SacPD mental health and homeless outreach units. (Photo: www.cityofsacramento.org/Police/)
Turning Sacramento Into a ‘No-Go’ Zone?
Sacramento City Council defunding the police to pay for ‘social workers’
By Katy Grimes, October 30, 2020 3:18 pm
Earlier this week, the Sacramento City Council voted unanimously to pass a “public safety” resolution, but there is little safety involved. The resolution is intended to officially redefine public safety — Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento Fire Department, and Emergency Medical Teams — to include what the city calls “youth-prevention services” such as arts programs and health food programs, and other “community outreach programs.”
The City Council is funding this by taking millions of dollars from the Sacramento Police Department budget – known as defunding the police. “Mayor Darrell Steinberg has previously said the new 911 system would ultimately result in at least $10 million being diverted from the police department,” the Sacramento Bee reported. The more the City Council whittles away from SacPD funding and resources can only inevitably lead to more of Sacramento becoming a “no-go zone,” as the crime statistics below prove.
The city claims this will help create an alternative plan for “non-emergency responses,” such as mental health issues. But doesn’t the City already fund mental health agencies?
A quick Google search of “City of Sacramento mental health agencies” comes up with:
Behavioral Health Services – Sacramento County, California
Homeless and Mental Health Outreach – City of Sacramento
Mental Health Departments – Sacramento, CA
Additionally, numerous privately run organizations and non-profits are listed in the Google search.
The City’s description of their move says:
The Council City recognizes the important role of preventative programs to create a sense of public safety among residents and communities. Consequently, the City allocates resources to such preventative programs. When considering impacts on our City policies that affect young people, the three departments focused on coordination of prevention services for youth are the Police, Fire, and Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment Departments – often working hand-in-hand.
Without referencing how, the City claims:
Research shows that programs – including but not limited to stable and affordable housing, early childhood supports, quality education, the arts, healthy and accessible food, economic security, and community spaces – can directly prevent youth-related violence, and that prevention activities that uplift children, families and elders will lead to safer and healthier communities overall. Moreover, these types of resources can reduce service calls and requests for police and fire as a result of the preventive and proactive nature of these programs.
And then this government-speak:
By broadening the delivery of public safety resources, the City is adding to its capacity in maintaining public safety through the addition of prevention programs and services for youth. This upstream investment in young people will also result in future savings for the City within the “traditional” public safety services. By adopting an explicit definition, the City’s public safety services will align under a stated understanding of what these services include and a holistic approach to public safety rather than an assumption.
“Broadening the delivery of public safety resources” means taking money from actual public safety – law enforcement – and giving it to dubious “social service” groups and the arts, healthy food organizations and community spaces, when there already are taxpayer-funded mental health services, food programs, and “community spaces.”
A recent Monthly Chiefs Report (below) from Sacramento Police Department found:
Shooting Reports:
2019 (through September): 342
2020 (through September): 409
19.6 % INCREASE
Number of Victims Shot:
2019 (through September): 107
2020 (though September): 142
32.7 % INCREASE
Arrests for Possession of Firearm:
2019 (though September): 414
2020 (through September): 561
35.5 % INCREASE
Monthly Chief’s Report – September 2020I’m sure the City Council receives this monthly report from the Sacramento Police Department. I’m also sure that more mental health services, healthy and accessible food programs, and community spaces would not have prevented the 35.5% increase in arrests for possession of firearms, or the 409 shooting reports, or the 142 victims shot in Sacramento.
However, more proactive and community policing would help prevent these violent crimes. Beefing up the Sacramento Police IMPACT Team and the gang enforcement unit would.
The $10 million which looks to be removed from the SacPD and moved to these new programs will likely result in fewer police officers on the IMPACT team, or community policing.
“The IMPACT team provides outreach and engagement services throughout the City of Sacramento,” SacPD says on its website. “They are the city’s initial point of contact with both chronic homeless and inebriates living on the streets. The team engages chronic homeless persons and, for those who are willing, get them in contact with service providers who can provide housing and other services.”
Hot Spots policing, increasing police patrols, and police crackdowns not only deter, but they allow more effective responses to vandalism, break-ins, robberies, drug dealing, prostitution, and other crimes.
The Sacramento City Council appears to be sending out a gigantic virtue signal passing their resolution for new “programs,” rather than supporting the programs which already exist to combat “non-emergency responses,” such as mental health issues. The majority of mental-health issues in Sacramento stem from the homeless population is 3,009 calls for service involving Sacramento homeless population are any measure.
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Not-so-coincidentally they will be doing this in L.A. too.
These people are completely divorced from reality. This is not going to go well.
For anyone.
So they strip the police of the funds and then turn around and give them to their prefered advocate grp.. Once the social workers start coming back in body bags, it will be hard to get them to keep going out..
Any future tax increases the council tries to pass, will not be able to make claims that the money is needed for police, fire, ambulance, and other “actual” public safety programs. They have basically sold their credibility on this one
Excellent point.
People will start taking the law into their own hands and maybe it’s about time we do…The courts in California are beyond corrupt they only protect the criminal and harm the victims…Good old fashion justice works.. Remember jail in california isn’t for criminals it’s for those that obey the law….Jail has never been safer… Wish I were joking. I’m moving away from this hell state. I wish everyone luck….
Good luck and I only wish I could go too! Be safe (you will).????????????????????????
Our hardworking law enforcement officers are already spread thin. Therefore, our own safety is now in jeopardy too!! Have the decision-makers decided to check out from reality?! We will all now need to start carrying our own weapons for protection. (Ok Honey, you were right and I was wrong!! We DO NEED to sign up for the class so we can start caring a concealed weapon. What choice do we have now? ????????????).
There’s a story within the story here. Look at those numbers; crime in all categories going up, shootings going up, carrying without the nearly impossible to get (in California) CCW trending upward. Calls to SacPD trending downward. Those numbers are saying that fed up residents are no longer bothering with calling the cops. It makes me wonder how many of those shootings are legitimate self defense that went unreported. I’d bet the same thing is happening across the state. Welcome to Bob “Snake” Plissken’s California.
You are correct. This is because of Propositions 47, 57 and Assembly Bill 109 – all well funded by George Soros, Michael Bloomberg and leftist “philanthropic” organizations.
To correct a lot of the devastation that occurred because of Props 47, 57 and AB 109……
VOTE YES ON PROP 20
How many social workers will have to die until this lunacy is stopped? I have little doubt social workers will demand an armed guard of several cops which would require more police funding rather than less.
I can’t imagine calling 911 when someone outside my house is committing a crime and getting a comprehensive menu of selections like “press 1 for Child Welfare”. Emergencies requiring police intervention should be at the very end of the menu to discourage their over use.
As a retired san Diego & LA sheriff deputy with many years in patrol, jail and the courts I can say this as intentional destruction of our culture. No accidents here, no altruistic feelings gone awry. Nationwide and very intentional by our elected tyrants. You want a change for the better? Disband the massive failure called the 1964 trillion dollar War on Poverty industry and 4 generations of welfare as human survival. Whose victims are now literally incapable of productive lives.
I have seen so many that that cannot fill out a job application, resume or anything other than an aid application. That their friends and neighbors have instructed them in exactly what to put on the form to get an instant life pension at taxpayer expense. Don’t believe me? Research how many are actually investigated for fraud by the handful of state and county investigators. And what does (really does not) happen to gross violators. You will be shocked. Again, all on purpose by those who benefit at the top of the political food chain.
Druggies, armed robbers, car thieves and burglars are just the sorry cultural fallout from a corrupt and completely broken government run system. And now the ones who brought us here want to blame it on the cops. Cops are little more than a secretary with a badge, who does the dirty street sweeping because no one else will. And with todays lawyers and politicians they cannot even do that – for the people who do the paying.
Thank you Gary. Great post. You’re right.
Also grateful for all your years of good work serving the public, keeping us safe.
Spot on