“Cause everytime the pigs have got me /they rub it in my face with the flying Nazi/military force, but we don’t want ya/Standin’ on my roof with the rocket launcher /The stuff that I’m saying, better make it heard/Mother$#%@ you and your punk-a$$ ghetto bird..” -Ice Cube, “Ghetto Bird”
Thugs hate ‘em, residents fear ‘em, kids think they’re cool unless they’re outside their bedroom window at midnight, and apparently they are a necessary evil in the war against crime. Now you can track them in real time on the Sac PD’s web site.
Sacramento’s finest must have been deluged with calls about its ubiquitous “ghetto bird” (urban slang for police helicopter). In a blog response earlier today on their web site, “Officer Michelle” informed a reader about a new online feature that will allow residents to follow the flipping bird (I know, I know, shudup, I couldn’t resist), across the valley skies.
Check out the Sac PD blog question from a concerned North Natomas citizen earlier today that prompted the PD to spill the beans:
“We live in NW Natomas and for the 2nd time in 1 week we have had helicopters flying over and near our neighborhood with police on loud speakers warning people to stay in doors and lock an shut windows, or stay where you are or we’ll release the dogs. This is very disturbing. We did not move here thinking this would be a high crime area, but it seems to be turning into it. We would like to know how we find out why a PD helicopter was out, what was going on, and what kind of crime warrants a PD helicopter to fly around vs just squad cars?” -lov2swimnrun
I’m sorry but you have to appreciate the irony of that nick name in a blog about police helicopters… at least if you have a smart ass sense of humor… not that I do…
Seriously though. Welcome to the beautiful place called North Natotalmess, lov2swimnrun! Yep, we got crime, just like everyone else; we just seem to have a lot more than many other neighborhoods. [Ed: gee I wonder why that is. Scratching his head. Hmmm. Beats me, Joe].
I ran a crimemapper report on my street and in the last year and half there have been–get this–over 6,000 crime reports within a 3 miles radius of my home (and I don’t even think that includes the past several months). I ran one for a friend’s house in the Willow Oaks area of Folsom over the same period (which is WAY more populated than Natomas by the way), and there were around 1,000 crime reports. [place here the smiley face icon whose eyes are popping out of its head]
So yeah, crime is big business in North Natomas, and if you’ve lived here a while you have heard that police helicopter many times (too bad it wasn’t around when punks were spraying this Natomas skate park with graffiti – thanks Republicrat for this tip).
We have been here since around 2000, and we’ve heard it at least–speculating–60 times. And no less than 10 of those times it has been directly over our house (presumably not looking for anyone in my family), and shining it’s big spotlight all over our property. [Ed: Hey look on the bright side: you get to watch Cops live in your own backyard!]
Is the bird a good or bad thing? On one hand it enables cops to cover a much wider grid when trying to hunt down a thug who just, e.g., robbed your local dry cleaners at gun point, or snatched your purse in Raley’s, or beat the $#%@ out of your son in the park, or chucked a handful of rocks into your backyard. On the other hand, when the bird bears down on your house with its blades ripping and its megaphone blaring, it puts a bit of a damper on the evening–especially if you have guests over.
I remember the first time it happened to me. I was living in Regency Park at the time. It was about 11:30pm and I had some friends over and we were recording some vocals in my home studio. All of sudden the bird was over my house, and the cops were telling everyone to stay indoors. My kids came running out of their rooms with terrified looks on their faces. I called the non emergency line. The dispatcher said, “we have two in custody and one outstanding. He is considered armed and dangerous. Stay inside sir.”
Cool let’s fire back up the barbecue and sit outside and enjoy a Corona under the stars gang!
It has happened many other times since then. Sadly I have grown accustomed to it. 
I even go outside and watch now. Sometimes I take my Easton aluminum bat with me, hoping to knock one out of the park for my team. Shrug.
The other night my son’s friend who lives in Natomas Park said a fugitive ended up running through her backyard as the bird chased him, squawking orders for him to lay down or face the dogs. Fortunately they caught him. At the time, she had no idea what was going on and was scared out of her wits. At least now she can go online and see what the bird is up to the next time it seems like it’s about to land on her rooftop.
Wait…. I can hear the bird outside right now. No, that is my other laptop fan. It’s hard to tell the difference anymore.
Source: http://blog.sacpd.org/?p=1169
PS: I am still waiting for real time RSS feed for ALL Sac PD calls, same as other cities have. Police scanner on PD’s site would be great, too (ask Portland how they set theirs up, Cheif Braziel).
I feel the same way about the “Ghetto Bird” (to further quote Ice Cube: “at night I see the light through my bedroom window/I ain’t got sh** but a pad and pencil”). I appreciate its utility in tracking suspects/perps, but it unsettles a whole community.
I will do some digging to see if I can find out just what sort of crimes-in-progress warrant the use of the bird.
I agree Joe…Citizens should have real time access to voice dispatch & CAD (Computer Assisted Dispatch)…or at least delayed by like ten minutes (so the criminals cant use it to evade being caught) This would be a tool the PD could use to drum up support …if we could see how many calls they are getting.
The PD could also try to make some money off this….I would also love to see cameras on each police car…which we could watch via the internet through a subscription service…that would be very cool.
Cube! I love Ice Cube. Great combo of pop culture and current events in this blog Joe man. You do that better than anyone I read on the web. Good shiz man.
I am over in Arden-Arcade now. We don’t hear the bird as much as we did when we were in So Natomas that is fo’ sho’. But we do hear it . Maybe bout once a month??? Something like that.
I just heard the helicopter a few nights ago. It was over at the apartments on Bridgecross in Regency Park. It appears to like that apartment complex.
HP Resident…it does because that was built with 80% LOW income residents…My house had a for sale sign up a week after I found out. Sadly, the city doesnt seem to want to do anything to REVERSE what they’ve done. As cold hearted as it sounds, the crime, thugs, and $600 cars with $2000 GIANT rims on them will eventually drive nearly every decent family out of North Natomas. If it weren’t for poor resale or market conditions people would be fleeing. I personally am STUNNED that community associations are not suing the city for negligence. Residents, both present and past could make a firm case pointing out correlations between low income superplexes, high crime rates and poor property values. Everyone there was suckered in, and then given the shaft by putting the decay of western society smack dab in the middle/around all of us. Curse the city to hell for letting it happen.
CB: Wow, compelling commentary. I appreciate the sanity check. I could not agree with you more. I have said time and time and time again there should be lawsuits. In other communities there would–and have– been.
I remember when Laguna was getting built out. Elk Grove was going to put a low income megaplex (also known as “Projects The Sequel”), next to an elementary school near I-5. People picketed. Total homeowner revolt if I remember correctly. They ended up changing the ratio so it was only 7% low income or something. Here? People stood by and did nothing as the hammers hit the nails and the developer johns squirted their cement into every orifice on the farmland and bolted back to SoCal as their stucco babies were born.
I’m as guilty as anyone. I just watched in disbelief. I guess I kept waiting for someone ELSE to get something started. I kept waiting for some LEADER to step up and say “HELL NO!” Perhaps I should have been that person ion retrospect, because such a leader never emerged. Instead we all kept barbecuing and “celebrating Natomas” (I admit I never attended one of those because I can’t find a single reason to celebrate this community
But alas, no one wants to hear the bad news. In fact if you bring it up they’ll point their finger at you and say, “You! You’re part of the problem! All you do is bitch and complain instead of doing something!” And maybe they’re right. But then, as I have said ad nauseam, I did not move to Natomas to be a volunteer police officer or neighborhood watchman. I moved here to do my part in a new community by being the best parent and resident I could be….. raise my kids with values.. get them involved in sports and the community.. volunteer for various organizations in the community… you know.. just being a good citizen.
But that’s not good enough anymore apparently. The definition of a good citizen has changed. You can’t just do the right thing and be considered part of the solution. You literally have to get out there and volunteer at the new police station, attend all the damn city meetings, fight the local absentee councilman at city hall meetings, the list goes on and on. Because if you don’t, you’re considered part of the problem. Ask any of the tools who have blasted me for complaining about the quality of life in North Natotalmess. Ask ‘em. Those do-gooders don’t like mouths like me. They say I’m part of the problem because I’m not out there at their meetings with my volunteer uniform on
Well guess what? I didn’t come here to fight the war against urban crime. I came here to work and be productive and neighborly and be the leader of my HOME. If YOU want to be the neighborhood watchman, go right ahead; but me, I’m working my ass off to be a successful entrepreneur so my business is successful enough to bequeath to my kids some day so they don’t have to work for the corrupt wonks who have taken over our government and our business world. I’m going to church and worshiping my God. I’m working in my spare time to help local charities. I DON’T HAVE TIME to be the neighborhood watchman. I am too busy LIVING my life to have to worry about whether my son is going to be safe playing basketball at Natomas Park Elementary in broad daylight this summer.
Yes, what the city did here is DISGRACEFUL. Heather Fargo and Ray Tretheway(and all their bedfellow developer friends), led the pack of buffoons who allowed it to happen. They are the reason we have a single disconnected bike trail, no pedestrian access, low income superplexes on every corner, and ghetto birds hovering over our house at night. They are the reason that a once quaint little South Natomas is now a haven for criminals and has one of the worst performing high schools in the area.
If wanting my neighborhood to be a place where my kids feel safe to dork around and be kids is “cold hearted,” then I will accept that label without reservation. Because being a robbing, lying, stealing, deceitful, disrespectful THUG is not a condition; it is a CHOICE, and I don’t have sympathy or empathy for any such animal who has CHOSEN to live that way, nor will I be made to feel like a callous jerk for NOT wanting to LIVE near such animals. You don’t see Snoop Doggy Dogg living near them anymore. Keeping it real. Pish. Yeah right. Who wants to live near thugs??? Thugs don’t even want to live near thugs!!! Ha!
Craziest part of all? Ray Tretheway has the BALLS to run again. UNBELIEVABLE. He should be on his knees asking for forgiveness. Instead he’s gearing up to “celebrate” his Frankenstein community again. UNBELIEVABLE. Well, at least we got rid of his queen Fargo. At least she didn’t get another 4 years to make Natomas even worse.
There I said it.
Sue me. At least there would be ONE lawsuit to come out of all this
PS: I agree the city needs to reverse its decisions and change the income requirements for all the super megaplexes so there is no more than about 5% low income in Natotalmess. Spread the low income love to all the other hoods in Sac–especially Fab 40’s and East Sac. The snobs would hate you for leading such a charge, KJ, but the common folk of Natomas would love ya… and you mioght stop the mass migration of families once the market changes..
Thank you Joe! What a great spiel! You are a good man to want a safe neighborhood for your kids and don’t let anyone tell you any different. Your family’s opinion is all that counts young man!
Joe you are so coldhearted. Burrrrrrrrrrrr cold cold cold! j/k
I know where you are coming from Joe. I also agree with you. You and I have talked about this offline before and I know you are not coldhearted. You are just a protective father and family man who wants to live in a relatively safe neighborhood. We agree that low income does not equal low life. But we also agree that low income brings with it low lives. Matter of fact a lot of the crimes that we have seen committed in what you call Natotalmess have been committed not by residents but by thugs who are relatives, friends, or rivals of residents. So your point stands in all of its brutal detail. Well said.
Whatg’s wrong with thugs??>? Don’t be a hater
Joe,
I thought bits of this article and its premise were especially appropriate…kinda ironic that it came out in today’s paper.
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1945169.html
Joe, that was one awesome rant! We just moved to North Natomas last summer and we can’t get out of here fast enough! My heart goes out to all you folks who are stuck here due to declining property values. Hopefully you all can get out in the next five years or so before there is no longer any distinction between North and South Natomas.
Joe thank you for saying what many of us, even those who have attended a city council meeting or two, have been saying for a LONG time. North Natomas has been totally ruined….we can’t afford even 5% more low income projects in this community, although it really doesn’t matter anymore…they’ve ruined it and you’re right, we all should have done something. Funny thing is, when we moved in 2000, we really didn’t know what was going on. We had our first taste of the screw ups with the local park near us. Barely 9 acres, and they told us they wanted to put $200K stadium lights on it. With no parking, just neighborhood streets. We tried to fight that, but as you know, what the city wants to do they do. Now these lights are a beacon to the rest of the ghetto advertising the party is over here. It sucks and it has never, ever been used for “youths soccer games” my ass. It’s always been used by adult soccer leages who conveniently had been kicked out of every other place they had been for causing problems.
But I digress….just this week, on Friday night, all four tires on our daughter’s car were slashed, with a knife, through the sidewalls. Our neighbor, our 97 year old almost blind neighbor, had her garage door tagged with red spray paint…..a nice vulgar picture too. There were six other cars with slashed tires; an entire street had cars egged all the way down, and a Norte gang tag that matched the neighbors garage spray painted on the sidewalk alongside the afore mentioned park.
We report every activity every time we can but it’s damn exhausting. It’s every single night. This place is a total hood and it’s never getting better. Don’t get me started on the schools, but for those of you who do not yet have children in Inderkum High School, I feel for you. Don’t do it….figure out someone who lives in the Regency Park / Twin Rivers district and enroll at Rio Linda High School. The difference in the schools is huge, huge. They still have a police officer, who actually knows all the kids and the principal does too. We did not have ONE phone call, not one, from the school this last semester warning us of guns, drugs, fights, etc. Not one phone call. I can tell you we had them almost monthly from Inderkum. While picking up a friend on his last day at Inderkum last week, our daughter said there were apparently 10 police cars on campus? What the heck, were the Laker’s celebrating all the way up here?
The minute, the very minute our house can actually sell for what we owe on it, we are out of here. Never again would be buy in a new community, never again anywhere near a city that supports 15% inclusionary housing.
Natomas is a total mess and I too am tired of being told to volunteer for this, or that. Are we going to get a refund on our taxes for cleaning the local parks, I don’t think so. I prefer to spend my volunteer time where I can make a difference at our local animal shelter. Talk about another group of victims …
Yay Joe! A lone voice of reason in a sea of euphoric voices. I tell ya half the North NatoMESS residents must be on Prozac or something if they love this so-called “community.” I am sorry but this is not what I call a community, this is nothing more than dumping grounds for (as you called them) developer johns to squirt off their wildest stucco fantasies (gosh I LOVE Joe’s vivid metaphors and analogies!!!).
I have to laugh when you anticipate the way people respond to those of us who “bitch” about the area. You are so right! And don’t forget they will also say “There are a lot worse neighborhoods than North Natomas!” and they will call you an aristocrat for not wanting to live in the midst of the criminal element. You can’t demand a high quality of life anymore without being labeled an “elitist”–which is exactly why the values in this country have completely been washed away.
Sad!
We too are getting out of here as soon as possible.
Becky: I am sorry about what you have experienced. My wife and I really empathize with you. I haven’t posted half the crap we have experienced and observed while living here. We have been inches away from moving on several occasions.. and we’re still inching… more and more every day.
Keith: please email that comment direct to Becky as it may be a bit too revealing about her identity/location and I don’t want to post it without her consent. Thanks
By the way folks…it’s not just North Natomas that is having the crime problems…It’s ALL of Natomas. I don’t know how Tretheway can sleep at night…well actually, I kind do…he lives in a very quiet dead end street up against the levee…he doesn’t see the crime the rest of us do…and he is a uber Liberal who believes in the bid social experiment that is his district. It is all his fault that all of the low income housing in the City has been directed into his District.
Like Joe has said before, I can’t believe that this guy has the guts to run again for office.
What Natomas needs is a conservative city council member, but that will never happen in this union controlled town.
So all of you complaining about the crime in Natomas, who continue to vote for Liberal candidates can blame yourselves for voting in weak on crime candidates…
Yes I know full well it is So Natomas, too. So Natomas is even WORSE. Very sad because there are some great families and kids over there.
I completely agree that a tough-on-crime councilperson is needed for this district. No doubt about it. Enough of the tree-huggers. All that greenie stuff is fine and dandy when you have good schools, safe streets, great businesses, etc in your community, but otherwise it should be way down the priority list.
Correct me if I’m wrong but Tretheway and his friends spent $1,000,000++ on a playground structure for tots last year…. and people lined up in droves to help him. I was told it was a “symbol of community pride.” Wow. Who cares about “symbols” when thugs are sneaking through your backyard and tapping on your kids’ windows at night?? Residents should have told Ray to take his tree fort and stick it.. especially after the last one burned down AGAIN (no word on what happened to the punk who allegedly lit it on fire.. accidentally… yeah right)
I am hoping a tough-on-crime candidate steps up for the council race. I have yet to see one as of yet.
NO WAY RAY
Hmmm…. What do you suppose a “tough-on-crime candidate” would look like? What accomplishments would you like that person to have had or statements that person to have made?
(And I understand your point about my comment to Becky… I’ll forward to her privately. Thanks.)
Keith, I think first and foremost the person should have a “hell no, not in my neighborhood!” attitude towards crime. Ironically I think YOU have the right mindset. So it would be someone with an attitude like yours, but with a broad focus that extended over the freeway of course. Maybe someone who had been in law enforcement or social work. Preferably someone of color so they could raise all kinds of hell about crime and never be labeled an elitist or racist
As an aside.. we drove through DPH yesterday on the way to pick up our son in Citrus Heights (we sometimes take that route—> Del Paso Rd to its end, then under freeway, through DPH up to Del Paso Rd, then to Highway 80–I highly recommend this trip for a serious reality check). I know a lot of this area is not in D1, but MY GOD what a wasteland. WTF is the city thinking? They should be ashamed.
Back in the early 90’s–before I was married with kids–I used to hang out in DPH and play basketball. I had friends that lived there as well. There was a great soul food joint on Del Paso Blvd owned by a friend of a friend. We were there daily. Of course that joint is long gone. All there is now is garages, churches, abandoned churches, and blight. It’s so sad
Sac PD is on the lookout for the creekside vandals, but they haven’t caught them yet:
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/crime/archives/2009/06/vandals-who-sla.html
Mr. Sharward…A tough on crime candidate would be a council person that puts public safety before any other expenditure…like dog parks, play structures, community centers, tree counts etc…
I include youth programs in public safety…this needs to be a priority. While some conservatives would say this is a social program, I say it is a pragmatic approach to a real problem…lack of opportunities for youth due to bad parents or sub cultures of crime and violence. Being very tough on crime and offering alternatives at the same time is not a mutually exclusive proposition.
At the same time we offer youth opportunities, we need to carry a big stick…we need a gang suppression task force in Natomas. We need an LAPD approach…hit them hard and often, and give them diversion programs…they can either get into school, get into a training program, get a job or go to jail.
The problem in Sacramento is priority of funding. This City is ran by ultra liberals who throw money at every pet green or Lefty idea that comes around the pike. We need a council member who is willing to make the tough cuts necessary in city staff and spending so we can afford to fully fund our police department, a gang task force and strict code enforcement. (code enforcement is an often overlooked, yet very necessary service) Due to the unions controlling the Democrats who control this city, unfortunately, all they will do is give lip service to public safety.
This is the deference between Independent and Republican candidates and Democrats. (though I pretty much detest Republicans as well) The Dems never diverge from what the unions want… and the very sad part is that even SPOA is so rapidly union, that they fight against cuts in the number of non-public safety public employees. They are shooting themselves and the PD’s budget in the foot.
We need to lay off 400-500 city employees. We wont see much real difference in services provided. We can contract out the functions of these employees to the lowest bidder, who we do not have to pay CalPERS for. We should require that all contracts with the City require local hiring and target at-risk youth for jobs like mowing lawns at our parks, painting buildings, janitorial services, maintenance, and even skilled trade services.
We have the ability to make real change in this city, yet despite the economic collapse of our city, the leaders in this city will not change course in any manner, it’s business as usual.
So the community much pay the price for continually voting in union controlled insiders who will do nothing to bring change to our City… I say the People of this City deserve exactly what they are getting. Ye reap what you sow.
Community Dis-Organizer, it’s hard for me to disagree with any of that. Personally, I’m either “right on board” with what you just wrote, or “I’m probably with you but let’s explore that a little more” (as I am on many of societal issues).
For what it’s worth, I’ve been a “Decline to State” voter since, I think, when I first registered 21 years ago. I tend to be conservative and “free market” on fiscal issues and liberal and “to each his own” on many social issues, ala libertarianism (minus the capital “L”).
I think Dee Hock said it best — relating to employees, but I think it can be applied to elected leaders as well: “Hire and promote first on the basis of integrity; second, motivation; third, capacity; fourth, understanding; fifth, knowledge; and last and least, experience. Without integrity, motivation is dangerous; without motivation, capacity is impotent; without capacity, understanding is limited; without understanding, knowledge is meaningless; without knowledge, experience is blind. Experience is easy to provide and quickly put to good use by people with all the other qualities. (Source: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/05/dee2.html)
Joe-
Your comments were spot on and thank you for the cheer section behind my comments.
I, much the same way you, Becky and other residents plead with city officials to do something at the onset of all the problems. I had Ray Treathaway’s cel phone number, I had the cel number of the Graffitti Abatement officers assigned to our area, I called the police constantly reporting anything suspicious and organized a neighborhood watch on my court. It was amazing and as Becky eluded to, EXHAUSTING. I couldnt believe some of the things going on around me. I for one was tired of having to police the irresponsible socially misguided hood youth around me and resented the city for turning a blind eye and allowing it to happen. I mean really, how many thugs is enough!?!?!?!?!?
We aint seen nothing yet in Natomas. I was up at the Shell station on Saturday and there were FOUR (4) cars there, ALL with 12″ subwoofers banging raunchy rap songs (you know the kind where the language is so bad that if you have your dear mother in the car like I did–you CRINGE inside and out as you pump your gas). They were literally COMPETING to see whose music could get louder. One was a 45+ year old lady. I kid you not. This is a time when you wish you had Jim Knapp with you to yell “Hey turn down your $#%@%A@# music my kids are in the car!!” (I love Jim’s tenacity). Anyway, I wasn’t so lucky. I instead had my mom and wife and kids with me. I had to shut up and quietly pump my gas as quickly as possible so I could get the hell out of there. Man I thought Elk Grove had some shady characters out and about. Man….
Good one. I think this defines a lot of us here in Natomas.
Hey Joe,
We had a similar gas station experience recently at the Chevron on Del Paso Road near Arena/Jack In The Box. We were on our way back to West Roseville and stopped for gas leaving a Rivercats game. My buddy literally ran out of the station store after picking up a coffee. He said he’d never heard the N bomb dropped so many times in 5 minutes in his life. It looked like a scene out of Fast and The Furious I kid you not. At least 20 or so KIDS loitering with ZERO consideration for those around them. Who raises these punks!?!?!?!? My god!
Joe-
Any idea when this will go live? Ghetto Bird is over my house as I type for the 3rd time in a week. I was hoping to get some info and came back here to find the link. It doesn’t look like it’s up yet.