Sacramento, California, officials and law enforcement authorities recently announced a drop in violent crime for the first nine months of 2023, as compared to the same period last year, with leaders suggesting collaborations with community-based organizations are responsible for the improvement.
“Something is going right here in the City of Sacramento,” Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said during a press conference Oct. 25. “We have built community ... relationships between police and community-based organizations.”
Citing citywide statistics, he announced a drop of more than 18 percent for all violent crimes, with homicides and rapes both down more than 40 percent.
While violent crime is down nationwide, Sacramento’s declines outpaced national averages, he said, but added more needs to be done.
“Even these reductions don’t mean that there isn’t real crime in Sacramento,” Mr. Steinberg said. “The work needs to continue.”
Looking to expand collaborative efforts, the City Council approved $3.2 million in October to strengthen 13 organizations working with local officials in the community.
Strategies differ by organization, from engaging with youth to provide positive role models and opportunities for those in at-risk neighborhoods, to homeless outreach, and providing career development for disadvantaged communities to reduce criminal activity.
One organization working with officials, Brother 2 Brother, is having success due to open dialogue with law enforcement, according to its leader, Marv Brookings.
“We’re out here doing real life interventions,” Mr. Brooking said during the press conference. “And I want to thank law enforcement.”
Such is possible because some officers are taking a different approach to apprehending young offenders, he said.
“Oftentimes in the past when law enforcement encountered a youth that may be acting up, the only option they had was to take them to juvenile hall, or if they’re a little bit older, take them to jail,” Mr. Brookings said. “Today, you have law enforcement officers that will stop and call a community-based organization.”
Even with the improved statistics, reports of burglaries, thefts, and other nonviolent crimes are on the rise over the same period, according to police data.
Authorities also noted that violent crime spiked significantly in Sacramento after the pandemic, far exceeding national averages—prompting a renewed focus on public safety, according to Sacramento Police Chief Katherine Lester.
“We worked very hard to come up with a strategy,” Ms. Lester said during the press conference.
The city will also soon benefit from new federal funding, as one of six nationwide selected by the U.S. Department of Justice to receive a public safety partnership grant—designed to increase the number of federal prosecutions for crimes committed in the area.
“We were very blessed,” Ms. Lester said. “And I really believe the reason we were chosen has to do with this incredible partnership that we have between public safety, law enforcement, and our community.”
While grateful for the reduction in violent crime, some critics suggested that the statistics were cherry-picked to highlight improvements while avoiding inconveniences such as property crimes and homeless encampments.
“Their numbers mean nothing if we don’t feel safe,” Juana Hernandez, who lives with her husband east of downtown Sacramento, told The Epoch Times. “We see more crime now than before.”
