seized: 46 % Increase

Kinney included several notable investigations and arrests by the officers working in the community:

On 8/30/21, in response to thefts in the area, bait equipment was deployed in the 900 block of Broadway. Shortly after deployment, the bait was stolen. Officers were able to locate the subject and safely take him into custody and recover the bait equipment.

On 9/6/21, officers responded to the 3800 block of Franklin Blvd on the report of a subject waving a firearm. Based on a description provided by witnesses, responding officers located the subject in the area. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle the subject was in, however, the subject failed to pull over and led officers on a lengthy pursuit. The subject ultimately pulled over after losing a wheel and officers were able to take him into custody without further incident. A search incident to arrest revealed a loaded handgun.

On 9/9/21, officers from the Gang Enforcement Team served a search warrant at a location in the 5900 block of Lake Crest Way. During the search, officers located four firearms, multiple high capacity magazines and illegal narcotics to include cocaine, methamphetamine, and oxy pills. One person was arrested in connection with the illegal items seized.

Housing First Rather than Diagnosis and Treatment

“Currently, the largest challenge facing Sacramento is homelessness. District 4 has responded by opening a fully staffed Safe Ground site for tent camping along with safe parking at WX, as well as another Safe Parking site nearby at Miller Park,” City Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela reports this on her Council District 4 website. “These sites are certainly a tremendous step in the right direction, but we are looking for other sites as well to accommodate the significant demand for these kinds of services.”

The Sacramento City Council is focused solely on the “Right to Housing” for the homeless rather than working on the causes. There is no talk of the serious drug addiction and mental illness that lands the homeless vagrants on the streets and what they suffer from, and how to get them off the streets into treatment. The Safe Ground tent camps Councilwoman Valenzuela names are located in residential areas, near businesses.

A friend and neighbor who lives in the Land Park neighborhood near Broadway says she and her neighbors are subjected to nearly nightly break-ins, violent encounters, thefts, robberies, car thefts, and murders, and now suffer from PTSD, never knowing when and where the next violent encounter will take place.

Home prices in the Land Park neighborhood range from $500,000 up to over $2 million.

The Sacramento Police Department issues a weekly report for the City Council (below). “The information provided allows for a timely snapshot of significant events in our community,” the report says. “The crimes reported here are preliminary investigations, taken in the field by patrol officers, and may or may not be assigned to a Detective for further investigation.”

These are rough numbers of the incidents included in this week’s report:

1 Homicide

6 Shooting investigations

17 Gun arrests

3 Death Investigations

4 Incidents of resisting arrest or assault on a peace officer

1 Demonstration

1 Fatal vehicle collision

SacPD includes photos of the weapons, drugs and cash with the reports.

In my own COUNCIL DISTRICT 4, which includes downtown Sacramento continuing to immediately south of downtown, these are just a few of the crime and arrest reports for one week:

• Thursday, September 9, 2021 – 500 Block of Capitol Ave – Demonstration Officers monitored a demonstration of approximately 50 subjects. No incidents were reported.
• Friday, September 10, 2021 – K St and 16th St – Traffic Stop and Vehicle Collision An officer attempted to conduct an enforcement stop on a vehicle. The vehicle fled and collided into multiple parked vehicles and eventually a building. The driver sustained serious injuries and was transported to a hospital for treatment. Due to the treatment needed, an arrest warrant will be sought for the driver.
• Saturday, September 11, 2021 – J St and 2nd St – Traffic Stop and Gun Arrest An officer conducted an enforcement stop on a vehicle. During the investigation, a firearm was located. The occupant was arrested for weapons violations.
• Saturday, September 11, 2021 – 400 Block of I St – Disturbance and Resisting Arrest Officers responded to a report of a subject causing a disturbance in the area. Officers contacted the described subject who was found to have a felony warrant. As officers attempted to take the subject into custody into custody, he physically resisted. Eventually officers were able to detain the subject who was arrested for the warrant and resisting officers. One officer sustained minor injuries during the incident.
• Sunday, September 12, 2021 – 6000 Block of Riverside Blvd – Shooting Investigation Officers responded to a report of a shooting. There were residences in the area that appeared to have been struck by gunfire however no injuries were reported. Officers canvassed the area for evidence and witnesses. A crime report was generated.