Note: make sure you read the whole article because the Friday night law enforcement calls follow the article
Frequent Joe Sac readers know I have been hollering about getting a curfew in Sacramento for the last two weeks. I previously cited Elk Grove’s crackdown on delinquent teens, and urged Sacramento to do the same “especially in areas like Natomas where teens do whatever they want at night.” I even emailed Elk grove bloggers and city council people asking them to shed some light on their curfew sweeps there (although none responded, not even Jim Cooper!) I then received a reply to my curfew suggestion in a Sacramento Bee forum informing me Sacramento does in fact have a curfew.
Ever the pro (smack), I then posted a tongue-in-cheek article titled “Joe eats crow” in which I pleaded ignorance, and profusely apologized for not being aware of our curfew. In that article I asked why the curfew was not being enforced, and said I would begin calling in curfew violators and urged residents to do the same going forward. One reader posted a message to my site saying she saw truant teens out in Natomas long after 10pm that night.
Last night I was about to go to bed when I received a text message from Fernando (Joe Sac’s late night eyes and ears), stating he had heard law enforcement agencies were out in Natomas en mass enforcing curfew. I immediately sent an email to my Sac PD “contacts” (that’s a stretch, but it makes me sound official, so you’ll have to play along), at 1am in the morning, asking about the curfew enforcement. No reply. Until..
Admittedly, I was pretty pleased to this morning when I awoke to find an email from a law enforcement spokesperson to the Natomas community (which was sent out at 3am). In it was an official announcement about the multi department “curfew sweep” last night conducted by gang officers, probation officers, and many other members of the law enforcement community. 36 kids were rounded up in all. The best part? They were transported to a “curfew center” (did anyone know we had a curfew center?!) and their PARENTS were called and had to come pick them up! What do you know, some good ol’ fashioned accountability on Fargo’s watch. It;s hard to believe. But we’ll take it.
And to think Marcos Breton implicated this site as nothing more than a KJ campaign front whose only mission was to “smear” the incumbent mayor. Ha! Isn’t it great to know free speech is still a legitimate vehicle to influence change?
OK, so now that we’ve got a taste of some curfew enforcement, I have NEW questions. For instance:
Whose idea was the curfew?
Given the fact Fargo and Company just butchered the Sac PD’s budget by 8%, how will they be able to continue to fund curfew sweeps like this, or was this just a response to the recent spate of violence in Natomas and something we can not expect in the future?
Is this the first time a curfew sweep was ever conducted in Sacramento? What about in Natomas?
Of the 36 kids who were picked up, were any armed? Oh and how many were suspected gang members?
Where is the curfew center located? When was it established?
Can we see a map showing where the delinquents were picked up?
Did Tretheway or Fargo take part in the planning or execution of the curfew sweep.
The name “Curfew Game Plan” implies there is a bigger plan at large. Can you detail the parameters of the plan and any express goals of it? Will there be metrics to measure the curfew’s effectiveness?
Is any help from the community needed? Volunteers?
What happens when a kid gets picked up for curfew violation? Does he or she get a mark on their juvenile record? Picture taken? Fingerprints? Is there a fine involved? What happens if a kids gets picked up a second time? A third? Do they fines escalate?
Don’t expect the answers to these questions here. If history is any indicator, you can bet the answers will appear in another publication, without a single nod to mean ol’ Joe and friends. And that’s just fine with me. I’m happy to be one of the many silent influencers of much needed change in Sacramento. Next up: Getting “city guide” like volunteers on bikes in Natomas like we have downtown. If THAT one happens, I am running for mayor next time. 
Thanks to all law enforcement who made personal sacrifice to be in the community last night. Tough job. Would not want it.
Friday Night Police Blotter - 26JUL08
Disclaimer: this list is transcribed by Joe Sac contributor Fernando V. This list has NOT been checked against official call log. This list has been censored to redact all personal or compromising info. Please do NOT call authorities about these calls unless you can help them solve one of these crimes.
9:25pm - Del Paso Heights - Burglarly while resident in apartment. Police respond with K9. Subjects gone. Cleared.
9:33pm - N Natomas - Hartona Way - Regency Park - report of shots fired (?) - large caliber gun - no further info
9:43pm - Gardenland - Car on fire, side of road, “just east of Northgate” on I-80
—-Joe: Curfew starts here, notice refs to “gang officers” etc———–
10:04pm - South Natomas - Shooting at Point Natomas Apartments - male victim shot in head, girlfriend tells 911 op. he is losing consciousness, 3 male black suspects, Air1 searching for suspects, CSI called in, victim transported to UCD
Ed note: is this one even going to make the news? I called both UC Davis Med Center and the Sacramento Police North Patrol and both agencies said they could not release any information about his young man. I find it appalling that we can not find out the condition of one of our neighbors who has been the victim of a violent crime. It’s not like I asked for his name and address. All i wanted to know was if he was going to be ok. If you are the victim’s family and reading this, please email me as I for one am concerned about his condition .
10:15pm - Gang officer calls in Disturbance on Silver Eagle Way in Gardenland (San Juan turns into Silver Eagle)
10:22pm - South Natomas - Northgate & San juan - male and female in a fight
10:25pm - South Natomas Circle K on Rio Tierra - robbery - male Hispanic took off driving north on northgate
10:30pm - Sacramento - Am/pm robbery on Marconi - male black suspects on foot running away
10:31pm - N Natomas - Curfew stop. Officer called in from “In front of Ross at No NAtomas Marketplace”
10:33pm - S Natomas - Hit and run, two vehicles involved, multiple victims, San Juan and Miramonte Dr, (cops searching for Black Honda Civic with front end damage) Air1 assisting in search
10:35pm - N Natomas - Curfew stop. Regency Park - on Honor parkway
10:40pm - N Natomas - Drunk driver at In and oUT Burger on Truxel - silver pickup truck - driver threw bottle out of window. Vehicle not found. Code 4 addtl units.
10:46pm - Del Paso Heights - reports of youth fighting at corner Marysville and Rio Linda
10:48pm - Del paso Heights - traffic stop
10:51pm - S Natomas - Traffic accident at Truxel & San Juan involving youth
10:55pm - N Natomas - Curfew stop. “Park Place south on Del Paso Rd”
11:03pm - Del Paso Hts - Traffic stop - Norwood
11:06pm - N Natomas (Natomas Park) - Lackland Way - Resident reports someone setting off illegal bottle rockets
11:19pm - N Natomas - Gang officer curfew stop at In and OUt Burger on Truxel
11:25pm - N Natomas - Gang officer curfew stop at Shell Station at Del Paso Rd. Unknown reason.
11:34pm - Arden Way - Armed robbery at gunpoint - 2 male blacks, on foot on alta arden, Air1 en route
11:37pm - Eastern Way - Armed robbery at gunpoint - Sac Sheriff waved down by citizens - could be related
11:42pm - N Natomas - Gang officer at In and Out on Truxel transporting curfew suspects to center
11:44pm - Alta Arden at Mimi’s Cafe- Sac Sheriff has detained 2 subjects. “Air gun” on their persons. Sac PD and Sac Sheriff on scene. Dispatcher asked if suspects matched description of armed robbery suspects. No further info.
11:53pm - N Natomas - Gang officer curfew stop: Honor Parkway in Regency Park
12:01am - Del Paso Heights - Vehicle vs pedestrian, hit and run
12:05am - Del Paso Heights - Disturbance call
12:14am - Del Paso Heights - hit and run (”481″) , three male blacks
12:27am - N Natomas - Curfew task force reports “drag racing” just east of Arena and Truxel
12:32am - N Natomas - Gang officers calling in multiple curfew violators
12:33am - N Natomas - Probation officer calls in detainment of 3 youths at Tanzanite skatepark in Natomas Crossing - curfew stop
12:45am - Fernando nods off
All right Fernando. Let’s all chip in and pay for some Red Bull…a case should be sufficient for next Friday. Seriously, thanks to Sac PD doing what needs to be done.
Yes, donations are accepted! Joe should put up a virtual “tip jar” for people to support the alimony payments I will be making if I keep staying up that late on weekends!
Way to go Joe! Thank you for the great information and for helping us stay informed. Thank you too Fernando & Sac PD. What an eye opener to hear what police are responding to while I’m safely (at least by my definition) tucked away at home. Sometimes I feel like I live in a parallel universe.
OK sorry to throw cold water on this…but let’s not simplify the issue into a rah-rah police, boo politicians diatribe…You “thank all law enforcement who made personal sacrifice to be in the community last night.” Maybe I’m mistaken, but weren’t they paid (as they SHOULD be) to do this sweep? I’m only pointing out the obvious because it can’t be emphasized enough that these operations, and any initiatives, cost money, and at a time, as you know, when the economy is bad, the budget is shrinking, and the police union is pondering its own sales tax proposal to raise more funds…we need to think about what initiatives provide the best return on investment.
So what I object to is the “personal sacrifice” bit, as if these officers, tired of all the shit and in spite of a lack of funding, rolled up to Natomas on their own time to enforce the law. They did do a good job, but it’s what we fund them for…I’m not debating the difficulty or effectiveness of this operation, I’m saying if we want more like it, let’s remember that there is money behind it, not butterflies and sunshine.
(however, we should definitely thank citizens and volunteers, such as yourself, for their personal efforts in calling attention to these problems and/or report incidents to the police, who cannot be everywhere everytime)
Moppy, I thank you for this outstanding post. I must tell you my own wife asked me “Why are you thanking police for doing their job? They should have been doing this years ago, like when the city first put all the low income housing out here.” So touche.
In any event, your post is thought-provoking and I thank you for it.
Moppy, email me at joejoesacramento at gmail dot com if you want to discuss that topic further. I have a bit more to say if you’re interested. ty!
Sorry Joe but this must be said–
Joe defends and supports the police as much as anyone I know in Sac. Just read his blog article about the retired PD detective that ripped the PD in the Sacto Bee for not finding the guys involved in the natomas crime wave fast enough, and see how Joe defends the PD. Joe has also reached out to the PD and offered his help in many ways now. I myself have told Joe he should not be so nice to the PD because they do play a major part in keeping the community safe and they should not have to be bribed into stepping up their efforts not to mention that as a reporter and blogger he has no obligation at all to even touch bases with the PD at any point let alone rah rah them.
There is even more to this but it’s not my place to say much more than that so I will leave it at that. Sorry Joe if that puts you in a tight spot. But I agree we need to hold everybody who plays a part in public safety accountable for our safety.
In my humble opinion I think if Joe Sac is going to represent the people it should criticize all public agencies equally the police department included.
So I agree with Moppy on this =))
Thanks guys. I am always open to feedback. I see your points, but having served thanklessly in the US military, I am particularly sensitive to the efforts of those who protect the public and how hard their job can be. I will continue to do my best to find that perfect balance between pointing out their shortcomings and giving them the props they rightfully deserve— with the disclaimer that I am by all means, like everyone, a work in progress
Moppy you make a good point about the cost of these operations–especially with the budget cuts. I think I brought those points up in my questions.
Good article, Joe. I agree with moppy the city council and mayor are not the only ones on the hook. How is it that all of a sudden crime is dipping in Natomas without a single additional dollar pumped into their budget? They are obviously doing something different. The problem is, it could all be very short-lived because the last time I heard they do not have the resources to continue saturating Natomas like they are now. I wouldn’t get used to it. It’s election season and crime always dips in those years.
This is great and all but you can’t help but wonder if it’s just a tease. I’ll believe the cops are here to stay after their new budget kicks in. At this point I am still planning to move. I never signed up to live in DA HOOD
The word democracy comes from the Greek words demos (the people) and kratia (power). Thank you for speaking out Joe. More power to you.
Thank you NCG.
Two follow up thoughts I have had based on these comments (which are often better than the articles!)
1. Perhaps the frequency of the curfew sweeps need not be real frequent. Think about traffic enforcement; the cops aren’t shooting radar every day on the freeway, but they do it enough that we know they MIGHT be. So I think the key is to do the curfew sweeps just enough to keep these kids (and their parents) on their toes.
2. Dianne’s “parallel universe” observation is a thought-provoking one. I tend to feel the same way. And I think the reason we are made to feel like this is because we’re only getting a fraction of info about what’s REALLY going on out there through our news outlets and police. Granted, some people will say “I don’t want to know.” These folks would rather watch the First 48 or Cold Case Files about crimes in OTHER cities than follow the ones going on in their OWN neighborhoods. It’s easier that way because when the show’s over they can just go to sleep and forget all of it. For some people it’s just easier to think all that bad crime is happening in someone else’s city. For them life is easier with their head in the sand (right Mayor Fargo?). That’s fine. They are entitled to that position and I don’t knock them for it (unless they are running for mayor). But therein lies a huge conflict..
How do we ensure residents are getting the information they need to keep their families safe AND assist the police as they have asked us to do?
Mayor Fargo has made multiple comments to the effect that it’s not the mayor’s job to make residents “feel unsafe.” She implies someone else should deliver the bad news. I’ll play along for a moment: If it’s not the local government’s job to let the community know when it is unsafe at times, whose job is it? The government lets us know when the air is bad don’t they? They tell old folks and small children to stay inside, right? So why don’t they have the same standards when it comes to informing us of “bad CRIME” days,.. or weeks.. or years for that matter? Why does it take a mayoral candidate (KJ) to bring it to the public’s attention?
Mike would probably respond: “Joe, follow the money. If the mayor says the community is unsafe, tourism suffers, the dating scene suffers, and the city can’t get on the cover of magazines. Not good.” That’s a fair point. Maybe the mayor should NOT be responsible for informing us of unsafe conditions. Maybe the mayor’s position is just cheerleader. (if that is true, KJ is in for a rude awakening from local businesses when he takes over the office and dawns an honorary law enforcement badge)
So who should let us know what is REALLY going on in our neighborhoods? We have a RIGHT to know, don’t you think? When we hear that helicopter over our house and see their spotlight is in our backyard? When three cop cars are screaming down Arden way bumper to bumper? When an ambulance and fire truck are racing through a busy intersection a few miles from our house? Some people may not want to know, but many others DO, and NOT because we are rubberneckers. We care about our community and we want to understand the problems in it so we can—-AS THE POLICE HAVE ASKED US TO DO—-PARTNER WITH THEM to solve the problems. *WE* can work together with police. *WE* can make a difference. The truth is, there are many citizens who have as good or better ideas on how to address crime problems and youth issues in OUR communities than the cops themselves. That’s just reality. But *WE* can not help them if we don’t know what is going on!
The cops might say “we can’t let you guys know everything we’re doing because it would compromise investigations and give the bad guys an edge..” OK, agreed as far as case details go and personal info. But there is a workaround for that. And ultimately, that rebuttal has no legs because HUNDREDS of cities broadcast live police scanners online (including Fargo’s beloved Portland) and those that don’t have implemented innovative online RSS feeds (which are fantastic for alerting the public to amber alerts, fugitives on the move, etc via email, text message, etc etc etc) and most of those cities have lower crime rates than we do. Information needs to be seen as a good thing, not a bad thing.
Call to action: Demand to know what is going on. Support the Joe Sac web site and our police scanner reports. And when the next mayor takes office, demand the city implement either a live scanner feed online or provide within-5-minute-of-call-closure RSS feeds via the city’s web site (in both cases I am certain we can find plenty of tech folks locally who would volunteer to help build the application for the city if they can’t afford to do it).
WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON. I’m tired of living in a parallel universe.
I’m glad that Natomas is getting the police presence it needs, but I’m a little cheesed off that it took a series of negative postings on your site to get the city to do the job it should have been doing all along. This is precisely the “reactive” nature of our current government that you have been talking about. Were the police and the Mayor and Tretheway unaware that there was a curfew problem until you made them aware of it? That almost frightens me more than the lawlessness we see on our streets. Sometimes I’m really ashamed to live in this town. I can only hope that Fargo will be gone in November, and Tretheway soon after. Keep up the good work, Joe.
Thanks, Tom. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Soooooooooo let me get this straight ok cops have a curfew sweep and there is no crime in Norf natomas that night? Which captain obvious thought of this? I have lived in suckramento all my life and I have never seen a curfew sweep. I bet this was Robbie Waters’ idea. He is so john wayne. I bet Lenard Padilla loves this kind of thing. He would be out there with a can of mace like dawg the bounty hunter spraying people like they were dawgs. yawk yawk yawk