Some of you may be frustrated with the recent car show activity. Specifically, the large groups of vehicles and people that have gathered along Broadway and/or in Land Park. I understand your frustrations because these events often come with loud music, people driving recklessly, cars blocking driveways and other violations of the law. January 30th, there was a large sideshow along Broadway and in Land Park. I know this impacted many of you and I completely understand your frustrations.
I want to share a bit more about what we were dealing with January 30th. In no way, is this an excuse, but I know it will be beneficial for all of you to understand some of the challenges we face with other major events, significant calls, and the specific challenges when responding to this type of activity.
- Other major events: Saturday, January 30th, in addition to this car show, our police department was also monitoring two separate sideshows. One sideshow was in our South Command (Police District 5) and the other one was in North Natomas (Police District 1). These events pull a lot of resources, including patrol officers, helicopter personnel, and other law enforcement agencies. Due to this increased activity we have experienced with these types of events, we have designated a police officer, from our South Command, to monitor social media and track these events. Additionally, this designated officer formulates plans to safely respond to these events and take enforcement action (if applicable and safe to do so). At times, we learn of these events via social media. Other times, we find out as soon as we receive calls or observe them happening.
- Significant calls: January 30th, while our officers at South Command were dealing with two different car events, there were also two other significant calls in our Police District 4, including a shooting at 16th Street and Broadway and a vehicle pursuit on 52nd Avenue, with multiple law enforcement agencies involved, that led to a foot pursuit and K9 deployment.
- Challenges specific to responding to these events: When we respond to these events, we need to make sure our response is safe for everyone involved. During these trying times for our profession, even during routine traffic stops, our officers are faced with people challenging them. This includes people being uncooperative, argumentative, resistive, combative, and many other hostile acts. Our officers are not always perfect; however, I am extremely proud of the restraint and professionalism they constantly display. As you can imagine, when responding to a large group of cars and people (sometimes multiple hundreds), when taking enforcement action, if applicable, our officers must take all safety precautions and ensure there is sufficient staffing to do it safely.
I hope this provides some insight on some of the staffing challenges we face when dealing with these events and the safety measures we need to take. Most importantly, please know that our police department cares about your valid concerns and we will continue to provide you all with the best service possible, regardless of the challenges we face.
When these events happen and you see/hear the violations, please do not hesitate to call our non-emergency number at (916) 808-5471. Of course, if it’s an emergency, call 911 immediately.
As always, please reach out if I can help with anything.
Vance Chandler, Sacramento Police Department, South Command