Ask Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - New Open Carry Decision

2012-04-10T16:34:31Z

Posted by RTribble

Hi Officer Michelle,

I am curious about laws regarding carrying a firearm. I know that i can carry my handgun on my own proprity like my home Place of buisness ETC. Im Currious about California ban on open carry in public I live in a mobile home park I know if i choose to I can carry my wepon on my belt in my home my backyard ETC. But what about the rest of the mobiel home park it is private proprity but not a “public place” only park residents and there guests are allowed inside. So my qustion is if i was fore exampale walikng to my community mail box and had my handgun in a holster on my hip would that be illegal? If not can the proprity manager tell me I cant carry it if i rent from him?

Dear RTribble,

On January 1, 2012, Assembly Bill 144 trumped the ability to carry an unloaded firearm in a public place. It is now a misdemeanor if caught carrying an unloaded firearm on your belt for the first offense.

You may still carry a firearm on your own property or in your own place of business for the purpose of protection. This doesn’t apply to other areas on private property. Once you leave the curtilage of your own property, the old law no longer applies.

Even with all of the rights to bear arms for protection purposes, there are still exemptions with some citizens possessing a firearm. Some of the exemptions include people who have been convicted of certain misdemeanors, certain firearms offenses, persons who are addicted to narcotics, those who have been arrested for domestic violence, and those who have been committed to a mental institution. You can look up all of the California gun laws by going to www.oag.ca.gov/firearms. There is a lot of information that may clear up any confusion or any questions you may have on the topic.

Take care,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Barking Dog Could Be Considered Excessive Noise

2012-03-25T18:22:33Z

Posted by lilian,

Hi,
Question about what constitutes “excessive noise” that would justify a complaint to the city. I received a letter from animal control stating that a neighbor filed a complaint that my dog barks excessively. I found out recently that this neighbor sleeps until about 10 a.m. is awoken by my dog around 9 a.m. How can this be considered excessive barking? Isn’t construction allowed to begin at 7 a.m.? And what are the laws for people who play drums, i.e., how early can they start? How early can garden service start, i.e., how early can they run a lawnmower? I understand that these are things that can be settled/compromised between neighbors but apparently my neighbor prefers to involve the city.

Dear lilian,
So your dog is having a “barkathon” while you are away? The general noise ordinance for the city of Sacramento states that between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day are the times in which officers can enforce the ordinance. Citizens can call the non-emergency number and have an officer dispatched. We will give the involved parties a warning. If the problem continues after we leave and the police receive a second call, we would then cite the concerned parties. The city’s Animal Services Division, as you already know, handles barking dog complaints. They will give you a chance to correct the barking issue, especially because you weren’t aware that your dog was so vocal. Call the number of the Animal Control officer that issued you the notice and start a dialog. You can reach them by calling 311.

The city’s Code Enforcement Division is responsible for the investigation of complaints of ongoing and aggravated noise which require monitoring with sound level meters, or which are of a habitual or mechanical nature. Two common examples are a garage or residence being used as a rehearsal hall, or local bars where music or amplified sound disturbs those residing or working in the area. You can contact the Code Enforcement Division at 916-264-5948 if you have questions. The public can use their on-line form to register complaints.

Take care,
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - How To Get Money Back From Closed Spa

2012-02-19T18:35:38Z

Posted by Shari

Zen Spa on H Street has closed. We still have an open account there and would like to get this money back. How can we do that. I phoned and message line is full. I have no telephone numbers of persons who worked there and on the web there is no place to contact this closed business. Please give me some direction in obtaining a refund of the money that hasn’t been used.

Dear Shari,

What you have is a civil issue. If you can’t get a hold of anyone affiliated with the spa, or they refuse to refund you, you could contact the Better Business Bureau and the Department of Consumer Affairs. The Department of Consumer Affairs sometimes has the name of the business owner who requested the license. You can start a search through public records for an address to send a letter. I also found another number you may want to try. Call 475-1224. It was an automated voice telling me to leave a message after the beep. Just a side note, the Zen Spa in Roseville said that they weren’t affiliated with the one downtown. Good luck.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Getting Drug Offender Registration Removed

2012-02-12T18:58:20Z

Posted by mrsking

My mentally ill adult son who lives with me, was out walking, got picked up, taken to the police station, and tested for illegal drugs. He was not taken to jail. Test results were 100-percent negative for any illegal drugs, and positive for a psychiatric medication. I provided proof to the police that my son’s psychiatric medication was a legitimate prescription.
However, police now believe my son is an illegal drug user because their computers say he was arrested for drugs. What can be done to clear this up?
Thank you.

Dear mrsking,

I feel for you that you are dealing with a son who has a mental illness. I work around people with mental illness on a daily basis and I know that it can’t be easy for you.

I’m not sure what happened with your son. The police don’t test people for illegal drug use unless it is to take blood and/or urine for a DUI or in conjunction with a blood test involving a felony arrest. The samples are sent away to a lab and take time for the results to arrive.

What may have happened is that your son had a substance on him that officers thought may be illegal drugs. The drugs can be preliminarily tested to see if they test positive for a drug. If your son didn’t have his medication in a prescription bottle or have the prescription with him, the officers may have thought he was in possession of the drug illegally.

If your son had been arrested for drugs in the past, he may be flagged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as a registered drug offender. The only agency who could remove that would be the DOJ. You can look at this website for more information http://oag.ca.gov/contact or call (916) 322-3360.

Until the flag is removed, each time your son is run in the system by law enforcement, it will pop up with the registered drug offender flag. If your son is on probation or parole, he can be stopped at any time by law enforcement and searched. He could have agreed to this stipulation in order to get out of jail.

Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Officers Using Cellphones While Driving

2012-02-05T20:08:43Z

Posted by cyd evans

I saw an officer talking on a cell phone while driving a marked car yesterday. Don’t the same rules apply to police officers as the general public regarding only using hands free devices?

Dear cyd evans,

Police officers are to abide by the same rules of the road as citizens. However, there are some exceptions to these rules – for instance, when talking on a cell phone while driving, California Vehicle Code Section 23123 (d). This section does not apply to an emergency services professional using a wireless telephone while operating an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in Section 165, in the course and scope of his or her duties. This translates to, if the officer is using the phone for official business then this law applies. If they are talking to their spouse about non-police business for example, then they are in the wrong.

Police do a lot of business on their cell phones, and our cars are like our offices. We use the computers and cell phones for every call for service. We coordinate with other units, with dispatch, records, get additional information from victims, talk to citizens, Deputy District Attorneys, supervisors, and coordinate with outside agencies all on the cell phone. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - What To Do About a Friend Who's Using Drugs

2012-01-08T19:02:36Z

Posted by MartinM

Hi,I suspect that my friend Is using drugs,I am almost sure he is using some kind of drugs.Should I report him? After all I am not 100% sure,but he has had some problems before.

Thank you.

Dear MartinM,

It sounds like you have some concerns about your friend using drugs. You may be right. Have you discussed this with your friend? He may need help and police involvement may not be the best route. Your friend may need some intervention from friends and family. There are many drug and alcohol clinics in Sacramento and in the outlying region where your friend may seek help.

If your friend is selling drugs or furnishing the drugs to others, then you should call the police. Being under the influence of a narcotic or drug is a misdemeanor in this state. If they are operating a motor vehicle, or are involved in caring for children while under the influence, it could be a felony, especially if it your friend gets into an injury accident.

If your friend is on probation or parole, his agent should be notified. It is a violation of the conditions of the probation/parole if the subject uses illegal drugs during the time they are on this status.

Your friend may also have a mental condition such as bi-polar. People with this condition may act strange, have mood swings, have disrupted sleeping patterns, and change their social behavior which may present much like a person on drugs. They may distance themselves from their friends and family. I am not a physician, but I do work with people with mental illness every day, and have been working with them for 21 years, so I do have some exposure.

Several years ago, I did a series on our blog entitled, "Drug Trends and Teens." I laid out some the different types of drugs that are often abused. Attached is the link: http://blog.sacpd.org/2007/02/09/drug-trends-and-teens-2/ You may want to read the article and familiarize yourself with the different types that fit the behavior of your friend. I hope you will be able to help your friend. Keep me posted.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Unusual Use of ATM Card after a Night of Drinking

2011-12-18T20:18:16Z

Posted by dram13

Hello,

I went out Friday night with some friends and had a bit too much to drink. We took a taxi from the bar and the next day I find out from my bank that over $700 was taken from my account. I had zero money in my wallet and it was shown that money taken out from multiple ATMS before I got home. There are three possibilites I see happening. A) I was guided by the people I was with to take money out while I was intoxicated B) People took my password and card out of my wallet while I was asleep and took money out C) Taxi driver did either A or B. I know that under the law if a girl is intoxicated and a male sleeps with her, it can be considered rape since she was not in the right frame of mind; can the same logic apply to my scenario? My bank is willing to reimburse me but I have to file a police report. Is it reasonable that I do so, at least to find out what happened?

Dear dram13,

There are so many reasons not to get so drunk that you lose control of your faculties – especially for a female. I am glad that you are alright.

Go online at sacpd.org and file a police report. Some banks can provide footage of the ATMs where your card was used, thus exposing which one of your acquaintances used your card. You will also want to annotate the cab company that you used and any specific information about the driver if you can remember, in your report.

Taking advantage of a person who is incapacitated is morally wrong, but it sounds like you don’t have any recollection of the night at all. Do you know if you gave consent to use your ATM card, or did you draw money out before you became impaired? You may regain some of the memories of the evening and hence be able to put some pieces of the puzzle together. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Concerns About Kidnapper out on Parole

2011-12-11T19:11:38Z

Posted by cherylwin

Can I complete a restraining order on someone without providing my location? This is a person who was in prison for kidnapping me years ago and is now free and off parole as of yesterday.

Dear cherylwin,

It must be unnerving for you knowing that the man who once victimized you is out. Here’s what you should do. His parole agent should have already put those conditions on his parole prior to getting out of prison. You may want to call Parole and make sure the condition to stay away from you was added. He must only know your name and you don’t need to supply your address. If you see the man anywhere near you, call the police. If he attempts to contact you via telephone, mail, or text, call the Police Department and his parole agent. He will be detained and his parole agent will promptly be called and his parole will be violated thus sending him back to jail.

In the meantime, let your neighbors know about your situation. They can be a lookout for you when you aren’t there. You might also want to invest in an alarm system. Keep me posted on this.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Suspicious Abandoned Vehicles

2011-12-04T22:46:26Z

Posted by bmclemons

Hello Michelle.. Question.. I’m aware of a vehicle which obviously hit something when the driver was drunk not sure if it was a pole or something, but was able to make it back. The car is sitting in an apartment complex garage now for over 3 months and is completely totaled. Shouldn’t this be reported to either DMV or the authorities?

Dear bmclemons,

You could call the police department in your jurisdiction and report it as a suspicious vehicle. The dispatcher will ask you what the license plate is. It may be a stolen vehicle, or a vehicle involved in a crime. If it doesn’t have a plate attached to the vehicle, an officer can still be sent out to check the vehicle identification number (VIN). The VIN will contain all of the vehicle data information.

If it is not listed as stolen, it would be the duty of the property owner to have the vehicle towed from the premises. If it was reported as stolen, the registered owner would be called, and the police would have the vehicle towed to a tow yard from the rotational list.

Thank you for your post.
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Camping Ordinance In Front of Stores?

2011-11-28T18:37:40Z

Posted by Jib916

Good Morning Michelle.
I had a question regarding how you plan on handling the occupiers/campers camping in front of best buy and other big box retail stores for black Friday.

If Sacramento has a no tent policy, isn’t it only fair that these peoples camping equipment shall be confiscated, just like the protesters? After all the law is the law.

Any response would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You
Justin Buell

Dear Justin,

The “no tent” policy you are speaking about refers to occupying a camping space on city/county property. When people camp in front of stores in anticipation for stores to open or to get prime tickets at a box office, they are occupying space on private property. We typically don’t enforce the city ordinance on private property unless the business owners have an issue with individuals causing a specific problem. We will enforce the law if the store owners have a “no loitering” sign posted.

There are other issues that go along with the camping ordinances. Sometimes, people bring their children out to camp out. If the conditions are such that it is posing an unsafe environment for a child, officers can enforce the 273 code of the California Penal Code which is basically the code referring to child endangerment. I mean, have you seen the news footage where some people are nearly trampling each other to get inside the store when it opens?

I know that some of the stores are only allowing an allotted number of people in every 15 seconds to alleviate this problem. Thank you for your concern.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Police Arrest Two in Connection with Beating a Mentally Challanged Woman

2011-11-20T22:26:31Z

Posted by ron_lopez2011

Please extend my personal thanks to the officers involved in the arrest of Rasaan Zawadi. I hope you get his accomplices too. That story just bugged me to the core; thank you for what you guys do.

Dear ron_lopez2011,

Thank you Ron! For those of you who aren’t familiar with Rasaan Zawadi, he was one of two bullies who were shown in a viral video taunting and punching a handicapped woman in front of a South Sacramento store. Zawadi was seen harassing and punching the female victim several times. Another suspect, 19-year-old Donnell Wade, who was seen punching the female in the face and knocking her out, was also arrested for the crime.

According to a recent press release, “We received calls from throughout the country inquiring about the investigation. Detectives assigned to the case discovered that patrol officers had responded to an assault call on October 1, 2011, at approximately 12:11 p.m., near Center Parkway and Mack Road. The officers arrived, finding that the suspects had fled the scene and the victim, a 42-year-old female, did not wish for prosecution at that time.”

On November 12, 2011 police were called to the area of Omaha Court and Seyferth Way in South Sacramento regarding a weapons call. Upon arrival Donnell Wade began to run from police. He was taken into custody without incident for his involvement in the attack. The weapons call was not related to Donnell.

The Sacramento Police Department urges anyone with information pertaining to this suspect to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP (4357) or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.”

Ask Officer Michelle - Reporting Suspicious Subjects

2011-11-06T17:11:12Z

Posted by ted bas

Greetings! I enjoy reading these archive articles. Thanks.
In my neighborhood, I suspect 3 individual who are, I believe, are in constant plans to rob empty home. One of them daily eye on certain vehicles which would have left their residence. I believes he communicates this to his partner and then determines who else is left behind on a house they plan to steal from. Yesterday I went out to the area where he usually observes. when he saw me, we walked away like guilty for some reason. Today, he is out there but in a more secluded area, eyeing or in a look out for some vehicle while he talks to his friend in the cell phone. Need your advice. I am willing to help to prevent any crime. Thank you for your help. Incidentally, I usually call the non emergency number, however, this may be trivial. Thanks.

Dear ted bas,

What you should do is call the police department and report a suspicious subject. Be ready to describe the subjects to the dispatcher from head to toe, (ie., height, weight, race, hair color/style, clothing description, etc). If there is a vehicle involved, be ready to describe the car as well. It would be optimum if you had a license plate, but try to get it without putting yourself in any kind of danger.

If there has been an increase of home burglaries in your neighborhood lately, let the dispatcher know that as well. You are probably right. These subjects are doing what we call “casing.” They’re looking for opportunities to victimize people. By calling us, you may be preventing a crime-in-progress. You are to be commended for being such an astute neighbor. If you don’t already have an established Neighborhood Watch group, I would suggest that you start one. There is information on our website at www.sacpd.org on how to establish a Neighborhood Watch.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Shared Duplex Debate Over Medical Marijuana Smoke

2011-10-23T16:38:22Z

Posted by logsmom08

Hi Officer Michelle!

I am a renter in the Sacramento area. I live in a duplex and share the other half of the house with someone who has a ‘medical card’. My neighbors and I share a garage wall in our duplex and I am assuming that they smoke in their garage because when I walk in my garage, the stink about knocks me over. Do I have any rights to ask them to stop smoking in the garage or anywhere where I and my family can smell or be effected by it?

Dear logsmom08,

The best thing you can do about that is to speak with your landlord. Some landlords have their renters sign a marijuana smoking clause now. The law about smoking marijuana regardless if it is for medicinal purposes is that it can’t be smoked in a place where the public has access. Now, even though the garage is a part of his/her residence, it is still a common area to you and your family. If there are children who live in your or your neighbor’s residence, that could also change things.

Medicinal marijuana can be ingested in different ways as well as not to have the smoke permeate into your home, or linger in the garage. If you are on good terms with your neighbor, you may want to ask them to smoke it when you are not home, or suggest that he/she ingest it a different way. Keep me posted.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Citizen Concerned About Neighbors' Pitbulls

2011-10-16T17:43:23Z

Posted by neighborwatch

Hi Michelle,
We recently had new neighbors move in the house behind ours. They have a few dogs, 2 of which are large pit bulls.
The first thing we noticed were the dogs barking for extended periods of time, all hours of the night. The tenants are home, but seem to ignore the barking. Recently we’ve witnessed 3 instances where the largest dog is attacking the other dogs/other possible animals in their backyard. Vicious attacks which leave their deck stained with blood.

The most recent incident involved the woman trying to separate the dogs, and she was thrown to the floor and screaming. I called 911 as I felt her life was in danger. Unfortunately I don’t know what happened next because the police never came to question me. It looks like the dogs may have been taken in by animal control, but I’m not certain.
My big concern is what happens if they return? I have 3 small children who I no longer allow to play in the backyard for fear that the dogs could breach the fence. I am terrified after witnessing a woman being attacked by her own dog.
What type of recourse do I have?
Another factor is suspicious activity surrounding the basement area of their home. Shady characters are lead through their back door to an area of the backyard which I cannot see from my vantage point. We can’t figure out if dog breeding is going on, or drug activity or what? I’m feeling a little out of my league here :)
Any suggestions are appreciated.

Dear Neighborwatch,

It sounds like Animal Control handled the situation. You were right in calling 911 on them. Chances are that once Animal Control takes the dogs, they won’t be coming home. You can call Animal Control (dial 311) and voice your concerns. Since the dogs have already exhibited aggressive behavior, you don’t want to take any chances with 3 small children. If you believe that they are illegally breeding and selling dogs, you would also express that to Animal Control.

As far as the suspicious behavior, you need to be more specific. If you think your neighbors are involved in illegal narcotics, call our Narcotic’s Tip Line at 808-5796. Are there any suspicious smells like chemicals emitting from the residence? Are there people coming and going at all times of the day and night? Have you seen any drugs, scales, packaging materials, money transactions?

It sounds as though you have really strong instincts about this residence, and may very well be right.
Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Video Taping Police on Duty

2011-10-09T14:46:22Z

Posted by GARYA73

Is it illegal to video record an on-duty peace officer?

Dear GARYA73,

In the State of California, it is legal to video tape a peace officer, if you are in public and have a legal right to be there. You must not impede the officer in any way while they are in the course of his/her duties. If a crime scene has been established, members of the public may not cross it, even to film. This may lead to contaminating evidence within the crime scene.

This happens all the time. Everyone has a camera phone or a video recorder and officers are constantly being scrutinized. The other issue is that people often post their videos on social media networks.

I am of the philosophy that if you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, it is not a problem. I however, don’t want to be on a media website without my consent. Public perception is very important, but what people have to understand is the whole picture. Say I get a call for service about a man who is aggressively panhandling and harassing citizens downtown. Say this person is a repeat offender and they have an extensive background with the police. I contact this subject and begin asking him questions about his identity and what he is doing. Say he gets indignant and begins talking about his rights and police harassment. Say a bystander starts taping at that moment before they know the whole situation. This is what concerns me. When things are taken out of context, the public’s perception of the police, based upon the video, is biased.

If the public is going to video a cop while they are in the course of their duties, it should at least be done responsibly.

Thank you for writing.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - A Personal Assistance Shady Request

2011-09-18T18:01:33Z

Posted by gigglebabe

this may be silly but need some info
My daughter looking for summer work decided to place a ad on craigs list. she received a replay from a guy and said he needed a personal assistant she was all caught up in making her on money she said she would do what ever it was he needed long story short her first task was to take these money orders and cash them , then western union the money, thought it was weird but told her the bank or post office would be able to tell if they were fake well they were, i just want to know that she wont be in trouble for taking them to the post office (they kept them and said they would be turned over to the investigators) and should we contact this person and tell them we got them cashed I for one would like this person caught and dealt with.

Dear gigglebabe,

It sounds to me that your daughter was caught up in a possible counterfeit/money laundering scam.

Personal assistants pick up dry cleaning, groceries and run errands; they do not cash money orders. This man was taking advantage of your daughter. What will happen now is that the postal inspectors will contact your daughter to get more detailed information and corroborate what she told them. They will continue their investigation from there. Since the US Postal Service is now involved, this is a federal investigation and your daughter must be truthful and tell the postal inspector what she knows. I don’t know the extent in which your daughter is involved, the status of this case and I am only responding to information you are giving me.

Meanwhile, if your daughter needs a job, there are more legitimate companies who look to hire personal assistants. Be wary of ads in the back of local free newspapers that advertise for personal assistants or personal escorts. They are often fronts for prostitution. Word of mouth is best, or tell your daughter to place applications marketing her skills to legitimate businesses.

It is great that your daughter is motivated about trying to earn her own way. Hopefully your daughter has learned from this. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Office Michelle - Dealing with an Unpredictable Neighbor

2011-09-11T22:30:15Z

Posted by Rocky427

We’ve own our home for 4 years and know almost all our neighbors very well. We get along with almost all our neighbors. The homeowners that lives across the street are a very kind and elderly couple who has 2 or 3 adult sons (in their late 30s to early 50s) that live with them. We’ve said “hello” to the family in passing, and has never had any problems with them. We’ve seen the police at that house late at night occasionally, and learn that there are problems between the family members.

Last month, one of the sons (who is in his 50s) was pacing in front of his house. As we were coming back from our walk, he became very paranoid. He wanted to know why we were talking about him, and quickly came towards us to fight. We got away and no one was hurt. We have NEVER spoken with this son prior to this incident except to say hello in passing. We don’t know anything about him. We later found out that he was a “problem child” and had a history of extensive drug abuse in high school. We didn’t speak with that family about this incident because we weren’t confident that the elderly parents can do anything about this. We felt that confronting them with this could make him more paranoid and more dangerous to us. We also didn’t report this incident to law enforcement because we’ve never had a problem with this individual in the 4 years that we’ve lived there. We thought this might be an isolated event.

Today, as we were driving down the street, the same son was on his driveway. When he saw us, he glared at us and threw both arms in the air as if to challenge us to a fight. I’m not sure what to do at this point. I feel like I should report it to start documenting his behavior, but I’m afraid he’ll become more paranoid and violent if the cops are involved. Should I have reported the incident the first time? What do I need to do now to protect my family?

Dear Rocky427,

Definitely start documenting these occurrences. If you feel threatened by this man like you did when you were driving into your driveway, call the police. The police can stop and detain him, speak with him and evaluate whether he is being a danger to himself or others. Don’t handle this guy by yourself. He is obviously unstable and therefore unpredictable.

If you happen to see this man’s parents, you may want to mention something to them. I’d be interested to see how the parents are doing. Are they being over –run by their three adult sons? I’ve seen this before. Let me know, and keep me posted.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Getting Possessions Back From an Ex

2011-09-04T22:14:36Z

Posted by kvv2002

I have a friend who recently broke up with her ex and she would like to get her stuff back out of his mother’s house. Both the mother and son are being uncooperative and all my friend wants is her stuff. How can she go about getting her items, if they are unwilling and ‘playing games’?

Dear kvv2002,

This is a pretty common dilemma. She can either set up a meet time which is convenient for her ex and his mother to get your belongings or she can take the her ex to small claims court to get her belongings. The latter may be a long and expensive process but she could mention it if she gets resistance.

Depending on what possessions were left there, it may not be worth the hassle. If your friends’ belongings consist of a vehicle, or official documents, it would be worth her while. If it is a duffel bag of clothes, non-essentials, let it go. Perhaps in time, your friend will be able to have a more civil relationship with the ex. The only other concern I had was whether your friends’ ex has a restraining order against her. That is a monkey wrench that complicates matters. Have your friend contact me so that I can get specifics. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Buying Used Police Cars and Impounds

2011-08-28T15:49:49Z

Posted by jmccloskey81

Im looking for a new car. I was told about auctions at impound lots and was wondering how I can locate one of these auctions

Dear jmccloskey81,

The Sacramento Police Department doesn’t have any involvement in the selling of our vehicles. If you are talking about old police vehicles, there are auctions in the Bay Area that sell used law enforcement vehicles. One of the companies that sells these types of vehicles is called “National.” Hope this helps. For vehicles police have impounded, you might also trying calling some of the many tow companies in Sacramento. There are dozens of tow companies on the police tow rotation list and they would be able to tell you how they dispose of impounded vehicles that are not claimed by their owners.

I have to disclose that a used police car has been beaten. It goes through 3 shifts, 7 days per week. Police cars are utilized in pursuits, and driven hard by every officer on patrol. I would bring a mechanic with me if I were you. Good luck!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Receiving Suspicious Money Orders

2011-07-24T20:40:19Z

Posted by smcnamee

I have received money orders from someone I don’t know. Could I bring them to the police station to be verified "Legal Tender" so as not to be caught up in a possible fraudulent scheme?

Dear smcnamee,

It may be a fishing expedition. Crooks that partake in these expeditions send out mass mailings in the hopes that one or two people will bite on their lure. You’re wise to be cautious. Unfortunately, this often works, and it is hard to trace the originator.

You can call the Financial Crimes Unit in your jurisdiction and speak to an investigator about your situation. If you live in the city of Sacramento, the telephone number is 808-0650. Our investigators are doing more with less so it may be a few days before you get a response. They will be the point of contact to give you the best advice on how to proceed. Thank you for your post!

Ask Officer Michelle - Suspicious Subject Hanging Out in Midtown

2011-07-17T15:17:42Z

Posted by kendell

Hello Officer Lazark; The problem I have is a homeless guy hanging out across the street. I have reason to believe that this guy participated in a theft from my backyard last year, then he went to jail for 6 mos for I am not sure what, rumor it was sex assault. I believe he is scaring off potential buyers of a vacant house next to me. Is there any rule about a person fresh out of jail spending time at a Megan’s list location? Thank you.

Dear kendell,

I ran the address you gave me on the Megan’s Law website which is a public information site. I discovered that there is a registered sex offender registered at this residence. He is in compliance with his registration.

If you have witnessed someone doing something criminally specific, you can report him. If you go to www.meganslaw.ca.gov, there is an option to report the person. You will have to type in a synopsis as to what the problem is. If he is merely hanging out in front of his residence, then there is not much you can do. If he is making comments, intimidating people as they walk by, panhandling, trespassing, or doing anything else illegal, you may also call the police and have an officer dispatched to check out a suspicious subject.

You may also discuss this gentleman with his landlord. If there is anything illegal going on in the residence, he or she may want to know about it.

A lot of potential buyers of properties now look at the Meagan’s Law website before purchasing. This is possibly one of the reasons why the house remains vacant. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Neigbor's Children Causing Havoc

2011-07-10T21:21:57Z

Posted by bambam05

I at a loss and don’t know where to turn. There are some people renting a house across the street that have a zoo living there. They do not supervise their children who damage my property and toss trash in my yard. I made the mistake of confronting to bad child and now a parent appeared who then yelled at me for telling his kid what to do. so my question is…what can be done with this kids that ride bike in the middle of the street, run and scream at the top of the lungs 24/7 (and yes I work from home) and destroy my and disrespect my property daily? Is this really a police thing or a CPS thing or do I call thier landlord? How do I get thier landlord info if that’s the way to go? Pleaes help. This was a nice place for the most part.

Dear bambam05,

It sounds like you have the normal sounds of summer vacation! It may be annoying to you while you work from home, but the children have a right to play and ride their bicycles outside. As long as they are wearing bicycle helmets if under 18 years of age, not blocking the street, and they are being supervised, there are no police or CPS issues.

I would speak to the parents of these kids and explain to them that you do work from home and that you would appreciate if they can speak to their children about respecting your need for them to turn down their volume. Some parents become particularly upset when adults address their kids directly. Discuss your concerns about throwing litter into your yard, and the fact that they are destroying your property. I’m not sure of the extent of the damage. If you are talking about skid marks from their bikes in your driveway, or trampled plants, discuss with the parents. If however, you are talking about broken windows, or dents in your car, that is another issue. If the parents don’t respond or become indignant with you, then it is time to speak to the landlord. Ownership records are available through the County Assessor’s Office. You can start here to research: http://www.assessor.saccounty.net/OwnershipInformation/default.htm
Give the parents a chance to right wrongs. You also must remember that there must be a compromise between neighbors, especially in a situation like this when children are on summer vacation. Good luck.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle- The Best Way to Thank an Officer

2011-06-26T17:46:11Z

Posted by billalbertson
What is the best way for me to thank officers. I want to send a letter of thanks to the officers and their supervisor, with a bcc to the local newspapers. Is it appropriate to do that and name them, or could there be privacy concerns regarding the officers involved if I bcc the local papers?

Dear billalbertson,
Your desire to thank helpful officers is much appreciated. Unless they are working undercover, officer’s names are public information as seen on the name badges that are part of their uniforms!

The best way to thank police officers is to send a letter to the chief (you may want to send copies to the officers and the press if desired). This ensures that the letter makes its way down through the officers’ chain of command. In the case of our officers, you can address your letter to:
Chief Rick Braziel, 5770 Freeport Blvd., Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95822.

Thank you,
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Working with Multi-curtural Diversities

2011-06-13T18:03:44Z

Posted by kaptanhook

Developing a community-partnership is difficult sometimes. What are some of the difficulties or problems that an officer might have with the different cultural microcosms of sacramento? And how do you overcome them?

thanks, its for school
kaptanhook

Dear Kaptanhook

The biggest issue that officers face is the lack of trust by some cultures that have experienced corruption in their countries, dealing with their governments and law enforcement agencies. Of course the second issue is communication, when officers and community members can’t speak to each other. The Sacramento Police Department does a number of things to overcome these issues.
First, because of our community policing efforts, we have many officers working in our neighborhoods building trust with community members. We have a number of programs that also address issues such as our Cultural Community Academies, our Community Recruiter program, and our language line services. To learn more about these programs go to http://www.sacpd.org/citybeat/citybeat.asp. Once on that site, look for City Beat videos #18 and #15. That should give you a lot of information for your school project.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Detectives Asking Questions on the Phone

2011-05-29T19:46:57Z

Posted by Travis

Can a detective interrogate a person over the phone WHO has no part in a crime? And when that person ask’s the detective for his/her department info/badge number, he/she refuses to give it?

Dear Travis,

The answer is yes, and it is perfectly legal because the person detectives are speaking to can hang up at any time. This is not really an interrogation. They aren’t being detained in any way and they aren’t required to answer any questions. Detectives routinely speak to people that are involved in an investigation over the telephone. They needn’t give Miranda warnings when doing so and can ask questions about a crime they may be involved in. Additionally, they may ask questions of others as well. For example, an officer can speak to a roommate of an accused theft subject as a witness or to glean information about the suspect or the crime involved. I don’t know why the investigator didn’t give you his/her name or department information. It is not required, but it is common courtesy. The investigator probably would have received more cooperation had they made you feel more comfortable. I hope you have a better understanding on this topic.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Citizen Helps Elderly Mom-in-Law with Solicitors

2011-05-22T22:02:18Z

Posted by strandednturlock

my mother-in-law, recently widowed, is having to deal with people she does not know coming to her door, as early as 6:30 a.m. she’s 80 years old and this is freaking her out. is there some way to request extra patrols? She lives on Wakefield Way in South Sac, not a great neighborhood, zip 95822. she’s not answering the door but this has happened 3 or 4 times and we fear she is being targeted. she has a good alarm system. if someone could reply to me with any advice for her, i would appreciate it. thanks, debra

Dear strandednturlock,

It sounds like your mother-in-law is going through a lot right now. The best thing you can do is to look in on her regularly. If she knows and trusts her neighbors, you may want to speak with them as well about checking in on her.

The elderly are often easier targets for scammers because they know of the trusting nature of the people of that era, and the fact that the elderly are often isolated. There was one recent scam whereby a man claimed that he was with the water or sewer company. This man would go to an elderly person’s house with his partner and start talking to the resident. His partner would then go to the back of the home and enter quickly taking valuables and money that were in quick reach. By the time the resident noticed that belongings were missing, the scammers were long gone.

Put your mother on the “no call” list for telemarketers. This will cut down on the solicitor calls. Also stress to her that she should never give personal information over the telephone, unless she initiates the call. If they come to her door, she needn’t answer it. Help her post a “no solicitors” sign by the front door.

Talk to your mother-in-law about this. Tell her that nothing is for free, and if someone makes her an offer where she needs to give up-front money for something, that it is most likely a scam.

The fact that she has an alarm is a good early warning system. Dogs are also good deterrents and companions. If she is open to the idea you may want to look into it. I hope I’ve been able to help you.

Take care,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Noisy Generator Leaves Neighbors Sleepless

2011-05-15T14:51:07Z

Posted by DF1955

I have a neighbor behind my home who has started running some kind of generator in his backyard at night. This machine is approximately 30 feet from my home’s bedroom windows. It is loud enough that it can be heard plainly when windows are closed and it disrupts my family’s sleep. As we have had difficulty in the past with this neighbor (loud music at night) it is not an option to ask him to stop running this machine. Quite frankly, the back and front yards are a disaster and the pit bull rushing the fence when we are in our backyard tends to squash any thought of speaking to him face to face. We called the Police at approximately 10:30 p.m. the first night this started and after 3 calls (the last at approximately 11:30 p.m.) we had the Police come to our home so they could listen from our backyard. They said they would speak to the neighbor and find out what the noise was caused by. The machine continued to run all night long, so I have no idea what was discovered or done. The next night the machine did not run, but the night after that it ran again all night long.

When we received no assistance through the Police we sent an email to the 311 contact with the City of Sacramento. The response? To call the Police. This after we stated that we had tried that avenue.

Are we simply going to have to learn to live with this night time noise? Is that really our only option? Is it unreasonable to expect that loud noise cease after 10 p.m. and not start until after 7 a.m.?

We are frustrated with this situation and wish to solve the problem. I would appreciate any suggestion you might offer.

Thank you.

Dear DF1955,

You gave already taken the proper steps. It sounds like your neighbor may be stealing power or needing to generate their own. If they already have electricity, then they shouldn’t have to run a generator….all night long. I know that during these harder economic times that there are a lot of people who haven’t been paying their bill. It is a requirement to have electricity if there are children in the household. They may be running the generator all night to keep a refrigerator going. Nonetheless, there is the noise ordinance that they are violating. Call the police again. Let the dispatcher know that this is an ongoing problem even after we came out, and that the noise is annoying you and your family. I don’t know what the police did the first time they contacted the resident, but usually, the police give an initial written warning. The second time they are dispatched for the noise complaint, the complainant can be fined.

If your neighbor is renting the residence and has a landlord, call them and let them know what is going on. I know how loud generators are, and you shouldn’t have to live with the noise. Keep me posted.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Landlord Faces Code Violations

2011-05-08T18:51:22Z

Posted by worried

Is there a law that requires an apartment to fix broken “security” doors? It’s senior low income tax credit property downtown. Also are they required to keep track of pass card numbers so they can deactivate them if they are lost or stolen? Our “security” pass card system has been broken for over a week and they haven’t fixed it yet and the manager doesn’t seem to care.

Dear worried,

There certainly are code violations. My suggestion is for you to contact our city Code Enforcement Division. You can call 311 and you will be transferred directly to a representative. There really aren’t any criminal elements to what you are describing, but Code Enforcement will cite the landlord or property owners if the building isn’t within code guidelines. The Code Enforcement has a website that you can go to as well for frequently asked questions. You can get there by going to www.cityofsacramento.org/code/

Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - How to Have a Party and Keep Neighbors Happy

2011-04-24T18:04:15Z

Posted by Baldy286

Hello Officer Michelle,

I need your help!

I’d like to seek your recommendations/suggestions on the planning of a private party we’ll be hosting at our residence in May 2011. The party will be a 40th birthday party, meaning alcohol will be present, but no children will be present. Also, live music will be our entaininment, however, not after 10pm. We do have a very large backyard and some of the houses surrounding our home is vacant. I really want to be pro-active with preparing of our neighbors and to avoid the possiblity of involving law enforcement because of noise. The thoughts I’ve concluded is possibly passing out a flyer, informing our neighbor’s of a possible annoyance and to please contact us to avoid any confrontation. Please, feel free to contact me for additional information or clarifiy questions.

Thank you in advance for your efforts to help!

Dear Baldy286,

Sounds like fun! As long as you don’t violate the noise ordinance, you should be fine. The only things I though of were to make sure that your guests don’t block neighbors’ driveways when they park. If there are private CCRs attached to your neighborhood, you would have to abide by them although the Police Department has nothing to do with enforcing them.

You sound like you are very respectful of your neighbors. Letting them know ahead of time will alleviate a lot of problems.

The noise complaint calls that I have been on in the past usually involved drunken people with inappropriate behavior. Not a civilized celebration. Have fun and don’t let your guests leave after having too much to drink.

Officer Michelle

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 21st, 2011 at 1:56 pm and is filed under Answers From Officer Michelle. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Ask Officer Michelle - Incident at 9/K Streets

2011-04-17T15:52:29Z

Posted by Frank000064

On 4/5/11 just after 2:30pm when I went into the RiteAid at 9th & K, I was told by a cashier that a customer had just been body slammed into the side of the building and robbed, but no one had been apprehended. Do you know if anyone was caught? I work a couple of blocks from there and myself along with other in my building were concerned about what happened. I checked the various news sites but didn’t see anything about it and did not see anything in your crime log either.

Dear Frank000064,

I know exactly the call you are speaking of. I was dispatched to that call myself. The complainant/victim was contacted at the bus stop at 9th/K Streets by a Hispanic male who asked him if he wanted to buy some marijuana. The victim told the suspect that he wanted to see the marijuana first. When the Hispanic male took three bindles of marijuana out of his pocket to display it to the victim, the victim grabbed the marijuana out of his hand and proceeded to walk toward the Rite-Aid. The Hispanic male caught up to the victim and punched him in the face. The Hispanic male then took off on a bicycle. The complainant said that it was his intention to give the marijuana to the police, and that he took it as evidence. Responding officers checked the area but were unable to locate the Hispanic male. The victim was taken to an area hospital for a precautionary examination. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Rear-ended by an Uninsured Motorist

2011-04-10T16:02:15Z

Posted by vetta2d

I was rear ended downtown by a driver who was not insured (his dad had insurance on the vehicle, minimal, 5K for damages which will not cover my damages) had no license (only a DMV ID card) and the registration on the car was expired. An officer came and looked at the driver’s info., called it in and left on another call. Why was this person not punished by the law or arrested….he is totally illegal??

Dear vetta2d,

Wouldn’t you know! What an inconvenience. First off, did the officer provide you with a case number? It would have been a number starting with 11- followed with 5 or 6 other numbers. In the case of vehicle accidents, if the parties aren’t injured, the vehicles don’t require tows, and no obvious violations such as DUI drivers, unlicensed or suspended licensed drivers were present, drivers exchange information with each other and report it to their insurance companies. If there are violations, a report must be taken. The officer could have taken a report. If there is a citation to be issued, the officer usually sends the citation to the driver through the mail once the investigation is complete. This may have been the case here and you wouldn’t have been notified. The driver would then have to go to traffic court to clear the ticket, or to receive punishment for the violation. A failure to make the court date would result in a warrant.

The driver may have had a driver’s license. People sometimes drive without their physical licenses. If the driver did have a valid license, it would be depicted in our computer system. He could be cited at a later time for not driving with a license by the officer and the citation would be sent to his residence.

As far as the dollar amount of your damages, your insurance companies will have to hash it out. What usually happens is that your insurance company will cover the difference and then go after the other party’s insurance company for the difference. Good Luck.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Reining in an Uncooperative Teen

2011-03-27T14:41:41Z

Posted by lovechicagobears

I have an 15 yr old who stays out past 10, and has come home twice now under the influence of something. She is/has been violent, and wholly uncooperative. Can she be arrested for being under the influence? If given a cell phone number can her friends be found out where she is getting drugs/alcohol? What does one do with a teen who disregards all instruction, requests.. legally?

Dear lovechicagobears,

This must be a very frustrating situation for you. On one hand you are probably sick from worrying about your daughter, and the other hand, you may feel like going a few rounds in the ring with her. Keep talking with her. Explain the ramifications of her actions. Change her scenery. Get her involved with some volunteer work, sports, let her get a part-time job, talk with her school counselors, find her a mentor or someone other than you to relay the exact same things you are telling her. You may want to look into private psychological counseling as well. She may be acting out because of deeper issues. Look into who she is hanging out with and speak with their parents. They may be just as concerned as you are. Teenage years aren’t easy for you or your daughter. They will pass though, and the drama will subside. I am concerned about the drug situation.

If you suspect that your daughter is doing drugs, and you have a cell phone number of the supplier, you can call our narcotic tip line and leave the information with a narcotic investigator. Their number is 808-5796. Leave them with as much specific information as you possibly can…names, physical descriptions, addresses, anything you can to get investigators started.

Being under the influence of a narcotic is illegal and is a misdemeanor. You are ultimately responsible for her until she is 18. If the police were to pick her up for this, they would call you and notify you of the circumstances. She may either go to Juvenile Hall or be cited and released to you depending on the circumstances. If she is being violent towards you or anyone else, you can call us. We can mediate the situation and be able to tell if she is on a narcotic or drug. Good luck with this situation. I can imagine that it must be very difficult.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Jaywalking - Illegal and Dangerous

2011-03-20T21:08:18Z

Posted by Daniel

I have a question about Jaywalkers. As a delivery driver I am constantly stopping and slamming on my brakes for jaywalkers, but the biggest problem i saw, was 3 adults were actually jaywalking right in front of a Sac PD Patrol car, the patrol car actually slowed down for them to cross the street, and did nothing about it. My question is "Is Jaywalking still Illegal?"

Dear Daniel,

Jaywalking is still as illegal as it ever was. It is also unsafe and people who jaywalk are taking a chance with their lives. It seems as though I am always off duty driving my kids around when I see people blatantly crossing the streets expecting cars to slow for them and just 100 feet of a crosswalk. I saw a woman pushing a baby stroller with two children inside while jaywalking on a very busy 4-lane road. I rolled my window down and told her that she was endangering her children. She saluted me; and not with a military salute if you know what I mean.

I can’t testify to why the officers didn’t stop the jaywalker that you witnessed cross in front of their car. I can only venture to guess that they had a call with greater urgency and priority that they were going to.

I spoke to our traffic section about jaywalkers. They told me that there has been an increase of vehicle versus pedestrian fatal accidents in the past year. The Sacramento Police Department Motor Unit has been cracking down on jaywalkers in the city limits because of this. Even more reason to use a crosswalk. Thank-you for your concern.

Officer Michelle

This entry was poste

Ask Officer Michelle - Bully At Light Rail Station

2011-03-13T15:08:53Z

Posted by Dalal1979

Hello,

Today at the Royal Oaks RT station I was verbally attacked by a man. He was verbally attacking his girlfriend who was becoming an ex, after he was done screaming at her in public and in front of another 20 people, I walked to her and handed her a napkin and asked her if she was all right. He walked to me and started cursing and telling me to walk away or he’d F****me up, then he started calling me a terrorist and to go back to my country then he started saying some arabic words to me. He was drunk, I could smell it also he had a bag of white powder in his hand. Then he said I have nothing to do with whites or blacks. The sad thing, every single white person was laughing at me, and every single black person in his group was cheering for him. What about the woman he was verbally abusing while keeping her pushed to the wall? She was hispanic. Her face was dead frozen. What if that woman was hurt or killed by him? I did step up and got in his face and told him that I would call the police, but he and everyone else in his group said" go ahead call the popo on the black people." How far does it have to go before calling police about cases like this? Is it legal to drink and smoke whatever they smoke at the RT stations where kids and other people are waiting to go to their work or schools? How far does it have to get when a man is abusing a woman in public before the police department puts at least 1 or 2 cops out there? I am a SCC student and I use RT everyday, and I have seen enough drunk and drugies on the trains beside men masturbating not to mention half of the people ride for free which means they’re taking someone else’s right of the seat, someone who earned to sit there.

Also, is it too late to report the incident from today? I was told by a woman at Royal Oaks RT station, to walk away or I would get killed. How bad/seriously in danger are we that we can’t even defend others who are incapable of doing for themselves like that hispanic woman today?! Are there any answers? Thank you and have a blessed day.

Dear Dalal1979,

I applaud you for your compassionate nature. Far too often people become complacent or don’t want to get involved to help others for fear of retaliation or retribution. Even with your good intentions, you should not deal with him yourself. You should call 911 the next time you witness something like this. The Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department have a partnership with Regional Transit (RT). We have designated RT officers to handle such situations. We can deal with “Mr. Mouth” and help the woman as well. The man you dealt with was a bully. If you looked the word “bully” up in the dictionary, his photo could be posted next to the word. We deal with bullies every day.

The light rail is a still a safe mode of transportation. There are officers who ride the trains each day, seven days a week, to make sure there are no such problems on the light rail. That being said, the officers can’t be on every train. That’s why it is so important for citizens to call the Police Department to let the police and RT know when there is a problem. I will also forward your email to the RT police division so that they can be made aware of this situation. Thank you for your concern, and your post. You are a very fine citizen.

Ask Officer Michelle - Fictional Writing About Sac PD

2011-03-06T16:18:42Z

Posted by akshunhiro

Are there legal issues in using the Sacramento PD in a work of fiction? If so what are the boundaries? Assuming all characters and events are fictional and only the setting is based on an actual organisation, that is. There would be no defamatory remarks at all either. Is there someone I can correspond with regarding details and accuracy in my research?

Dear akshunhiro,

I would suggest that you talk to our Public Information Officer by calling 808-0800. Sergeant Norm Leong is the lead Public Information Officer and any questions or concerns involving the media should be directed to him.

I would say as long as you didn’t refer to any officers by actual name and/or badge number, or any suspects by name as to go against their penal interests, you should be fine. If you were to write about a current case that is pending and you articulate certain facts about it that could cause the suspect to have an unfair trial, I could see that as being a big concern. Give Sergeant Leong a call to find out definitively. Good luck with your story.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - The Legality of Videotaping at Work

2011-02-27T18:58:46Z

Posted by odiebrodie1

Hello,

Can an employer videotape me without my permission when terminating me? Also, when I asked if I was being videotaped they did not respond to the question. Is that legal?

Dear odiebrodie1,

This is more of a civil matter than a criminal one. It really depends on your expectation of privacy. Were you captured on a surveillance camera? Did you boss videotape you in public? Were you merely in an office? Did you ask your boss to stop the taping and he or she refused? Did the video taping qualify as an invasion or was it an intrusion? Did your boss post the footage on a social media outlet without your consent? These are all questions that you may want to ask an attorney. This is out of my scope and I am not qualified to give you legal advice. This is an interesting question and I learned a lot while doing research. Read Hernandez v. Hillsides. It is a California case that was taken to the Supreme Court.

Look for an attorney that specializes in this type of law. Good luck.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Reporting Criteria for Vehicle Accidents

2011-02-20T16:26:36Z

Posted by Toni

I was involved in a auto accident and was rear-ended. At the time I asked the officer if a report would be made. She stated that the incident did not fit their criteria for a report. There were no apparent injuries by either party at the time, I was able to drive off but the other car was in a sad state and had to be towed off. My vehicle was damaged but I was able to drive off. Also, no id, license or insurance questions were asked of us. I am hoping this does not pose any issues for insurance claim process?

So, what is that criteria for a report to be completed and filed?

Dear Toni,

What a bummer. I am glad that you are okay. I don’t know what agency the officer worked for that assisted you, and I’m not familiar with other agency procedures, but I can tell you if your accident was in the Sacramento city limits, the officer gave you the correct advice. In cases where there are no obvious violations, (ie., unlicensed/suspended license, DUI driver, no serious injuries, or if the vehicle is other than a city vehicle, bus, light rail, etc.), it falls below Sacramento Police Department minimum reporting standards. You and the other driver are to exchange information including your names, driver’s license numbers, phone numbers, license plate and your insurance carrier information. You then call your insurance company and give them the details of the accident. Your insurance companies then work out the details. They have internal investigators that deal with this sort of thing.

The Sacramento Police Department can assist people by standing by until a driver gets a ride and for traffic control, but we are no longer required to take a report for a vehicle that needs a tow. An incident number is generated by dispatch just by virtue of the police being called. When officers arrive on scene, they voice the license plate numbers of all vehicles involved. They also run the driver’s licenses for validity.

As for injuries, an ambulance or paramedic is often called in cases of complaint of pain. If there are no serious injuries, it is up to the discretion of the officer whether he or she will take a report. They must assess the situation at the scene. Statistically speaking, your accident was not too bad if you were able to walk away. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but I’m glad that you are okay.

Take care,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Women Officers with the Sac PD

2011-02-13T17:12:10Z

Posted by Christina

How many women officers are there in your local city(Sacramento Police Department)?

How many of those women are in supervisory or management positions?

Are any of the women assigned to nontraditional roles such as special weapons and tactics teams, motorcycle enforcement, bomb units, hostage negotiations, or community relations? Have there been incidents of sexual harassment or gender discrimination against women employees? If so how were the cases resolved? has the agency implemented any programs to increase the employment of women, such as flex-time, child care,mentoring, awareness training, or career development? Has the agency been innovative in the recruitment efforts for women applicants?

Dear Christina,

This is a good time for females in law enforcement. Women officers have greatly multiplied in the past 15 years due in part to the first women officer pioneers who paved the way for the rest of us. I show homage and appreciation to them.

We currently have 701 officers with the Sacramento Police Department. Of these 701 officers, 113 are females. As far as females in supervisory roles, we have 13 Sergeants, 3 Lieutenants, and 2 Captains.

I have been with the Sacramento Police Department for 20 years. The numbers have doubled with women in supervisory roles as well as number of females in specialty units. The ratios of female to male numbers in specialty units such as specialty weapons units, bomb technicians, and motorcycle patrol isn’t due to the lack of opportunity, it is usually due to lack of interest in working in the particular unit or for other personal choices which don’t have anything to do with the police department.

There is a misconception in that most people are under the impression that an officer can join specialty teams right after the academy. An officer must work the streets for at least two years before they are even eligible to test for a specialty position. Then an officer must test for the position. Training and experience always plays a large part in the process.

The Sacramento Police Department has a strict Equal Opportunity Policy and they adhere to the policy. A female or anyone else for that matter may generate a discrimination complaint without being penalized. There is even a third party complaint process.

The Sacramento Police Department even has a part-time status that officers can work. I worked part-time for seven years so that I could raise my sons until they started school. I was very grateful for the opportunity, and I was able to go fulltime with no repercussions.

I would encourage any female who is interested in a career in law enforcement to go on a ride-along with their local police department.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Laws Pertaining to Vehicle Window Tinting

2011-02-07T17:05:28Z

Posted by DCaroll

I had a Lexus a few years ago and the prior owner had tinted the front driver and passenger windows.

My wife was pulled over while driving the car and was cited for the tinted windows. The ticket forced us

to remove the tint and have an officer sign off. Ignoring it, I was told, would prevent us from registering the car. Has this law been

changed? The reason I ask is because it seems every 5th car I see today has dark

tinted front windows. I was next to a Corvette the other day in bright

daylight and I couldn’t even see the outline of a driver, let alone if

there was an actual person in there. How do they get away with it?

Dear DCaroll,

California Vehicle Code is pretty specific. It states that, you may not apply any color tint to your vehicle. Clear, colorless, and transparent material may be installed, affixed, or applied to the front side windows, located to the immediate left and right of the front seat if the following conditions are met:

(1) The material has a minimum visible light transmittance of 88 percent.

(2) The window glazing with the material applied meets all requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 (49 C.F.R. 571.205), including the specified minimum light transmittance of 70 percent and the abrasion resistance of AS-14 glazing, as specified in that federal standard. If you fail to get the ticket signed off, it can inhibit your ability to register the vehicle.

Most vehicles sold today have a tinted material fused into the glass. Car makers and windshield retailers must comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. California’s standards are even stricter. You may see high end vehicles with darker tinted windows like your Lexus.

Officers often times use this vehicle code for probable cause to stop a vehicle. It is not that the police aren’t concerned about these types of violations; it is just that all agencies are swamped with higher priority calls. As far as people getting away with tinting their windows, its not that they are getting away with it, it is that they just haven’t been caught…yet.

Ask Officer Michelle - Reporting Stolen Property

2011-01-30T20:04:03Z

Posted by cindy10869

If I know that someone is in possession of my stolen property and refuses to return it…. how do I file a report?

I live in Placer County but the person who is holding onto my stolen property lives in Sacramento County.

This person has knowledge that the items were stolen, has admitted to having them and has refused, both verbally and in writing, to return them.

Thank you for your assistance.

Dear cindy10869,

If this is a straight stolen property case, then the first thing you should do is to report it as stolen by contacting your local sheriff department. There is usually an on-line reporting method for theft. They will want to know the dollar amount and any identifying serial numbers as well.

If this is a situation involving a civil matter, such as a break-up or a parting of ways between roommates and there was a question as to who’s property belongs to whom, then you would have to sue the party to get your belongings back.

When you say that these items were stolen, was this a burglary to your residence, or something along these lines? If so, you would file a burglary report and list the known person as the suspect. You may want to contact this person and tell them that you are considering filing a police report if the items aren’t returned. If the person is holding your property in return for some sort of payment or as collateral, tell them that this is not the way you want to resolve the issue.

If the suspect is a juvenile, call the parents and explain the situation. You may have better luck that way.

If you decide to go ahead with the police report, be sure to mention that you have made many attempts to communicate with the suspect and they refused to return your belongings. Good luck.

Office Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Police Communications in the Sixties

2011-01-23T17:42:08Z

Posted by djbynum02

How would police departments communicate during the mid 60’s era? I am writing a book about a serial killer who murders women up and down the coast of California.

Dear djbynum02,

I actually learned something while I was researching your question. Interestingly enough, police cars were equipped with car-to-car radios. They would speak to dispatch and each other via the car radios. The police also had call boxes. These boxes were locked metal boxes that contained a telephone. They also communicated with the dispatchers this way.

Usually, police departments had light poles designated for the police department throughout the city. When the light went on, officers knew to go to the nearest call box and make a phone call to dispatch. Dispatch would then give the officers the pertinent information about the call. Some officers would also leave notes to other officers inside the call boxes; a sort of rendition of the modern day text. The Sacramento Police Department still has several call boxes containing telephones. Officers don’t usually use them anymore because everyone has cell phones now; however, they’re still available if needed. Thank you for your post. I enjoyed the history lesson.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Solicitation of Minor Via the Internet

2011-01-17T04:11:30Z

Posted by mica

I did not mean for this to be a public post, but could find no other avenue for registering this concern. I do very much appreciate your making this venue available.

Yesterday I called the Sacramento Police Department to report an email I received soliciting sex with a 13 year old. The solicitation did not appear to come from the 13 year old. I assumed that adults were exploiting children in a criminal manner. I was not sure who to report this to and whether it was really in the jurisdiction of the Sacramento Police, but hoped to find that there would be somewhere to report this kind of internet crime. I called child abuse and sexual assault first. The person who answered the phone told me to call dispatch -- that they would be concerned that someone was offering 13 year olds for sex. However, when I called dispatch, they immediately assumed it was a prostitution case with the 13 offering his or herself for sex and refered me to the vice line.

Ironically and timely, this column by Bob Herbert appeared in an column in the New York Times yesterday. I am pasting the entire column in here as it is all so relevant. It calls for a change in police attitude about sex trafficking in children and seems almost like it was written in response to what I encountered. I would appreciate your reaction to this.

Mica

WRONG TARGET

... Across the country, young girls by the many thousands — children — are being drawn into the hellishly dangerous world of prostitution. They are raped, beaten and exploited in every way imaginable.

As part of the staggeringly lucrative commercial sex trade, the role of these children is to satisfy the sexual demands of johns who in most cases do not fit the stereotype of a pedophile.

“Many of the guys who buy sex with children would never consider themselves pedophiles,” said Rachel Lloyd, founder of an organization in New York called GEMS that offers help to under-age girls in the sex trade. “They’re not necessarily out there looking for 12-year-olds or teenagers. They just kind of don’t care.

“They feel like they have the right to buy sex from someone, and they prefer it to be someone who looks younger and cleaner and less drug-addicted.”

...

[L]aw enforcement does not always respond in a positive or constructive way. It is common across the country for under-age girls engaged in prostitution to be arrested, which is bizarre when you consider that it is a serious crime — statutory rape — for an adult to have sex with a minor.

If no money is involved, the youngster is considered a victim. But if the man pays for the sex — even if the money is going to the pimp, which is so often the case — the child is considered a prostitute and thus subject in many venues to arrest and incarceration.

“We often see the girls arrested and the pimps and the johns go free,” said Carol Smolenski, the head of Ecpat-USA, a group that fights the sexual exploitation of children. “One of the big problems is that there is this whole set of child sex exploiters who are not targeted as exceptionally bad guys.”

What’s needed is a paradigm shift. Society (and thus law enforcement) needs to view any adult who sexually exploits a child as a villain, and the exploited child as a victim of that villainy. If a 35-year-old pimp puts a 16-year-old girl on the street and a 30-year-old john pays to have sex with her, how is it reasonable that the girl is most often the point in that triangle that is targeted by law enforcement?

A measure of how far we still have to go is the fact that some enlightened officials in the state of New York tried to shift that paradigm last year and failed. The proposed Safe Harbor Act would have ended the practice of criminalizing kids too young to legally consent to sex. Under the law, authorities would have no longer been able to charge children with prostitution, but would have had to offer such youngsters emotional counseling, medical care and shelter, if necessary.

Legislative passage was thwarted in large part because prosecutors made the case that it was necessary to hold the threat of jail over the heads of these children as a way of coercing them to testify against pimps. In other words: If you don’t tell us who hurt you, little girl, we’re going to put you in jail.

It was an utterly specious case, filled to the bursting point with tragic implications and unworthy of a civilized society.

Dear mica

This is a most concerning topic. I have strong convictions against this sort of thing. In fact, I helped produce a whole public safety announcement about this in January 2007, which is posted on our web site at www.sacpd.org. Go to the public service announcement page, and then click on “Cyber Safety.”

The referral to our Vice Division was the correct response. Our Vice team works actively on exploited child prostitution cases. In fact they have been nominated for an award by the FBI for their work on exploited children.

Our Vice officers do not just take the exploited child off of the street, they actively pursue a case against the john and or pimp. We work closely with our Juvenile Justice system and the FBI to find the best placement for the exploited child. In many instances sending the child home is not the best option because of the issues at home.

We frequently receive reports of on line predators. The best thing we can do as parents is restrict access to the computer, put it in a common room of the house, teach our children about these predators, and install parental controls on your computer. Watch the public service announcement for more information. The police take this thing very seriously.

Take Care,

Officer Michelle

Ask Office Michelle - Pitbulls Loose in Church Parking lot

2011-01-09T17:54:31Z

Posted by crawdad5150

Officer Michelle, we have several pit bull dogs running astray in the parking lots at St Paul Baptist Church on 14th Ave. As these dogs are unpredictable, will mace or pepper spray have an affect on these dogs? What can we do to keep the the public safe, on and around the church campus? Thanks.
crawdad5150

Dear crawdad5150,

No dog, let alone a pit bull, should be running astray in a public place. I will forward this email to the City of Sacramento Animal Control Division. Meanwhile, if you need to protect yourself against a dog, mace will not work because dogs don’t have tear ducts. Pepper spray, which includes an oleo based resin, will work on dogs. It makes their eyes burn and causes them to sneeze. Pepper spray is what letter carriers with the U.S. Postal Service carry in case they have an aggressive encounter or if they need to protect themselves from an animal including dogs.

The Sacramento Animal Control Division handles all animal type of complaints within the city limits. Their telephone number is 916-264-5011, or 311 if you live in the city limits. They should get back to you, but if you haven’t heard anything in a few days, call them. If you need immediate attention, or if the situation is in progress and the dogs are aggressive, you can always call 911. Keep me posted on this!

Officer Michelle

Ask Office Michelle - Cutbacks in prostitution enforcement causing painful situations

2011-01-02T17:25:25Z

Posted by justme

On 12/21/2010 the Sacbee ran the article: Prostitution Arrests Plunge Amid
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/21/3272246/prostitution-arrests-plunge-a mid.html#disqus_thread

I understand cut-backs and how some things are out of our control. However, I feel this article is helping enable the activity.

My story is, I recently found out my husband visits massage parlors and he finds them on myredbook.com. In their forum, someone mentioned the news article from Sacbee.

Is it true that there are this many escorts, providers, massage parlors so easily available in Sacramento and in my own neighborhood? And no, I don’t live on Watt Ave, Stockton Blvd, or any of the other common locations. These services are advertising for downtown, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Roseville, Greenhaven, Natomas, you name it.

And while I’m at it, the websites advertise “happy endings” and all of the massage parlors in town. Today I spotted 12 parlors in just 15 minutes. How do they get permits and not get caught? Exchanging money for sex is still illegal right? Or did I miss something…..

Sorry for unloading all of this, but I live in Sacramento to get away from this in San Francisco, New York, etc.

Dear justme,

I first want to say that I am sorry. This must be very difficult and confusing for you. I was looking at a free Sacramento publication the other day at a coffee shop and noticed a lot of advertisements for massages that sported scantily clad women posturing in provocative poses. It was fairly obvious that some of these advertisements weren’t for legitimate massages. I am very familiar with the website you mentioned and often see these massage parlors inconspicuously tucked away in lower rent business areas in urban environments.

I can tell you that the Sacramento Police Department still investigates VICE-related crimes. Some of our Problem Oriented Police (POP) Officers work prostitution operations if it has been identified in their areas. If you do know of a specific business in the city limits that is partaking in illegal prostitution practices, you can call the narcotic/VICE reporting tip line at 808-5796. Leave as much detailed information as possible and an investigator will call you back. If you have complaints in the county, you would want to call the Sacramento County Sheriff Department at 874-5115. They may have different procedures and or protocols that you may have to go through.

As far as emotional support, I called Women Escaping a Violent Environment (WEAVE) to see if they had services for women that are in your situation. They have people that you can talk to about this. There is a business line at 443-3715 you can call during regular business hours and a 24-hour support hotline at 920-2952. Finally, you can contact them via the web at www.weaveinc.org. They are there for women who are in crisis; not just for women that are going through abuse, but they are there for support including circumstances like what you are experiencing. I have heard prostitution as been referred to as a “victimless crime.” After hearing stories such as yours from other women as well, it is apparent that prostitution is not victimless at all. Good luck and take care.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Abusive Ex Overstays Welcome

2010-12-27T03:49:08Z

Officer Michelle-

I recently allowed my sons’ father to live with me because he was fired from his job (which was also where he lived) because he had no where else to go. After staying with myself and my kids for about two weeks, I asked him to leave because he became disrespectful and borderline abusive.

He completely refuses to leave and now it has been more than two months. He is not on my lease and I am afraid that I will get in trouble with my rental company for having someone at my residence that is not on the lease.

How do I go about getting him removed forcefully? He is at times verbally abusive and belittling to both myself and my children. I do not want my kids exposed to this.

Any legal information about how to get him out would be VERY helpful as he will not leave when I ask him to.

Thanks, Kjksmom

Dear Kjksmom,

Since your ex is becoming abusive with you and the children, you can go downtown to the County Courthouse and file for a restraining order. Once you get this order, serve your ex with it. He will then have to leave and failure to do so will be in violation of the court order. He is then subject to being arrested by law enforcement.

You have a right to have short term guests in your residence that don’t have to be on the lease agreement, however I would notify your landlord of what is transpiring as well. Two months is becoming a time frame where he is establishing a residency in your home especially if he is beginning to receive mail there. Just give your landlord a heads up. If he or she is reasonable, they will understand, especially if you are taking steps to remove him.

Lastly, I would call Women Escaping a Violent Environment (W.E.A.V.E). Their staff is so helpful and knowledgeable. They can guide you through the entire process. Their web address is www.weaveinc.org. The support line is 920-2952. W.E.A.V.E is not only an organization for battered women, it is an organization for empowering women. Give them a call. I hope your situation works out amicably for the sake of you and your children, without having to resort to more drastic measures. Good luck to you.

Officer Michelle

Ask Office Michelle - Airsoft Guns in Sacramento

2010-12-20T01:41:12Z

Hi Office Michelle,

I’m not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I think it is smart for me to ask and not get to any trouble. I am thinking about buying an airsoft gun. I think going to the shooting range is expensive and paintballing is also expensive. My question is where are you limited to shooting one. I know the obvious public places is out of question. I tried looking up any laws and couldn’t find any. my dad is even worried about shooting it in my own backyard. Would you be able to help with this.

Thanks
Brandon

Dear Brandon,

Let me just say that it is not illegal in California to buy or own an Airsoft gun if you are over the age of 18. It is, however, illegal to use one in the Sacramento city limits except at a licensed shooting range. With regards to shooting the gun in your backyard, refer to the Sacramento City Code Section 9.32.070 which states, “It is unlawful for any person to carry or use any air gun for the purpose of discharging or from which are or may be discharged bullets, shot or missiles of any kind within the city limits, except in licensed shooting galleries. (Prior code § 48.01.008).
Be mindful that there are inherent risks associated with Airsoft guns including accidents and mistaken identity by citizens who call police to tell us that they witnessed a person with a gun only to find out that it was a BB or Airsoft gun. The police don’t know this until they arrive on scene and assess the situation. Many look so realistic at first glance, that unless we see the bright orange tip, we would never be able to tell that it is a toy gun. If you are merely using the gun for target practice, remember that it is illegal to alter the gun, such as painting the orange tip black, to make it look more realistic.

You can find the full City Code, at http://www.qcode.us/codes/sacramento/. Look for Codes 9.32.070 and 9.32.090.

Thanks for writing in and your desire to do the responsible thing.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Citizen Drives Drunk to Get More Beer

2010-12-13T05:03:41Z

Hello Officer Michelle,

My concern is about a neighbor across the street. I frequently see him outside on his driveway, drinking beer and playing loud music with friends. I’m not shy to ask them to lower the volume and most times they comply.

The issue I want to address is that they drive to the liquor store to get more alcohol when I know fully well that they have exceeded the legal alcohol limit based on the number of empty cans that strewn the driveway. Is this something I should report to the police? If so, how would I go about reporting a drunk driver if I do not know their location after they drive away from their home and when they return in only 15 minutes?

Dear Cogsboy,

Currently, there are no laws or city codes that prohibit people from drinking alcohol outside on their own private property unless they are sitting in a vehicle, providing alcohol to minors, or venturing out onto the sidewalk or street. California Penal Code Section 647f deals with people who are intoxicated in public and basically states that anyone who is found in any public place under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or controlled substance in a condition that he or she is unable to exercise care for his or her own safety, or the safety of others, or by reason of his or her being under the influence interferes with or obstructs or prevents the free use of any street, sidewalk, or other public way is in violation of this code.

You can call us out on the noise complaint. It is a lower priority call, but we responded to these calls. We advise the party to turn down the music and give them a warning. If we have to return they can be cited for the noise complaint. If you suspect that your neighbor is intoxicated and driving, what you would want to do is to call 911, and tell the dispatcher what transpired, provide them with a physical description of the driver, and the vehicle, including the license plate number, and the last direction the vehicle traveled. This way they can broadcast the description out to units. The units in the area can check it out and stop the vehicle. It won’t hurt to call, and being called to these types of incidents is our job. You could save someone’s life. Statistics show that most vehicle accidents occur within three miles of your home. Couple that with alcohol, and it is a recipe for disaster. If this guy has done this in the past and continues to drive, it is only a matter of time before he hurts someone.

Take care,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Single Female Wants to Feel Safe Downtown

2010-12-06T02:24:51Z

Posted by Gayle

Michelle,

I am a single female. I work in the downtown area and take public transportaion. I will also be living alone next month. I read and hear about a lot of crime in the Sacramento area. Sometimes I don’t feel safe. I saw a web-site that sells defense items such as pepper spray, stun guns, knives, Kubatons etc. What is legal to carry on the streets of Sacramento? Do you have any suggestions for a petite female at home and on the streets? Thank you. P.S. I will be on the first floor in an apartment. Alarms and a dog isn’t an option. Thank you. I love this new feature.

Dear Gayle,

Understanding the way females are socialized is the first step. Because women are often taught to be polite at an early age, this carries over into adulthood with behavior that can jeopardize personal safety. For example, females are sometimes reluctant to question service or sales people about their identification for fear that they may be perceived as being rude. When someone comes to your door that you don’t know, who you are not expecting, and you are alone, speak to them through the door, or a window. Ask for an identification badge. It’s okay to be cautious and authoritative when you are questioning someone you don’t know. Never give anyone the impression that you are home alone.

In your home, keep entrances well-lit. If the area is not well-lit, approach with caution. When coming home, if you think someone has entered your home, don’t enter. Call the police and go to a neighbor’s house. Keep your windows and doors locked when you’re home or away. If you open a window, be in eyeshot of it. Close it before you go to bed. Know your neighbors, watch out for each other, and exchange phone numbers.

When approaching your automobile, have your keys ready in your hand. Look around the inside of your car before getting in. Lock your doors as soon as you enter. At night, park in well-lighted areas or under a street light and always check out your surroundings. If someone looks like they don’t belong there, drive off. Have a cellular telephone with you. If you think someone is following you, drive to your nearest police station (It’s always good to know where they are located), or open business.

Just because you are petite, you can still pack a punch (so to speak). Walk tall and stay aware of what is going on around you. In an attack, deciding to fight or comply with an attacker is a personal choice depending on if the assailant has a weapon, if you are in a public place, and on your personal capabilities. If you are in a public place, draw attention to yourself by yelling or screaming. Attackers don’t want the attention. As for carrying a weapon, pepper spray is legal. I can’t tell you to carry a weapon like a knife or stun gun based on liability purposes. I can tell you that it’s always wise to do what you need to do to protect yourself. Watch out for your back.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Calling About Homeless Problems Downtown

2010-11-28T18:51:04Z

Posted by citypomo

Hi there, who do I call when I see homeless people drinking around my home and passing what appears to be “baggies” between each other? Sometimes they sleep at the church across the street from my apartment but can get real loud. Do I call 911 or is there another number to call since it is not an emergency.

Dear citypomo,

This is a common problem downtown. Most social service programs and even the mental health departments have cut their programs that previously gave law enforcement and homeless people options. It is frusterating for everyone involved. Frusterating for the homeless because they have no where to go. Frusterating for law enforcement because there aren't many places for us to take the homeless; frusterating for the homeless because they have limited places for shelter; and frusterating for the citizens who live downtown who constantly have their garbage being riffled through, the smell of urine in their alleyways, garbage being left behind, and people sleeping in their carports. There aren't any short term solutions right now. Perhaps we all need to have patients. This is a hard topic for me to write about. Yes, I enforce the laws and ordinances, but I also see the homeless from a more intimate perspective.

You can call the non-emergency number at 264-5471 unless there is a serious crime in progress like they are fighting, or using drugs in the open, or harassing passersby. Dispatch will make a call for service, and depending on the priority of calls, will send an officer out to advise and investigate. I have been working downtown recently and I can tell you that the district officers are very good at putting themselves out on these types of calls and either advising these people to move on, or citing and arresting them for various crimes including open containers, warrant arrests, and narcotics. If you do call the police and you want the officer to contact you, let the dispatcher know. If you don’t want us to come to your door, indicate that you only want to be called and we will call you before clearing the call.

Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - New Girlfriend Causing Problems with Parents

2010-11-22T01:17:33Z

Posted by ur0n3n0nly

I have a gf who I have known for 3 months. We had met online 3 months ago. I am actually a lesbian and my parents don’t approve me being a lesbian and dating a girl. I am 22 years old and my gf is 23. My dad took out a restraining order against my gf on my behalf for 3 years without my consent. My parents are doing everything to keep me away from my gf. I would like to go live with her but my parents aren’t letting me. They have also put false charges on my gf. I want to leave my house today if possible. I have couple of questions regarding this.1. I’m scared to leave my house in front of my parents. Can a police officer come and get me out?2.What can I do to have the restraining order be removed and the charges be dropped?

Dear urOn3nOnly,

Being that you are over the age of 18, you are considered an adult. As an adult, you have the right to date whomever you want. It sounds as though your parents are just worried about you. I don’t know the whole story, but I see a few red flags waving. The first is the “online” relationship. How well do you really know this woman? You say you have only known her for 3 months and already there is a restraining order associated between the two of you. The county doesn’t just dole restraining orders out without good cause and corroboration. If you want the restraining order removed, and the charges dropped, I would talk to the Public Defender or the attorney handling the case.

There are deeper issues here that I am not qualified to give you advice on. I can tell you that the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center may be able to help you. Check out their website at http://saccenter.org. The Center is an organization that has resources for Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender people. They are located at 1927 L Street. They are available Monday through Friday, and their phone number is 442-0185. They have a legal clinic and counseling services you may find useful to you.

Good luck,
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Custody and an Abusive Ex

2010-11-15T05:10:13Z

Posted by RussinCali

I have a domestic situation that I am trying to disarm. Last week, my soon to be ex continuously contacted me in a verbally abusive manner which continued until I was to pick up my daughter that night. We had a verbal exchange, loud enough to cause a call to dispatch.

Since that day, I have made a point of directing her to talk to her attorney and not initiating any contact with her that did not relate to our daughters. However she has taken liberty to continue to release verbal barrage after barrage in an attempt to cause a repeat performance. What legal means can I take in order to safeguard myself from the continuous texted and verbal abuse. It has gotten to the point where I cannot even have my phone at work because she takes the liberty to continuously call and text me. But when I get out of the office I will have numerous texts full of verbal taunts and baiting that has become her signature. I am doing my best to not have this become a problem and this is mentally taxing. The divorce is bad enough. I don’t need my daughters to see that kind of ugliness.

Dear RussinCali,

Keep your cool. Call your attorney and advise him/her what has been taking place. You don’t want to do or say anything to your ex that may be used against you for custody purposes. What’s most important is your daughter. I realize that it must be very hard to stand strong amongst the pandemonium caused by what seems an irrational person; and that even the strongest of dams may crumble when it receives enough erosion. But you must for the sake of your child be the bigger person here. Make your attorney aware of California Penal Code Sections 422 (making credible threats against someone and making annoying/harassing phone calls). Your attorney can call her attorney. Hopefully after their conversation, this behavior will discontinue.

I realize that there are always two sides to a story. I don’t know hers; however, these things have a way of calming down over time. In the meantime, I would suggest that you meet in a public place for your child drop-off exchanges. Your child doesn’t need to see you and your ex’s frustrations out in the open like this. She is probably having an internal battle of her own. I hope you can work a situation out with your ex soon that will benefit all of you and restore some normalcy back into your lives.

Take care,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - An Ex That is Less Than Civil

2010-11-08T01:59:38Z

Posted by Capitol_Concern

Michelle, I am currently involved in a custody case. The mother of my child and I were never married and have been seperated for over a year now. I let her live with me as a friend for a few months to help her get back on her feet. She has since moved out and has not been residing in my home for well over a month. She is now contacting me stating that she wants our child’s old car seat and a tub of old clothes. I told her that I was going to be taking these items to Once Upon A Child to trade them in for new clothes for the child. She said that she wants to give them to her friends and that if I don’t give her what she wants she will contact the police and have an officer perform a civil standby so she can get what she wants. Is his legal? Can she do that? These items belong to OUR daughter and were left at MY house for months. Wouldn’t they be my property? Can I really be forced to let her into my home to take what she wants? Please help.

Dear Capitol_Concern,

Since your child’s mother no longer has an established residency in your home, she can’t just come back into your home without your permission. If she had items there that belong to her, she could call for police assistance to retrieve items if there was a disturbance. It would be hard to prove who these items belong to and the two of you would have to deal with it through attorneys as a civil situation. It doesn’t seem fair, I know, but my advice is to let her have the items so that she can’t use or make up anything against you for future court proceedings. Look at the bigger picture. She sounds like she may be irrational about this issue, and it sounds like your focus is your child. Let it go. I’ve seen situations like this before. The less you involve the police, the better. Make an itemized list of the items and give it to your attorney. That way if it is agreed upon that the items belonged to you, you may be compensated for them. I’m truly sorry for your unfortunate situation.

Take care,
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - When is it Gang Colors?

2010-10-10T15:33:49Z

Posted by Mark.D.Carlos

My oldest son started middle school this year (Cal Middle School). Today, an "incident" happened which, before I speak with the school administration, might warrant a police perspective.

My son wore white tennis shoes with white laces, white socks, red shorts, and a red T-shirt with white lettering saying "Home Run" and a decal of a baseball. Early in the school morning, he was stopped by a security guard (assigned that role by the school) who apparently made reference to the fact that he was wearing gang colors/clothes, and that he could easily have a gun pointed at him.

At the end of the school day, before leaving the campus, my son called me to tell what had occurred. I asked him to go the front office, and ask for the school’s dress code policy. The woman at the front counter said "that is absolutely not acceptable", pointing to what his outfit, and then said there is no written dress code.

So my issue is pretty simple, seemingly with the school: develop and distribute a dress code to allow parents and kids to avoid any kind of similar occurrence. But what I really want to now is what the Sac PD believes are the current trends in gang colors which should be avoided at all times by kids (at school or anywhere)

Dear Mark,

It is time to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk with your son. I only have a small amount of information that you sent to me and just because your son wears red doesn’t mean he is in a gang. The only person who can really tell you whether they are partaking in gang activity is your son. I will tell you that the popular gang colors are red and blue. Gang members wear these solid colors to let others know which gang they are in.

Look at your son’s school books. Look for writing or doodles on his books. Be aware of any derivative of the number “14” or XIV. Note whether he is behaving differently. Check out his friends. Keep track of which websites he is visiting online. Has your son become withdrawn from the rest of your family? Have his grades changed? Has he adopted slang or jargon to his vocabulary that is new to you? Look in his backpack to see if he has any literature or notes from friends talking about gangs. If you are concerned about invading his privacy, think of the alternative. If your son was dabbling in gang activities and gets hurt or hurts someone else, it would be devastating to know you could have possibly done something about it.

You are in a good position to speak with your son about this. The middle school years are very impressionable and he may be much more receptive to speaking to you now as opposed to high school. Listen to your gut dad. You know what is best for your son. Speak to his school principal and teachers as well. As far as the dress code, it should be in the school rules and regulations. Ask to have a copy of it. It may even be online. If they don’t have one, go to the school board.

Go to www.sacpd.org and watch our public service announcement on gangs. Just click on the “be safe” section and click on “gangs.” It has a lot of useful information that may be helpful to you and your son. Thank you for your post and take care.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Dealing with Clueless Dog Owner

2010-10-03T16:01:43Z

Posted by davem

I have a neighbor who continually allows her dog to do its business in my front yard and never picks up after it.

I have witnessed this on several occasions and the neighbor in question has ignored requests to stop or clean up after her dog.

What recourse do I have to make this stop and whom should I contact about it?

Dear davem,

I can only imagine the morning view of you looking out your window to see a dog brutalizing your lawn! Since your neighbor has chosen to disregard your requests to be responsible for her dog, get your camera out and snap a photo of the dog leaving its deposit on your lawn. Call Animal Control at either 311 or 264-5011, and make a complaint. You will need to have the address of the offender’s owner. Animal control will send an animal care worker out to the address to speak with the owner. If the problem persists, the dog owner will be cited. Additionally, the landlord may not even allow pets. The landlord is another way to go. There’s nothing worse than stepping in a dog’s business. Good luck!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Reporting Threatening Phone calls

2010-09-27T03:59:58Z

Posted by jamesally1

If threatening messages are coming from a person living out of state, (however they leave their name and phone number and detailed threats, and I know where they live) do I file a report with the police in my area or the area where the offender lives?

How do I get life threatening voice messages off my phone and recorded to press criminal charges against someone?

Dear jamesally1,

The biggest hurdle with most crimes is that the victim does not know who the culprit is. Since you already know the suspect by name and address, you would file a police report with our department and list them as a suspect. Our department will have to work with the outside state agency for follow up. You must be specific about the type of threat. I will tell you that the threats must be credible with a potential of immediate harm. The threats can be either verbal or written. If this is a domestic violence situation and you are fearful that your spouse may hurt you, you should file for a restraining order with Sacramento County.

I don’t know what type of telephone answering system you have. If you have a machine with a microcassette, you could call your phone and attach a microphone to a pocket recorder to copy the message. If you have a digital system or the message is on a mobile voicemail, you can download it onto a computer and copy via a CD. I hope I have been able to answer your questions. Good luck.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Police Job and Felony Convictions

2010-09-19T17:27:00Z

Dear Officer Michelle,

Can I still apply to become a police officer if I was convicted of
felonies at the age of 10 and 13 for B and E when I was a kid? I was
given a waiver for these when I joined USMC but don’t know how it will
work as trying to become a cop?

maddox95747

Dear maddox95747,

It sounds like you have reinvented yourself. You have transferred your
mistakes from your past and have become a noble citizen by becoming a
Marine and righting your wrongs. Thank-you for your selfless service to
our country.

Even though you committed the burglaries when you were a juvenile, you
were convicted of a felony. The Sacramento Police Department does not
hire those who have been convicted of felonies.

I will say that your success story may help other youths that are going
down the wrong road. I would suggest that you call around to the
Sacramento County Probation Department’s juvenile section and ask if
you could speak to the youngsters who have been arrested about what they
have been doing and what they can be…just like yourself. Additionally,
you could speak to the Boys and Girls Club and continuation schools.
These youths need to hear this from someone like you who has turned it
around. You could really do a great service to your community and for
kids in general.

You may also want to speak to an area Marine recruiter. You may be
able to inspire those with your personal story as well. Good luck and
thank-you again.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Neighborhood Kids Playing Knock-and-Run

2010-09-13T01:55:01Z

Posted by Shoua

Hi Officer Michelle,

For the past few months, there have been some neighbor kids playing knock-and-run. We ignored it at first because we’ve been told that they’ll stop if we don’t check who’s at the door. However, a few weeks ago someone threw an egg at our front window. I decided to setup a fake security camera and it has been quiet for a while now until a few days ago. The knock-and-run is happening again. Other than having to dish out some money for some security cameras, what are my options? I’m concerned that things will get worst and I’m trying really hard not to take things into my own hands but it’s just so rude and annoying.

Thank you,
Shoua

Dear Shoua,

It sounds as if these kids are getting increasingly brazen. It is one thing to simply disturb your peace and another to vandalize your property. I would encourage you to speak with your neighbors. There is power in numbers, and you may get more information on the kids responsible. If you know who is involved, you could speak to their parents. If you have tried to speak to the kids’ parents and all they do is simply watch your mouth move, you could sign a citizen’s arrest for vandalism and take a report on line. The kids would be cited and given a court date. The parents would have to go to court with the juvenile and a fine or punishment would be imposed by the judge. The punishment is usually minor for this sort of thing, but rest assured the problem should stop. I would document dates and times of occurrences. If this is happening when school is in session, there could be some truancy issues as well that could be communicated with the school.

Setting up a camera is definitely an option. The camera will capture other things that may be useful to you. Camera systems aren’t as expensive now, and they are small. They can run between $60.00 and $150.00 online and at home hardware stores. Check with your homeowner policy to see if you are eligible for a discount. You could hide it in a little birdhouse or wind chime and lay in wait. Suddenly, it’s not so funny. Good luck with this.

Officer Michelle

Smart Cycling Group Offers Another FREE Midtown Bike Seminar

2010-09-07T22:52:37Z

The Smart Cycling group is offering another FREE bike seminar through the League of American Bicyclists. These classes go fast and you must pre-register. The classes will be Tuesday, September 14th from 6-8 p.m., and two Saturdays, September 18 and 25 from 9a.m. to 12 p.m. The location will be held at the Bicycle Chef at 3184 N Street in Midtown.
The workshop is described as a fast-paced course which develops self-confident cyclists that ride predictably on the street. The riders will learn about lane positioning, learn skills to avoid crashes and how to blend smoothly into the flow of traffic. The course includes a student manual which you can download prior to the course.
The feedback from the last class was positive. When asked if the course made the students feel more confident about riding a bike, Diane Miller wrote, “Yes, I feel more confident because I now know the rules of riding on the road.” Don Bortel said, “Absolutely. I was surprised at the number of techniques I was doing correctly and am ecstatic in learning the proper way to handle others. While I never was intimidated by riding on the street, I do have a better sense of understanding my role as a bicyclist for my safety and others. I also feel this course made me a more conscientious and better automobile driver.” Every one of the students said they would recommend this class to others.
The only requirements are a helmet and a multi-speed bike. For a registration form, email mkbryant@surewest.net. You may also get further information by going to www.smart-cycling.org.
This course is presented by www.smart-cycling.org and the Sacramento Transportation Management Association. All of the instructors are certified by the League of American Bicyclists. And did I mention this course is absolutely FREE.

Ask Officer Michelle - Stolen Vehicles Towed After Recovery

2010-09-05T18:56:35Z

Posted by tlstay

Good Morning,
My vehicle was stolen in February from my driveway. It was recovered in perfect condition after only a couple of days one mile from my house. Apparently, standard operating procedure is to have the vehicle towed to a tow yard before we are notified that the vehicle was recovered. We were advised of the recovery at 3pm and couldn’t leave work until 4:30, which was when the tow yard closed. We went to pick it up at 8 am the next morning, and the charge for towing and storage was $245. While I was happy to have the vehicle recovered, this was frustrating, to say the least. While I understand the need to remove stolen vehicles from their location in a timely manner, I don’t understand why a call wasn’t placed to us. Our home and work numbers were readily available on the police report and a call could have been placed to us just as easily as to the tow company. A sensible solution to me would have been a call from the police department to say that the vehicle was found and I had X number of hours to come and get it or it would be taken to the tow yard. Even if the vehicle wasn’t drivable, the towing on my insurance policy would have brought the car to my house. If I didn’t have this coverage and had to pay towing out of pocket to my home, it would still be less than the cost of the standard tow charge in these situations (more than any other tow charge) + storage. I could have walked to the recovery location to drive my car home! Could you please explain why the tow companies are automatically called in this situation? Perhaps there is a piece to this that I’m not understanding.
Thank you, and thanks to all of the officers for their great work.

Dear tlstay,
I understand that this could be maddening to you. I too have had my vehicle stolen out of my driveway before I was a police officer. It is a very strange feeling when you go to use your car and it is gone. You never realize what a liberty it is to have a car until it is gone. Usually, when officers with the Sacramento Police Department find a stolen vehicle, we try to contact the registered owner. If you or someone at your address is the registered owner, the police will radio to dispatch to attempt to contact the registered owner. When the registered owner arrives on scene, the officer does the necessary recovery and transfer paperwork and releases the vehicle to the owner. I can’t speak for the officer who recovered your vehicle. I’m sorry for your trouble.

Take care,
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Soldier Looking for a Police Position

2010-08-29T16:50:06Z

Posted by armystrong916

hello i am currently a service member in the us army and i’m coming up on my ets (exit the service date) and i have always wanted to get into law inforcement. I am wrighting to find out what all is needed to become a law inforcement officer and also what the hire rate is averagely. Any help would be appreciated.

Dear armystrong916,

First, I’d like to thank you for your selfless service in protecting our country and the great Americans who live here. As for a career in law enforcement, because it is a paramilitary career, you will find it a little easier as far as the structure, chain-of-command configuration, wear of the uniform, working with others from all backgrounds, etc. Most departments require some college. You can go to our website to see what our requirements are at www.sacpd.org. My advice to you is to sign up for college whether it be online or at an institution. Some accelerated programs, although they can be costly, transfer your military experience as college credits. Look into your VA benefits to see if you qualify for the GI Bill. Our department accepts the GI bill as payment while going through our academy. I don’t know whether you are going right into the Ready Reserves or the National Guard directly after active duty, but you may have some benefits there as well. I went through the police academy while in the reserves. Explain to your company commander what your intentions are. I also had soldiers who were going through police training while I was a company commander. I worked with their schedules as long as I knew in advance.

There are departments that don’t require any education past high school. The Sacramento Sheriff Department currently hires those with no degree. However, most departments are having the same financial constraints because of budget woes. You must be marketable and a degree certainly helps. Your army training is definitely a bonus, but unfortunately that experience alone is not going to get you a police job.

I would also go on a ride-along with a department; and I don’t mean with the Military Police. Go with a civilian agency that is close to your base. If you are interested in the Sacramento Police Department, you can download an application and fill it out on line.

I wish you success in your endeavors, and I hope that your transition into becoming a civilian again is easy for you. I hope this helps.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Getting Drug Using Father Off the Road

2010-08-22T17:23:04Z

Posted by RachelGlenn

My father is addicted to oxycontin and methadone. He constantly drives while under the influence of these substances. How can I prevent this and how can I make all local police agencies aware of him and his driving while under the influence. I DO NOT care if he goes to jail. I want him off the road!

Dear Rachel,

This situation of watching your father with his addiction must be very difficult for you. As hard as this may be, you are being responsible. You father’s judgment is obviously impaired and when talking to him as a daughter has had no effect, he leaves you no choice but to call someone who will stop his behavior.

If you live in the city, you could call our non-emergency number and talk to a dispatcher. The first thing the dispatcher will ask you is how you know he is under the influence and to describe his symptoms. The dispatcher is not being uncooperative; it is just that he/she needs to establish that there is a need for an officer to respond. It is not illegal to be under the influence in your own home, unless he is taking a prescription that was not prescribed to him by a physician. If he is taking a drug that is not prescribed to him, the dispatcher could send a unit out to contact your father. At that time, the officer could contact your father and determine whether he is prescribed the medications that he is taking. If he is legitimately prescribed the medicine, the officer could talk to him about the ramifications of his driving under the influence. The officer could do a premise history on his residence to let other officers know that we were dispatched to his residence and his history of drug abuse. If your father is on probation/parole, he is in violation of his terms by using drugs if they are not legitimately prescribed by a physician.

If a doctor is prescribing these drugs, and your father is abusing them, the physician and or the medical board should be notified. There are strict controls on these schedule II drugs. If your father is addicted to these medications, he needs medical help through a treatment program. If your father’s doctor is prescribing these medications irresponsibly, he/she needs to be held accountable. If he is purchasing them illicitly, you can contact our narcotic unit and speak to a narcotics detective or leave a message on our tip line at 808-5796 with your information. A detective will then contact you and investigate who may be providing these drugs.

If you observe your father driving and know him to be under the influence, call 911. Have the license plate, your father’s physical description, the description of the vehicle, and the direction of travel available. The dispatcher will air the information to district units who can perform a vehicle stop.

If your father has a suspended license, and he is caught driving, we will tow his car and impound it for 30 days. If he in fact is under the influence of a narcotic while driving, the penalties are the same as a DUI involving alcohol. If he is driving with a passenger, there are additional endangerment charges as well, especially if there is a child in the vehicle.

I hope that I have been able to help you. You could possibly save someone’s life by reporting this. If anything, you could be saving your father’s life. In any event, you are taking the first step to ending this cycle. Take care.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Loud Music in Neighborhoods

2010-08-15T15:46:26Z

Posted by kcrowley

Officer Michelle,
Is there a law that pertains to playing loud music for extended periods of time from one’s garage and or vehicle parked in the driveway in a residential area? Thank you for your time.

Dear kcrowley

There certainly is a noise ordinance that pertains to your problem. If you live in the city limits, we still respond to noise complaints. The general noise ordinance for the city of Sacramento states that between the times of 10:00 p.m., and 7:00 a.m. the following day are the times in which officers can enforce the ordinance. You can call the non-emergency number and have an officer dispatched. We will give the involved parties a warning. If they continue after we leave and the police receive a second call, we would then cite the concerned parties.
The city’s Code Enforcement Division is responsible for the investigation of complaints of ongoing and aggravated noise which require monitoring with sound level meters or which are of a habitual or mechanical nature. Two common examples are a garage or residence being used as a rehearsal hall or local bars where music or amplified sound disturbs those residing or working in the area. You can contact the Code Enforcement Division at 916-264-5948, or you can use their on-line form. The city’s Animal Services Division handles barking dog complaints - their number is 264-7387.
You may want to speak to your neighbors about the problem. If they are renters, you can also speak to their landlords. The other option is to see if this problem clears up on its own. Hope it all works out.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Graffiti in Midtown

2010-08-08T16:08:13Z

Posted by chriso

What is up with the drastic rise in graffiti?? I went out on my bike today and hadn’t been out for about 4 months and i see tons of new graffiti around downtown. I saw about 1-2 ft high black lettering on a NICE HOUSE around 15th & V…it made my heart sick, It makes me think that it is only a matter of time before my house gets hit, our alley (V,W) is already getting plenty of new graffiti. It is such a shame and makes our city look so trashy. What can I do??

Dear chriso,

I spoke with the Sacramento City Senior Code Enforcement Officer who is the supervisor of the graffiti abatement section and forwarded your complaint. He told me that graffiti problems are definitely troublesome to our city. I also referred your complaint to our commander who oversees the downtown area. Additionally, the Sacramento Police Department meets with the District Attorney’s Office as well as the Sacramento City Code Enforcement Department on a regular basis.

You should always report these crimes with the police department because City Code Enforcement keeps a database of all the taggers. Officers frequently run across subjects in their homes that have indicia with their “tag” in their residences. If these subjects already have cases based upon crime reports and entries in the database, it can assist the District Attorney in prosecuting a case.

As far as things you can do, landscaping, cameras, motion detectors, dogs, and Neighborhood Watch are still your best bet. If you do witness a vandal in progress, you can call 911. Be able to describe the suspect from head to toe including their age, race, height, weight, what they are wearing, if there is a vehicle involved, etc. The dispatchers will be able to voice your description over the air for officers in the area. If officers don’t respond right away, it is not because officers or the Police Department doesn’t care. We do care. Everyone is affected by these types of crimes. It’s is just that there are simply higher priorities that we are responding to such as crimes against persons. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Mother Deals with Abusive Older Son on Meth

2010-08-01T16:46:19Z

Posted by venegasn

My mother has been trying to force my 27yr old brother to leave her house. He has been there for 6 months. He is a Crystal meth addict, loud, abusive, dirty and just a complete nuisance. She has called the police on him because he repeatedly steals her truck and he has no valid drivers license. He was arrested but released two days later and she woke up one day and there he was again. She’s changed the locks, but he always manages to get back inside the house somehow. He yells at her that she cannot do anything about it and he will never leave. She’s afraid of him and has asked me for help. I hope there is a legal way to get him out. She has a daycare license and she is afraid that if she calls the police when he hits her that she will lose her license and have no way to support herself. Please help.

Dear venegasn,

I am truly sorry to hear that this is happening. I can only imagine what your mother is going through. Not only does she have to endure a hostile environment
in her own home, but the one responsible for it is her own son. She must feel very torn.

There are a few things you can do. You can first start the eviction process. Since your brother is violent toward your mother, she can go to the county and
file for a restraining order. This way, he can’t be anywhere within 100 feet of her. Additionally, he can be arrested for being under the influence of a
narcotic. If he is on probation or parole, you should call his probation/parole officer. He can and probably will be violated.

If your mother is over the age of 65, she is considered an “elder” and there are special laws regarding elder abuse which are felonies. You could call Adult
Protective Services with Sacramento County at 874-9294. They are a good resource. Additionally, Women Escaping a Violent Environment (W.E.A.V.E) is
also a great resource for your mom. They can even help her file for a restraining order. Call them at (916) 920-2952. They are so helpful, and they understand what your mother is going through. They should be one of your first calls.

Finally, your brother is more of a hindrance now with regards to the daycare license. If he is present while under the influence, he may have paraphernalia
sitting around where a child could have access to it, or if he is acting abusive, your mom could lose her license forever. She should call the police every time your brother is around the children; especially if he is high. Meth is a very dangerous drug, and when someone like your brother is addicted to it, he may do things for it that you would never imagine. If you or your mom has any questions, please call me at 952-0788. If it is urgent, call 911! Please keep me posted on this!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Preventing Repeated Car Break-ins

2010-07-25T15:56:42Z

Posted by mmax,

My car has been broken into 3 times in front of my house. What can I do or who do I contact? I feel like I’m being targeted.

Dear mmax,

There are several things you can do to help you prevent yourself from becoming such a target. First and foremost, don’t leave anything in your car. Take it in with you. Even an ashtray full of change is a target. People leave wallets, spare keys to their vehicles/houses, briefcases and other things that an opportunist may steal. If the crime is in progress, call 911. Be able to describe the suspects, what they are wearing, whether they have a bicycle or other mode of transportation, and any other physical characteristics that you can describe to the dispatcher. The fact that it is a crime-in-progress makes it a higher priority. Even if the suspect(s) leave the scene before patrol gets there, the dispatcher would have put out the physical description you gave them and units approaching are on alert for a subject matching this physical description.

I would highly discourage you confronting the subject. They could be armed or attack you. It isn’t worth your life for a property crime. You may not be justified using deadly force on a property crime. You have a right to protect yourself but you have to be in fear for your life and that of others. Simply confronting someone who is committing a burglary on your car would not constitute using deadly force.
We do put bait cars out and it sounds like your area could use one. Depending on which area of the city you live in determines which number you would call.
Crime Prevention Services: North Sacramento 566-6402; Central Sacramento 808-4517; South Sacramento 277-6058
Explain what has been happening. They will be able to assess the situation and either put the information out to his/her team and each shift, and/or set up a bait car.

Lock your doors, take your valuables inside, and develop a partnership with your neighbors. Put in bright motion detecting lights that will illuminate your vehicle and potential thieves. Most petty thieves want it to be easy and will move on if you make it difficult for them.
You may want to develop a Neighborhood Watch if you don’t already have one. Call one of the numbers above and tell the attendant that you want to set up a Neighborhood Watch group. Also, check out our website at www.sacpd.org. There is valuable information on there as well.

Good luck!
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Statutes of Limitations on Attempt Rape

2010-07-18T15:56:39Z

Posted by this1girl
how long does someone have to report an attempt rape? What’s the statute of limitations in CA? What if it was over 14 years ago? What options does the victim have and what can be done about getting justice? Where can she get help in this case?

Dear this1girl,
The primary factor is whether the victim is willing to prosecute. The statute of limitations for criminal prosecution would have run out on a 14-year-old case; however, the victim can still file a police report in the jurisdiction where the attempted rape occurred regardless if there is any evidence. You would list the suspect in the report even though he would not be prosecuted on the incident. A Deputy District Attorney could interview the victim and use the testimony in more recent cases if he is listed as a suspect in other cases. This could solidify current cases. There are opportunities for the victim to file a civil case, but I would consult an attorney on civil matters.

Without knowing the elements or specifics of the crime, I can’t tell you whether the crime was a misdemeanor or a felony. This also makes a difference in determining the statute of limitations. Many factors come into play such as the victim’s age, skin-on-skin contact, whether there was penetration, if there was there was a drug or alcohol involved, If there was transportation of the victim or false imprisonment, or if there was force involved.

I hope this helps. Even filing a police report could be the first step to justice. Keep me posted on this.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Dealing with Harrassment from a Co-worker

2010-07-12T04:08:25Z

Posted by mbridges3

My friend recently filed a police report about a former female coworker egging his truck. Because the eggings have been occurring for several months, he bought a security camera and caught this lady on video. The former coworker was fired two weeks ago because of this footage, and is now harassing and, in my opinion, stalking my friend (her latest voice mail - which he saved - asked if she would see him at his gym [which she is not a member of]). Do I recommend he apply for a restraining order against this lady? Or should he file another police report for this harrassment?

Dear mbridges3

The outcome of this situation relies on your friend. Your friend must be willing to prosecute and go forward with this. Your friend definitely has proof that the egger was this lady, who has already exhibited irrational behavior by virtue of vandalizing your friend’s car. I would suggest a restraining order which he needs to file with the county. Tell your friend to have a copy of his police report when he goes to file. He can add a supplement to the original report and list this woman as the named suspect. Vandalism is usually a misdemeanor, however, it may depend on the dollar amount the damage to his vehicle has caused. The police will want a copy of the footage and the harassing voicemail, if your friend is willing to prosecute. The District Attorney will need this. You could have your friend write me so I can explain this further. Keep me posted on this.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Street Performer Requirements

2010-07-04T15:32:28Z

Posted by Fellowes

Hi Officer Michelle-
Do street performers need to have a permit to play on the sidewalks? Even if its just one person playing a guitar for tips?
thanks

Dear Fellowes,

The Sacramento City Code Chapter 5.108 covers Business Licenses and Regulations. According to this code, subsection K describes street performers as musicians, singers or mimes, and those who play an instrument which isn’t amplified. These are exempt from permit requirements. They are also exempt in some malls where foot traffic is prevalent, but Chapter 12.44 describes those circumstances more fully. The exemption, however, does not relieve any entertainment from complying with all other applicable laws including, but not limited to, Article II and the laws related to noise level nuisances, and blocking the sidewalk, particularly those contained in Title 8.

Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Free 3-day Urban Cycling Skills Workshop

2010-06-29T22:12:23Z

Over the years of writing the “Ask Officer Michelle” column, I have received multiple questions from citizens regarding bicycle safety and some of the laws regarding bicycle riding in traffic. I ran across this free three-day urban cycling skills workshop and thought I would share it with the public. The course starts on one of the three Tuesday evenings from 6-9 p.m., July 20, 27, and August 3.

During one of these three initials meetings, students will learn about bicycle maintenance, and rules of the road. The subsequent meetings will then be offered on Saturdays July 20, or July 24, and July 31, from 9-noon and will cover hazard avoidance drills and on-street skills and drills. Interested riders should meet at the Bicycle Chef at 3184 N Street in Midtown.

The workshop is described as a fast-paced course which develops self-confident cyclists that ride predictably on the street. The riders will learn about lane positioning, learn skills to avoid crashes and how to blend smoothly into the flow of traffic. The course includes a student manual.

The only requirements are a helmet and a multi-speed bike. For a registration form, email mkbryant@surewest.net. You may also get further information by going to www.smart-cycling.org.

This course is presented by www.smart-cycling.org and the Sacramento Transportation Management Association. All of the instructors are certified by the League of American Bicyclists. This course is absolutely FREE.

Ask Officer Michelle - The Legality of Carrying Mace

2010-06-27T15:55:43Z

Posted by lesjt

Hi, is Mace legal to carry in California for self defense? If so, where is the best place to purchase it? Does the police department offer instructional classes to learn how to use Mace?

Dear lesjt,

I don’t believe that Mace is still used. Pepper spray, which has an oleo resin base or “pepper oil,” is now used. It is more effective than Mace and can be used on aggressive dogs as well. Dogs don’t have tear ducts, therefore the Mace was found to be ineffective. Pepper spray, because of the oleo resin, works on the dogs. Mail carriers carry this with them.

Pepper spray is legal to carry, and you can buy it at uniform supply stores and some hardware stores. I even saw it at a sporting goods store recently.

You have every right to protect yourself, but pepper spray is considered a weapon. Make sure you know how to use it. The Police Department does not offer such classes, but you should be able to find private self defense classes where you can learn how to use it. Also, make sure you purchase a special holder for it so that there won’t be any “accidental discharge.” Additionally, when you aren’t using it, store it in a place where curious children won’t find it. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Sac PD Officer Fitness

2010-06-20T15:47:54Z

Posted by uga

I was just watching the news about the 3 day stand off and I was SHOCKED to see a 300+ pound Police Sergeant on my screen getting paid by tax dollars. When I was a police officer there were height/weight standards and this man was within standards 70lbs ago!! There is No way this Sergeant can pass the run portion of the PT test and I feel he is committing Fraud on tax payers collecting a check and not living up to his end of his contract! Give him 6 months to be IN weight or terminate his employment. That’s where our police and fire departments can start trimming their budgets.

Dear uga,

The incident you write about occurred on Arden Way in the county. Sac PD’s presence was our SWAT team, there in order to provide relief to Sheriff’s Department SWAT officers. Regardless of which agency it was, the Sacramento Police Department has a philosophy of physical fitness that pervades the organization beginning with our recruits. For candidates applying for a position as a police officer with the Sacramento Police Department, a physical fitness test must be passed as part of the entry exam. Recruits in the Department’s academy undergo a rigorous physical fitness program. Recruits are tested on physical fitness several times throughout the six-month academy. Recruits who can not meet the physical performance standards are dismissed.

The Department also has gyms at each work location and an on-duty workout program allowing two hours of duty time per week to be spent in the gym. Sac PD also employees a professional fitness coordinator who designs and coordinates exercise and diet programs. Officers who struggle with weight issues can implement a fitness plan with this coordinator.

As for employment based on weight restrictions, strict height/weight standards may be considered discriminatory and their use has been limited by the courts. Most law enforcement agencies in the nation now use height/weight proportional equations.

Thank you for the opportunity to talk about the efforts made at the Sacramento Police Department towards police officer fitness.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Filing an On-line Burglary Report

2010-06-14T00:14:17Z

Posted by Richard7852

Hello my name is Richard. I am trying to make a police report on a break-in and robery, between 5:30 pm 5/8/10 and 2:00 pm 5/9/10. The property is in my mother’s name. The garage ( detatched )was the area broken into and things were stolen. My mother is 87 and suffed a stroke 20 months ago, resulting in short term memory lose. After the stroke her doctor said she could no longer live by herself and she has been living with me those 20 months and the house in question has not been occupied since then. I started working on the house in question approx. two weeks ago cleaning out garbage and such getting it ready to rent. Because of my mother’s memory lose i have been taking care of all her business. Sorry, i seemed to have made a short question into a long one. My question is when filling out the police report on-line whose name and information should i use, my mother’s or mine ?

Dear Richard7852,

I’m sorry to hear about your mom. As for the crime that occurred at her residence, it sounds like there was a burglary that occurred. Burglary is different from a robbery in that there must be the element of force and/or fear for robbery. It makes a difference when you go to report the crime. You can file an online report if this burglary occurred in the city by going to www.sacpd.org. Go to the “Online Reports” portion and the rest will be self-explanatory. You would want to file the report under your mom’s name; however, you can also list yourself as an additional victim if you are going to handle all the logistics regarding follow-up and reporting. You may also call dispatch at 264-5471 and ask for an officer to take a report, especially if there is physical evidence like fingerprints and/or any other evidence the suspect(s) may have left behind. A Community Service Officer is dispatched to these types of calls. You must be flexible and someone must be present on scene while the officer takes the report. If you can, speak with your mother’s trusted neighbors and explain what has happened. They may be able to watch out for her home. Give them your cell number so that they can call you if they have any questions. Good luck with this and keep me posted.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Safe Evening or Early Morning Running

2010-06-07T04:11:01Z

Posted by ktraffi
Hello Officer Michelle, I’m starting a morning exercise routine including a brisk walk from the corner of 2nd Avenue and Alhambra to the corner of 2nd Avenue and Riverside. I’ll be leaving my front door at 4:00 AM four to five weekday mornings. I’m concerned that residents seeing a strange person in street clothes, (I have not been wearing running clothes on my mid morning weekend walks) may be wary or even phone the police. I’m thinking of buying some kind of reflector jacket or vest. Is there any kind of curfew laws I need to know about or should I be prepared to have a patrol car possibly stop me to see what I’m doing? Thank you

Dear ktraffi,

Let me be the first to congratulate you for starting your morning off with exercise. The only people up and out that early are you and the Army! Seriously, there are no curfew laws for adults. Sacramento City Code Section 9.40.010 only applies to unaccompanied juveniles. You have the right to run any time of the day or night. It is not necessarily common though to see someone running that early, so if you do happen to get stopped by a patrol officer, just be courteous and explain what you are doing. You should be on your way. Make sure you have some form of ID on your person whenever you go out. And I would definitely wear a reflector vest of some sort during hours of darkness for your safety. I wear one myself when I run at night during daylight savings time. It simply makes good sense to wear one so that you are visible to drivers. They also sell blinking lights that you can wear around your arm or leg that give even more warning to oncoming traffic. I found a great link that sells such items at http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/gear/gearsafety/. Additionally, I would run with a cell phone in case of emergencies, abstain from wearing ear phones, and run in an area that is populated…even if they are all asleep! Good luck to you.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Raising Chickens in the City Limits is Ruffling Feathers

2010-05-30T19:00:57Z

Posted by mrlurker

I have neighnors 2 houses down that own 2 rosters that make alot of noise all day long. Is it legal to have rosters in a residential neighborhood? I feel the neighbors are unapproachable and might cause trouble if I mentioned it. There are alot of cars and young adults that hang out in front of the house regularly. Im not saying they are criminals at all.. but I am reluctant to approach them as if they wanted to cause trouble this would give them a reason and someone to blame. What would you suggest to address this issue? Thank You

Dear mrlurker,

Well, well, who needs an alarm clock when you have roosters in the neighborhood. There really aren’t too many reasons to have roosters around unless perhaps there may be some cock fighting. I’ve heard of people in neighborhoods keeping hens for eggs and for the meat, but not roosters. The hens are who are usually eaten. The meat of the roosters isn’t as good.

I have recently read about some proposals to change the existing law so that citizens can raise chickens in the city limits for the purpose of organic farming, eggs, and their meat. However until these proposals pass, it is still unlawful to raise chickens if you live in the city limits. This is more of an Animal Control issue and a police issue.

According to Animal Control Officer Dan Torres, keeping chickens and roosters in a residential neighborhood is illegal and can fetch a hefty fine. The fine is $100 per chicken. You can contact animal control through “311.” The operator can connect you to the service person you need. Talk to them about filing a report and keeping you anonymous. If you don’t want to go that route, and you are intimidated by these neighbors, you could always send a friendly note with your concerns. Good luck!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle- Neighborhood Fence and Noise Issues

2010-05-23T16:21:24Z

Posted by Houndgal

Two "neighbor" questions -

1) My neighbor wants to know if it’s permissible for someone whose property shares a fenceline with hers for that person to tear down their common fence without her permission.

2) You mentioned being able to enfoce noise codes between 11 pm and the next morning. We’ve got a recurring problem with people who play loud music (loud enough so you can hear it from outside in your shower with the water running). We’ve been told that the "noise code" is that if it’s disturbing anyone, it’s too loud - there is no time when it’s okay to disturb your neighbors. Is that accurate? Thanks.

Dear Houndgal,

So you are now seeing a little more of your neighbor than you’d like. Fence issues between neighbors are complicated. Since what you describe is a civil issue, my advice would be to hire a civil attorney. During the investigation the attorney may find some criminal laws broken and you can proceed from there. There are all kinds of nuances and elements that need to be investigated first.

As for the noise complaint, we respond to these. The general noise ordinance for the city of Sacramento states that between the times of 10:00 p.m., and 7:00 a.m. the following day are the times in which officers can enforce the ordinance. You can call the non-emergency number and have an officer dispatched. We will give the involved parties a warning. If they continue after we leave and the police receive a second call, we would then cite the concerned parties.

The city’s Code Enforcement Division is responsible for the investigation of complaints of ongoing and aggravated noise which require monitoring with sound level meters or which are of a habitual or mechanical nature. Two common examples are a garage or residence being used as a rehearsal hall, or local bars where music or amplified sound disturbs those residing or working in the area. You can contact the Code Enforcement Division at 916-264-5948, or you can use their on-line form. I hope it all works out.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Citizen's Arrest Powers

2010-05-16T17:05:02Z

Posted by Sorren

Hey Officer Michelle!

I have been working at a hotel on Auburn and Howe ave for about a year now, and late at night, we very regularly are put into some somewhat dangerous situations with gang-oriented locals. I was wondering about the legal rammifications behind a citizens arrest.

I have taken the California Powers to Arrest class, and I was wondering if the process for citizens arrest is different if one is not employed specifically as a security guard. I work inside of the hotel, and patrol the parking lot when I’m not busy, because of all of the sketchy people in the neighborhood.

I have been in several situations where there would be someone outside smoking marijuana in the parking lot, vandelizing vehicles, and occasionally soliciting guests for money in an intimidating mannor. I have witnessed vehicles being vandalized several times, and wasn’t sure what I was in my legal rights to do about it.

I know there’s a very fine line between what is legal and what is not, and even what could be cause for a civil lawsuit and what can’t. If someone is commiting a felony or misdemeanor in my parking lot, am I legally within my rights to detain them until police arrive at the scene? Also, is there any real point in a citizens arrest? I legally can’t keep anyone against their will, because I’m not a peace officer, and that would be kidnapping wouldn’t it? So who would agree to be detained by a civillian anyway? I wouldn’t.

Thanks!

-Sorren

Dear Sorren,

This is the deal with citizen’s arrests. You have the right to apprehend a person who is suspected of a crime, as long as you deliver the suspected person of the crime to a law enforcement officer. That being said, you are incurring a liability if you make an erroneous arrest absent of evidence and if it is out of malice. You may only use the amount of force necessary to hold them until law enforcement arrives. You must be able to determine what is significant for the sake of public safety. I can understand apprehending a subject who was attempting to flee from a violent crime, but I would be mindful when detaining someone for a crime that isn’t a matter of immediate danger to the average citizen. In that case, act as a very good witness and be able to describe the subject and situation to police. Act as a our eyes and ears until we arrive. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Preventing Future Car Break-ins

2010-05-09T19:37:41Z

Posted by gramy_24

With two recent break-ins to my car and fear of my home next, I find myself asking questions like. If I were to see these people in the middle of the night in my car what can I do? Do I confront them not wanting to lose my valuables and pay another 1000 dollar deductable b/c they break my door and hope they don’t shoot me? Call the police and hope they get there in time before I lose everything again? Or do I have the right to confront them being a registered gun owner? This is an honest question, what can I do? Living in Land Park this is becoming much to common- Can you guys set up a bait car or something and catch these guys??

Dear gramy_24,

Your dilemma is most unfortunate. I understand your frustrations. There are things you can do. First, if the crime is in progress, call 911. Be able to describe the suspects, what they are wearing, whether they have a bicycle or other mode of transportation and any other physical characteristics that you can describe to the dispatcher. The fact that it is a crime-in-progress makes it a higher priority. Even if the suspect(s) leave the scene before patrol gets there, the dispatcher would have put out the physical description you gave them and units approaching are on alert for a subject matching this physical description.
I would highly discourage you confronting the subject. They could be armed or attack you. It isn’t worth your life for a property crime. You may not be justified using deadly force on a property crime. You have a right to protect yourself but you have to be in fear for your life and that of others. Simply confronting someone who is committing a burglary on your car would not constitute using deadly force.

We do put bait cars out and it sounds like your area could use one. Call our south station at 277-6001 and ask to speak with the Land Park Sector Sergeant. Explain what has been happening. They will be able to assess the situation and either put the information out to his/her team and each shift, and/or set up a bait car.

We all sometimes forget to take valuables out of our cars, but if a crooks can see it, they will take it, even if it’s change in an ashtray. These tweekers are opportunists. They want in and out. They usually don’t spend much time. They will seize your valuables day and night if the opportunity presents itself. Lock your doors, take your valuables inside, and develop a partnership with your neighbors. Put a bright motion detecting lights that will illuminate your vehicle and potential thieves. Most petty thieves want it to be easy and will move on if you make it difficult for them.

You may want to develop a Neighborhood Watch if you don’t already have one. Call the number I gave you and ask the attendant that you want to set up a Neighborhood Watch group. Also, check out our web site at www.sacpd.org. There is valuable information on there as well. Good luck!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Dealing with Bullying Children

2010-05-02T16:40:14Z

Posted by c.ayres

Michelle, for several years now my 2 daugters ages 11 and 7 have been harrassed and bullied by 2 other children in our community. My husband and I have made reports to the community managers but it continues. This year it has worsten, the kids stop in front of our cars, making us wait for them to move, thus creating major headache while attempting to pull in and out of our community and garage. They vandalize our front entry way, leaving trash, nasty letters about the girls, rip flowers off of my planters, and break our porch decor. My girls get things thrown at them, hit, hair pulled, and called dirogetory names, and their toys either get broken or stolen. I tell my girls to ignore it and to go play where they’re not but they now follow, and now other children in the community are now siding with the others and participating in these behaviors. I have to keep my girls indoors because even with me supervising them it still continues. We and management have tried to talk to the parents but they never answer their door. Please help!! I don’t want to have to keep my girls inside another spring/summer.

Dear c.ayres,

I personally have zero tolerance for this type of thing. It can be hurtful, breaks down self esteem, and can be a stepping stone to more aggressive behavior. I am wondering if these bullies go to the same school as your daughters. There are a few education laws that apply to bullying on school grounds. California Education Code section 32290, Section 7 defines bullying and talks about the violence, discrimination, and harassment involved with bullying. California Education Code Section 3594.2 talks about the laws. If these girls go to the school, bring it to the principal’s attention immediately. The principal may also act as a mediator between the other girls’ parents and your family.

Some other California Penal Code sections that apply to what you have described is the vandalism code (594 of the Penal Code), and petty theft code (484 of the Penal Code), if they are stealing your children’s property. Both of these crimes are misdemeanors and require a citizen’s arrest. You may want to bring this to the attention of the bullies’ parents. I know you said that you attempted to contact them by going to their residence with no avail. Perhaps a certified letter may get their attention. You may even want to cc your landlord which may give them even more reason to pay attention. I would definitely contact your landlord about this. You and your children have a right to live in a community free of such drama.

Finally, speak to your girls about bullying. There are several very good websites that offer helpful material on this topic. Go to www.cde.ca.gov and www.stopbullyingnow.com for more information. You may glean more knowledge about bullying that may empower both your children and yourself. Keep me posted on this. Let me know if you have any results.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Drug Dealing Neighbors

2010-04-25T15:05:04Z

Posted by nicole

Officer Michelle,
Hi I live in an apartment complex and I saw my neighbors dealing drugs. I called the police and notified the apartments about the activity I witnessed. The apartments don’t seem to be to willing to help me with the situation. What else can I do? We have had a lot of on going problems with these neighbors and I have a young child. I am very concerned about her and our safety.

Dear nicole,

There are several avenues you may take to help rectify this problem. You say that you have called the police before about this problem which means it has been documented that we have been there for narcotics related calls. This will aid in the justification of evictions and letters to the landlord. Call every time you witness an act. Describe the subjects and vehicle descriptions to dispatch so that they can voice the descriptions of the suspect(s) to inbound units. You can tell dispatch that you don’t want to be contacted if you are fearful of retaliation. The officers will see that you don’t want to be contacted at the scene so you can remain anonymous. You may want to leave a phone number for officer to call you if they have follow-up questions. You may want to call the Problem Oriented Policing Team in your area as well. They will be able to focus on this neighborhood problem for a more long term solution.

Finally, I would suggest you call our Narcotic Tip Line at 808-5796 and leave a message about the activity you are witnessing. Again, try to be specific. Give license plate numbers or vehicle descriptions if you have them, suspect descriptions, times of day you are seeing this, etc. One of our investigators will receive the information and process it. They can go from there.

Your landlord must comply with the police department if there is a problem such as this. Failure to cooperate will result in a substantial fine imposed by the city. The Sacramento Police Department has no tolerance for this type of thing. When we find out about problems like this, we hit it head on. I take particular offense in crimes like this being a prior narcotic detective…especially when there are children involved. I’m sorry you are exposed to this. Thank you for your post, and I hope you are able to aid the police department so that we can find these drug dealers a new home in the Sacramento County jail.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Bicycle Riding with a Child

2010-04-18T16:42:03Z

Posted by lpoulsen

Help! My daughter’s 1st birthday is at the end of the month and I’m itching to get back on the beach cruiser! I managed to find an infant helmet and I’ve done a little bit of research about attached infant bicycle seats vs. wearing a backpack type carrier while riding. I’d prefer to ride with her in the backpack but not sure if it’s legal. I checked out VC 21202 but it’s a little fuzzy. What is the law regarding carrying babies on bikes? Thanks!!

Dear lpoulsen,

You definitely got a good start on your homework. You may look at California Vehicle Code Section 21204. It states as follows:
21204. (a)( )1 A person operating a bicycle upon a highway shall not ride other than upon or astride a permanent and regular seat attached thereto, unless the bicycle was designed by the manufacturer to be ridden without a seat.
(b)( )1 An operator shall not allow a person riding as a passenger, and ( )2 a person shall not ride as a passenger, on a bicycle upon a highway other than upon or astride a separate seat attached thereto. If the passenger is four years of age or younger, or weighs 40 pounds or less, the seat shall have adequate provision for retaining the passenger in place and for protecting the passenger from the moving parts of the bicycle.
This basically says that the seat needs to be adequately affixed to the bike in order for it to be legal. A little bike trailer or a child seat which attaches to the rear of the bicycle is perfectly legal but not one that attaches to your back.
My advice to you is to drive to an access area with your bike in tow to the 32-mile Jedediah Smith Memorial Bicycle Trail instead of riding on the public streets. It is much safer and kid friendly. This way you won’t be stranded if your one-year-old isn’t as motivated about bike riding as yourself. Good luck. The scenery is lovely especially this time of year!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Use of Force and Property Crimes

2010-04-11T17:05:49Z

Posted by gramy_24

Dear gramy_24,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Sacramento Leash Laws

2010-04-04T17:05:41Z

Posted by nickolushenry

Hello Officer Michelle,

I recently received a citation/ticket at my local park for having my dog off the leash while playing fetch. As I am new to the area, is my dog required to be on a leash all the time or is it if I am only at public parks? As I own a Pitbull I stay away from the dog parks due to any incidents Pitbulls always seem to get the blame and some parks even ban them. So is there anywhere I can go to play fetch with my K9 best friend?

Dear nickolushenry,

You’re in luck. There are several dog parks in Sacramento. The following parks are off-leash dog parks:

Bannon Creek Dog Park; Glenbrook Dog Park; Granite Park - Dog Park; Jacinto Creek Park -Dog Park; North Natomas Regional Park - Dog Park

Partner Park; Regency Community Park - Dog Park; Sutters Landing Park - Dog Park; Tanzanite Community Park - Dog Park

You can go to www.cityofsacramento.org/parksandrecreation/parks/dogpark1.htm for more information for the address and directions.

The leash laws are pretty basic in the city. Dogs have to be on a leash in all public places. For more detailed information, the Sacramento City Code Section 9.44.220 (sections A and B) covers the violation information for both dogs in public and on private property. The first fine is usually $100, the second is $200 and the third is $500. There is also a section that states that the leash shall not exceed 8’ in length and shall be of sufficient strength to restrain the animal. If you have any further questions, you can call 311 for a city operator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week who can assist you. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Law on Registered Sex Offenders

2010-03-29T01:06:11Z

Posted by bmcomm

Dear Officer Michele,
A registered sex offender recently moved in next door to my home. Per Megan’s list, this person was convicted of "lewd and lascivious behavior" with a child. I have 2 questions:
1) What is the Sacramento city police department’s policy regarding notifying neighbors that a registered sex offender has moved in (we have had no notification).
2) What are the residency restrictions for someone whose crime involved a child? I live .2 miles from an elementary school.
Many thanks for your response.

Dear bmcomm,

The laws in the state of California are pretty specific. There are two laws that are specific to registered sex offenders (or 290s as law enforcement refers to them related to penal code section 290). There is the well known Megan’s law that requires 290s to register each year on their birthdays for life, and Jessica’s law that deals more with proximity and tracking. The latter law was enacted in November 2006 and states that any 290 who is convicted after the November enactment date can’t live anywhere or frequent areas within 2000 feet of a school, park or place where children frequent.

Local law enforcement doesn’t notify residents when a 290 moves into the area. These 290s are usually under the supervision of the corrections or parole system. The Department of Corrections monitors their parolees usually with GPS tracking systems as well as unannounced home visits from parole/probation agents. If the parolee or probationer violates their conditions, they may be rearrested and go back to jail. In some cases, if the 290 is no longer on probation/parole, they may go onto a school grounds if they have a reason to be there such as to pick up a child family member. They must have an agreement with the school. And they can only be on the school grounds for that purpose. Once off parole, their only provisions are to register every year, and if they move, they are to notify law enforcement in that jurisdiction with in five days.

If you have any problems with the 290 in your neighborhood, you can do two things. If the crime is in progress or if something has just occurred, call 911 and a district officer will be dispatched. If there is a long term problem or if you believe something may be suspicious, contact the Office of the Attorney General on the Megan’s law website. There is a reporting section for the public to fill out. A moderator will contact you once you complete an inquiry.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Pedestrians Rule the Sidewalks

2010-03-21T16:34:09Z

Posted by chriso

I ride my bicycle around downtown alot. I just heard from a friend of mine that while he was riding his bike downtown an officer stopped him and told him to get off of the sidewalk and ride in the street. Are bicylists not allowed to ride on the sidewalk? I am not very comfortable riding in the street without a bike lane.

Dear chriso,

The truth of the matter is that the sidewalk is meant for pedestrians. In other words, it is illegal to ride on the sidewalks. Bicyclists must follow the same rules of the road as other “vehicles” and must ride as close as “practicable” to the right. Sacramento strives to be a bicycle friendly city with many bicycle routes, so people are encouraged to ride their bikes, however bicyclists are always encouraged to exercise caution.

California Vehicle Code Sections 21200-21212 cover the rules of the road and what bicyclists can and can’t do. There is also a City Code section pertaining to riding bicycles on the sidewalk. City Code 10.76.010 states: Except as authorized under subsection B of this section, no person shall ride a bicycle on a sidewalk except within a residence district or where a sidewalk is designated as part of an established bicycle route. Pedestrians shall have the right-of-way on sidewalks.

Sacramento Transportation Management Association has an excellent segment on bicycle commuting including insight on other biking tips as well. Be safe.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Buying a Police Vehicle at Auction

2010-03-15T01:53:27Z

Posted by livin.life

My oldest daughter is looking to buy her first car. A couple of weeks ago someone told me there is an upcoming police auto auction. Is this true? If so, when and where are the police auto auctions held? How much is the minimum amount of money a person should have to purchase a vehicle?

I just ran across this site - wow! - this is interesting! Thanks for your help.

Dear livin.life,

I spoke to our fleet manager who handles our police vehicles, both marked and unmarked. The Sacramento Police Department has a contract with the city who leases these vehicles. When the police department is finished with the cars, they are usually too beat up to sell. We drive them an average of 2 to 3 shifts per day, they were involved in rugged driving conditions, and they usually have a lot of miles travesed. The remainder goes back to the city. We don’t have any involvement in the selling of these vehicles. I have heard of these auctions and they are usually in the Bay area. One of the companies who sell these types of vehicles is called “National.” Hope this helps.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Dealing with a Hostile Solicitor

2010-03-07T23:08:49Z

Posted by JamesIsNot Happy

Hello Officer Michelle,

At the moment I’m not very happy; my home was burglarized last week. This week I’ve been busy implementing a number of new security measures, one of which is a very prominent “No Solicitors” sign.

A solicitor just came to my door, and I accosted him about the sign. After a bit of verbal sparring, he responded with “I’m going to F*ck you up, and there is nothing you can do about it because my lawyer is bigger than your!”.

I immediately called 911, was this the correct thing to do?

The 911 dispatcher did nothing becuase the soliciter fled the scene. Is there anything I can do about this? I have flyer he was passing out that contains a company name and numerous phone numbers.

I feel the police department has completely let me down.

Dear JamesIsNotHappy,

I’m sorry you didn’t feel satisfied with the dispatcher’s response when you called. The following are some guidelines that can be helpful in the case of aggressive solicitors and what to tell police when you call.

In general, if a solicitor comes to your door, say, “Not interested,” and close the door. You don’t have to open your door at all if you don’t wish to. If you do speak to the solicitor and he or she becomes aggressive, close the door and call police non-emergency at 264-5471. This would be described as a suspicious subject. You need to be able to describe the subject, as accurately as possible, to Dispatch: age, height, weight, race, clothing, and direction of travel. If there is a vehicle, try to describe that too. If you can see the license plate, that gives the officer even more to go on. With specific information, the dispatcher can then dispatch a unit to respond. Even if the subject left your house, police can still check the area. They can then stop the individual and find out if he/she is legitimate.

The flier that was dropped off can be helpful too. Residents can call the solicitor’s supervisor about what happened.

Take care,
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Window Tinting...Hue Would Have Known?

2010-02-28T16:12:25Z

Posted by DCaroll

I had a Lexus a few years ago and the prior owner had tinted the front

driver and passenger windows. My wife was pulled over while driving the

car and was cited for the tinted windows. The ticket forced us to

remove the tint and have an officer sign off. Ignoring it, I was told,

would prevent us from registering the car. Has this law been changed?

The reason I ask is because it seems every 5th car I see today has dark

tinted front windows. I was next to a Corvette the other day in bright

daylight and I couldn’t even see the outline of a driver, let alone if

there was an actual person in there. How do they get away with it?

Dear DCaroll,

(1) The material has a minimum visible light transmittance of 88 percent.

Ask Officer Michelle - Dealing with a Pesky Neighbor

2010-02-21T16:07:34Z

Hello Officer Michelle,

Dear Cogsboy,

Take care,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - When Recycling Becomes a Larger Issue

2010-02-15T00:55:05Z

Posted by R.G. Angel

Dear Officer Michelle,

I like to sleep with the windows slightly open in my room to allow fresh air in when I am sleeping. However, on garbage and recycle collection nights, I have been woken by the sounds of someone going through the recycle cans and collecting the cans and glass bottles.

I am wondering if there is someone I can call to report this or someway to have this issue looked into to.

Thanks,
~Angel

Dear R.G. Angel,

This is a common problem. If you live in the city limits, you can call the Police Department’s non-emergency number at 264-5471 and request an officer be dispatched. There is an ordinance that makes it illegal to rummage through recyclables. If you live in the county, call 874-5115 for their non-emergency number. Let the dispatcher know what is occurring. Try to get a description of the subject, whether he/she is on foot or riding a bike, etc. The responding officer will stop and contact the subject. Some of the people are harmless and are only there to collect your recyclables to make money. There are others, however, who use the opportunity to look further onto your porch, in your vehicles and anywhere else an opportunity presents itself.

On a side note, be mindful of open windows. If it is the window in your room, that is one thing, but I would caution you about leaving other windows in your house open while you are sleeping. We have had cases of “cat burglars” who could make their way into homes through an open window. There are window locks you can install that allow you to open your windows a few inches so that you can still enjoy the delta breezes.

Take care,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Parents Furnishing Alcohol to Minors

2010-02-07T19:29:04Z

Posted by bended knees

i have written to you in the past of my ex husband and his wife drinking/driving /but most of all involving under age kids with their parties . even though cps checked them out my oldest kids are telling me he is still providing alcohol to under 21 . my 19 year old called me last week to let me know she found my 14 yr old son was drinking at a party at his dads house . along with others under age .

Dear bended knees,

There are several things you can do. It sounds as though there needs to be some long-term solutions to this matter. You can call Child Protective Services again about this problem. If this is still happening, it needs to be revisited. You may also call Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC). They will take your complaint and assign an investigator. Call 227-2002. Their address is 3321 Power Inn Road, Ste 230. If you or someone else witnesses one of the parents driving while under the influence of alcohol, call 911. You can also call us if you or someone else witnesses these people furnishing the alcohol, or if one of the juveniles is under the influence. Keep me posted!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Feeling Safe in Midtown

2010-02-01T06:45:53Z

Michelle,

Thankyou, Gayle

Dear Gayle,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - On line Versus Dispatch Reporting

2010-01-24T16:18:57Z

Dear Officer Michelle,

What is the best way to report a misdemeanor - physical assault - but no serious injuries?
Online crime report does not have classification for this. Is there a number I can call and file a report ?
I tried 264-5471, but that has a long list to options and automated system cuts off half of what I say.
Thanks
Sk

Dear Sk

First of all, if it was a violent crime-in-progress, you would call 911. It is often not determined until later whether an assault crime is a misdemeanor or a felony. If someone uses an object to hit someone, even if it is a garden hose, it can be interpreted in the law as an assault-with-a-deadly-weapon, which is a felony. If the assault occurred between a husband and wife, or a cohabitant, it could be interpreted as spousal abuse, which is also a felony. There are other things we look at such as biases and gang violence as well. So you see you just don’t necessarily know what you have at first. This is precisely why the Sacramento Police Department doesn’t have an on-line reporting category for this. We would have to dispatch an officer to the scene to determine what type of crime took place.

The 264-5471 number is the right non-emergency number to call. It isn’t a voice mail but rather the number to our dispatch center.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Concerned About Traffic Protocol?

2010-01-18T04:14:29Z

Hello,
My name is Keith and I was wondering where I would put in a complaint about police, highway, and sheriff officers that are violating protocol? This came to me when I was driving on Folsom Blvd and saw a Folsom Police officer sitting under the Metro light rail bridge with his lights off his bike and he was checking peoples speeds. Now the problem is not him checking speeds, but under the bridge was very dark and a driver could not see him until the last minute and this would be very harmful if a driver was in an accident and needed to utilize the shoulder at last possible second.

Thank You,
Keith

Dear Keith,

If you have a concern or complaint about an enforcement procedure or “protocol,” I would call the associated department’s watch commander. You can call your department’s dispatch to find out how to get in contact with a watch commander. Oftentimes, dispatch will get your information and have a watch commander or sergeant call you back. You can state your concern at that time. It is usually an officer’s call where they park when doing traffic enforcement. If you are concerned about the officer’s safety, or the safety of the public, call the agency involved. The supervisor would then share your concern with the traffic section and discuss the matter. Hope this helps.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Seperated Spouse Makes Unauthorized Purchase

2010-01-11T05:30:12Z

Dear Officer Michelle,

me and my wife have been serperated for 6 months and she recently charged $268 to one of my accoumts that she is not on. its soley in my name. is there any thing i can do as far as her doing this behind my back without my permission. and is there anything i can do against the business for charging on my account to someone not listed on it?

Sincerely,

mooreritter

Dear mooreritter,

My advice to you would be to speak to your civil attorney. California is a community property state and until you divorce, you will have a community property situation. If you and your wife decide to divorce, bring this $268 charge to the attention of your attorney. You may be able to settle this during the property settlement proceedings. Our investigators have been over cases like this at great length with the District Attorney’s office. The District Attorney usually doesn’t file on these types of cases. You can contact the businesses where your accounts are and see how to secure your accounts that are in your name only.
Good luck,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Dealing with Unwanted Advances

2010-01-04T02:33:57Z

Dear Officer Michelle

Hello, I currently live in the Natomas area and for the past few months a man has been placing Music CD’s in my truck bed and on my doorstep. Nothing has been broken into or damaged and I am not harmed in anyway. However, I am not going to lie, I am creeped out. I didn’t want to offend whom ever was placing the CD’s in my truck a few months back so I took them. Now I feel obligated to take them as to not offend and possibly make him mad or put myself or my family in some sort of danger if he is an unstable person. I was wondering if you had any advice about how to handle this situation, I am usually not home when he comes to my house so I have not been able to confront him yet to confirm he has the correct house etc. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated as I am getting like a I said early creeped out trying to figure out why he is doing this.

Thank-you, amol1021

Dear amol021,

First of all, if you haven’t seen this person, how do you know it is a man? I suggest that you write a note to this person letting them know that you no longer wish to receive music CD’s anymore. Put the note where the CD’s are usually left. This is probably a person that you know from the neighborhood, work, school, My Space, etc. I suggest you speak to your neighbors and ask them to keep their eyes open. If this person drives a car, ask them to write down a plate. We can do a lot of investigating based upon a license plate. Ask them to get a physical description of this person as well. If the problem continues, you could contact the police department. There are Problem Oriented Officers (POP) officers that work in all areas of the city (assuming that you live in the city). You could call them if this persists. Even the mere presence of a police car may deter. You can ask them or the district officers to write their reports in your driveway for awhile. This issue can be creepy, especially for a single female. You are right in feeling this way. When something seems odd, it usually is.

I don’t know if you want to go this route, but you could set up a surveillance camera in front of your residence as well. This may just be an act of kindness. We won’t know if there are any obsessive undertones unless they disregard your request for cessation. Let me know.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Speedy Issue at 20th/K Streets

2009-12-27T17:09:32Z

Dear Officer Michelle,

If you guys could patrol Mid town Sacramento more it would be nice. please patrol more down town like 20TH K street and J street people speed through there all the time it not safe to even walk across the streets.

Thank you,

tj2007

Dear tj2007,

We get a lot of requests for the intersections of 21st and K Street, and 19th and H Streets. We do patrol those intersection and our Traffic Section goes out there on traffic projects frequently. You can speak to a traffic enforcement officer by calling 808-6128. You may have to leave a message, but they will call you back. I will also forward your message to one of the traffic sergeants. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Unwanted Family Ties

2009-12-21T04:07:08Z

Posted by Pbaptiste

What can I stop this one relative from sending me porn pictures & videos via cell phone? I have asked them to quit doing that, but won’t and the cell phone companies do not have selective text messages blocking of a senders.

Dear Pbaptiste,

If you are asking me from a law enforcement perspective, I will tell you that your relative is in violation of the law. It sounds to me that you’ve tried the nice approach, and now it’s time to play hardball. You can tell your kin that they are in violation of 653m of the California Penal Code. This basically states that anyone using an electronic communications device to threaten or annoy someone is guilty of a misdemeanor under this section. It is a long section and you can read it for yourself in its entirety. If these pornographic images contain juveniles, then we are talking a whole different set of circumstances that include federal charges which are far more severe. If they are in fact images of minors, report it immediately. Keep me posted.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - The Best Way to Thank an Officer

2009-12-13T21:13:44Z

Dear Officer Michelle,

What is the best way for me to thank officers. I want to send a letter of thanks to the officers and their supervisor, with a bcc to the local newspapers. Is it appropriate to do that and name them, or could there be privacy concerns regarding the officers involved if I bcc the local papers?
Thanks, billalbertson

Thank you,
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Turning in Found Property

2009-12-06T17:25:56Z

Posted by mistycreek

My daughter’s husband found an engagement ring on the street in Sacramento over a year ago (summer 2008). It did not appear to be a new ring, but it had been run over and scuffed. She put it on Craig’s List and received four inquiries with none of the four descriptions matching the ring she found.

She asked me about it today (11-14-2009) and I suggested contacting Sac PD to determine if you had any lost property, theft or other crime reports involving an engagement ring dating from about the summer of 2008. She still has the ring. Nothing is engraved on it. Please advise or refer us to the appropriate section of your department.

Thanks

Dear mistycreek

Your daughter is to be commended for trying to get the ring back to its owner. By law, if a person finds property valued over $100, they are required to turn it in to the Police Department. If the value of the found property is over $250 and no one claims the property within 90 days, the Police Department will run an ad in a newspaper of general circulation. If, after seven days following the first publication of the notice, no owner appears and proves ownership of the property, the finder is entitled to claim that property. If the finder is not interested in claiming the property, the Police Department will send the item to public auction.

Found items can be turned in at the Police Property public counter at 555 Sequoia Pacific Boulevard off of Richards Boulevard. For more information on location and hours, Property can be reached at 264-5237.

I hope this information is helpful.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Bicyclists Must Follow the Rules of the Road

2009-11-30T04:04:21Z

Posted by chriso

Dear chriso,

Sacramento Transportation Management Association has an excellent segment on bicycle commuting including insight on other biking tips as well. Be safe.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Reporting A Drunk Driver

2009-11-22T19:28:03Z

Hello Officer Michelle,

Dear Cogsboy,

Take care,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Suspicious Brownies in the Workplace

2009-11-15T17:08:43Z

Posted by mhorrell

My adult daughter was given a brownie at her workplace that was apparently made with marijuana Due to the severe affects she experienced after ingesting a small amount, we are concerned that it may have been laced with another drug as well. Is there any way we can bring the remaining brownies in to a police or sheriff station to have them tested?

Dear mhorrell,

Good grief! Talk about a hostile work environment! If your daughter knows the person who brought the brownies to work, she should confront the person and ask them what was in the brownies. If they admit that there was a harmful substance in the brownies, then your daughter could go forward and file a report. She could freeze the brownie as evidence if need be. Your daughter’s employer needs to know what has transpired as well. If her employer knowingly allows this type of behavior, he or she is opening themselves up to both criminal and civil liability. If your daughter’s coworkers were affected by these brownies, there could be more victims as well.

I may also suggest that your daughter see her personal physician to get a check-up since you aren’t sure exactly what was in the brownies. Keep me posted!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Carrying A Concealed Weapon Takes A Lot of Consideration

2009-11-08T15:07:36Z

Posted by Sorren
Hello officer Michelle, thanks for always answering my potentially pesky questions ;)

I have another issue that has been bothering me a lot. As you of course know, some unfortunate kid got killed on campus a couple weeks ago. Three days before that, there were gunshots fired on my block in what I used to think was an upper-middleclass safe neighborhood.

I don’t really feel safe anymore, and decided that I’m going to purchase a handgun immediately as soon as I can afford the one that I want. The issue is, that it’s not useful, if I can’t have access to it on a whim.

I had my dad’s gun a few years ago when I lived in chicago. No CCW. So I had an unloaded, locked up pistol in the back seat of my vehicle, when I got held up and had to give up my (thankfully lo-jacked) vehicle. I had the means to defend myself in arms reach, and there was nothing that could be done.

I’d really rather not relive that experience, and invest in a 500 dollar firearm that I can’t use because I can’t carry it. I think it’s really unfortunate that I’d get charged with a felony for trying to defend myself against, you know… ACTUAL criminals.

How does one go about successfully getting a CCW permit? I heard it’s extremely difficult here (and impossible for those who’ve lived here under a year like me.)

Thanks as always for your time!

-Sorren

Dear Sorren,

That’s just it! If you don’t have access to your gun when you need it, it is a moot point. I have written on the topic of California Concealed Weapons (CCW) permits in the past. It is a very passionate topic which has been more in the forefront than ever before because of economics, some agencies laying off officers, prisoners getting reduced prison sentences, and increased violence. I want to play devil’s advocate with you if I may.

If you were to obtain a CCW, I would suggest you take a class to learn how to use a gun as well. Not just firing one, but learning how to take it apart, clean in, proper storage and transporting issues, and most importantly, the legal aspects and use of deadly force policies. You certainly have the constitutional right to protect yourself and your family; however, I always add as a caveat that more people are injured and/or killed by accident with their own handguns. The fact of the matter is that most violent gun crimes are committed by a relatively small segment of the total population.

I am a retired army officer and have been with the Sacramento Police Department for nearly 19 years. I understand the right to bear arms. I just caution citizens against possible civil liability that can result from their use of a gun. I reiterate that if you point a gun at someone, you may have to pull the trigger. If you are going to pull the trigger, are you justified in doing so?

Others may not be as responsible as you in storing a handgun. I’ve heard of people keeping their guns under their pillows or next to their beds locked and loaded. What if this same handgun gets into the hands of a child who is showing his or her dad’s gun to a friend, or picks it up out of curiosity? Then there is also the danger that a suspect gets the gun from you and uses it on you.

The way to obtain a CCW is to contact your county’s Sheriff’s Office, or if you are a resident of an incorporated city, your city’s Police Department, for information on obtaining a CCW license. They can answer your questions and provide you with copies of their CCW policy statement and the State’s Standardized CCW Application. If you live within a jurisdiction of a city police department, you may apply to the county Sheriff’s Office for a CCW license. However, only residents of a city may apply to a city’s Police Department for a CCW license. One point to remember is that California law does not recognize CCW licenses issued in other states.

The Office of the Attorney General (www.ag.ca.gov/firarms) has all the answers you need to any of your CCW questions. In regards to issuing these permits, the Sacramento Police follows the standards of the CA Department of Justice. I certainly gave you a long answer, but it wasn’t only intended for you, but other readers who are considering obtaining a CCW permit. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - New Gang Trend Has Neighbors Asking Questions

2009-11-01T20:28:42Z

Dear Officer Michelle,

I have seen allot of kids and young adults wearing white t-shirts and standing around on the street. A few times I have seen Police making arrests of some of these people in my neighborhood. Could you tell me what the white t-shirt represents? Doe’s it signal gang affiliation?

Dear MCE,

The long and short of it is that these young adults that are hanging around in the extra long, white T-shirts are usually gang affiliated. They do this for several reasons. The younger ones have a dress code at school and are unable to sport their “colors.” Wearing gang colors is also a way for law enforcement to validate them as gang members. They distinguish themselves by hair styles and different colored ties in their hair and the length of the T-shirts are also symbolic of this gang trend. Opposing gangs know who they are by virtue of the neighborhoods that they grew up in.

This new trend goes to show how well enforcement law has been doing to target gangs. Their numbers are smaller. They are trying to find new ways to evade the police; but we’re on to them. Now if they would only put this much effort and creativity into doing something positive, like education or honing in on a career, they’d go far. Good observation on your part and thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Noisy Neighbors Offer Too Much Information!

2009-10-25T15:53:11Z

Posted by concerned10

Hi,
Can anything be done about noisy, rude neighbors? I live in an apartment complex, and my neighbors are EXTREMELY rude. They have loud parties in the middle of the week. Last night/this morning (wed/thurs) they were blasting their music super loud and screaming. It was about 2am, and they were actually screaming. It was just so ridiculous. But it didn’t stop there. About an hour later (around 3am) they starting having sex. And it sounded like more than two people, by the way. And they were having sex VERY loudly. Like they were trying to do it loud enough for everyone to hear. There are young children who live in this complex!! It was just so blatantly rude and disrespectful. Can anything be done about this? I’m not some party pooper or anything. Partying is fine as long as it’s not disturbing the neighbors. I’m afraid to walk over there and ask them to stop. They seem like the type would try to retaliate or something. Can I call the police? Will they do anything about it? If the police did get involved, would I be able to remain anonymous? I’m really stressed. What can be done about this?

Dear concerned 10,

It sounds like you know a little more about your neighbors than you want to know. Fortunately for you, you have some leverage. Yes, you certainly can call the police for a noise complaint. You would tell the dispatcher the same concerns that you told me, ie., the children in the building, the ongoing problem and the fact that it is 3:00 in the morning. You can stay anonymous. If you sign a citizen’s arrest, they would be cited on the spot. Otherwise, officers give a warning. If the police have to return subsequent to the original call for the same reason, they will be cited.

The best course of action would be for you to call your landlord. Explain to them what is going on. If the police are called, there is a little more sense of urgency as well as a record of the occurrence. Speak to a few of your other neighbors, especially the ones with children, to see if they are as concerned. There is power in numbers. If you unite and each of you contact your landlord, he or she would be negligent in they didn’t do anything. I’m certainly sorry that you have to endure such drama.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle: Stranger danger

2009-10-19T22:55:45Z

Posted by goya vasquez
My daughter and i were on our way home today from the park. She was riding her bike and rode a little ahead of me. She stopped at the corner to wait for me. I noticed her turn and start talking to someone but i couldnt see who it was. I heard her say ‘we live over that way’ i spoke loudly to her ‘who are you talking to?’ she pointed up the driveway of the corner house of the street when i walked up to her and looked up the driveway i saw a man standing there. He said ‘hi’ to me then turned and walked away. We continued on our way home but i was just not comfortable with what hapened. I stopped my daughter and asked her what that man was talking to her about. She said he asked her name and if she lived around here. It just didnt seem right that a man should ask a little kid these questions yet not ask me anything when i walked up. Should i report this situation to anyone or just continue to caution my daughter about talking to strangers and pretend that nothing was odd about this situation?
Dear goya vasquez,
I would suggest that you teach your daughter about “stranger danger.” The Sacramento Police Department did a public safety announcement about this a few years ago. You can check it out on our department website. Go to “Be Safe,” then to “Service Announcements” or go to: http://www.sacpd.org/besafe/psa/#stranger
Sit down with her and watch the video. It is very short, but it could initiate a dialog between the two of you. Your daughter may have some other follow up questions about it. Instill in your daughter that she must learn to trust her inner voice and if she senses that something is wrong with a situation, that she needs to listen to her intuition.
Our first instinct about a situation is usually right. If the hair stood up on the back of your neck, it is usually for a valid reason. There really is no way of knowing if this man was genuinely being friendly or had ulterior motives. You could to the Megan’s Law website and look up the registered sex offenders in the area of the park just to get an idea. If he approaches again and/or you find him on the website, it would be advisable to make a report. It is good to talk to your children about this. They need to know. Good luck.
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Status of Midtown Vehicle Accident

2009-10-04T19:56:40Z

Posted by smittylove

On Tuesday, between 12:00 pm and 2:30 pm, a vehicle accident occurred on the corners of 29th & S Streets. When passing by on our way home from work that afternoon, we saw the remains of the accident. It looked like a pickup had run over a motorcycle, causing the motorcycle to rupture the gas tank on the pickup and both were burned to a crisp. My husband and I would like to know if anyone died in that accident?

Dear Smittylove,
There was a vehicle accident at 28th and S Streets on Tuesday involving a truck versus a motorcycle. The motorcycle slid under the truck causing the vehicles to catch fire. The motorcyclist fell off prior to the bike being wedged under the truck. The rider was taken to an area hospital. When officers spoke to him at the hospital, he was alert and appeared to be in good spirits. As for the driver of the truck, he made it out before the fire. He was fine and took a cab from the scene.

Apparently the accident looked a lot worse than it was, and your concern was understandable.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - DUI Crackdown!

2009-09-27T17:34:22Z

Have you ever been driving down a highway and noticed a vehicle swerving or observe that the driver seems to be over-compensating while driving? You believe that this driver is DUI. What do you do? Call 911. Chances are you are dialing from a cell phone. The call is immediately patched through to CHP, who is exactly who you want to report to when driving on the freeway. If you are in the city limits, you would call 732-0100. Check out your local law enforcement agency to obtain the cell phone emergency number. You will know if you are in the city limits if the street signs are green. The county usually has white street signs.

Following the success of the “Click It or Ticket” campaign, the Office of Traffic Safety is working with local law enforcement with the “Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest” campaign.

During this campaign, agencies across the country will be cracking down on impaired drivers. In 2008, for the first time since 1998, alcohol-involved fatalities dropped by 5.2 percent. High visibility enforcement has proven to be an extremely valuable deterrent helping greatly in this effort.

You as the community can help us in catching drunk drivers. If you see a vehicle who you suspect is being driven by a drunk driver, call us. Be prepared to give the license plate and a description of the vehicle and the driver. Dispatch will want to know your location, and the direction the vehicle is traveling. The more information you are able to provide to the dispatcher, the better. He or she will then make a broadcast to all units in the area. The units can then begin looking for this vehicle to perform a vehicle stop.

Never follow a vehicle too closely. Drunk drivers are unpredictable. Their reaction times are slower; they are often times unable to judge distance to speed ratios, and swerve/make frequent lane changes. Just act as the best possible witness possible.

Ask Officer Michelle - The Mounted Unit is Trotting Along

2009-09-21T04:13:50Z

Posted by silverdog91

I would like to find out more about Sacramento’s mounted unit.It’s hard to find out information past that there is one. I would like to see if a tour of the barn might be possible. Anything you could tell me would be wonderful.

Respectfully,

Mary

Dear Silverdog,

Our full-time Mounted Unit was formed in 1997. Prior to that, the unit consisted of officers on a part time basis, using their own personal horses for special events. It has evolved into a five-person unit. There are currently 3 officers working in the unit. An ordinary work day is usually Tuesday through Sunday or Monday through Saturday. If there is a large event being held downtown such as the Jazz Festival, or Gold Rush Days, they will all work together.

The department tries to purchase horses, usually Quarter horses that are uniform in color. Dark, chestnuts, and buckskin colored horses are preferred. Flashy paints and light colored horses aren’t usually used.

As far as a tour goes, you can request a ridealong in the downtown or east areas of Sacramento. You can ask the officer you are riding with if you have time to stop by the barn. Hope this answers your questions.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - What's a Neighbor To Do About Doggie Landmines

2009-09-14T02:08:15Z

Posted by originalgabriel

Hi Officer Michelle

I’ve lived in my current house on G Street for a bit over a year an in that time, a new neighbor in the apartment building two doors down has moved in. She has a dog who she just lets out her door to go to the bathroom. Being the closest house with an accessible yard, her dog makes a b-line to my house to go to the bathroom. Now, we’ve confronted her a few times and have asked her to, at the very least, follow her dog out and clean up after him but, despite her promises, it never happens. And every time we go out to do yard work, mow the lawn, etc. we’re greeted by "doggie land mines". Is there anything we can do about this?

Dear originalgabriel,

There certainly is….get your camera out and snap a photo of the dog leaving its deposit on your lawn. Call Animal Control at either 311 or 264-5011, and make a complaint. You will need to have the address of the offender’s owner. Animal control will send an animal care worker out to the address to speak with the owner. If the problem persists, the dog owner will be cited. Additionally, the landlord may not even allow pets. The landlord is another way to go. There’s nothing worse than stepping in a dog’s business. Good luck!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Best Way To Help Police and Stay Safe

2009-09-06T15:55:17Z

Posted by Sorren

Hi Officer Michelle!

I’m a twenty one year old college student at Sac State, and I notice a lot of gang-activity in my area.. sometimes it’s just loitering, other times it’s visable drug-dealing, but it’s often hard to get anyone there in time, because the people involved usually leave right away, so I wouldn’t want to waste an Officer’s time by calling them down there to see an empty parking lot and no way to prove what went down.

I know Cops don’t like civillians medelling in what they do, but I feel that as a witness to some of this stuff, it’s my responsibility as a citizen to do something. I am (obviously) interested in law enforcement, but not ready to decide whether I want to start down the path of being a Cop myself..

I was wondering, would the Sacramento PD find it acceptable for me to like sit in my car and video tape criminal activity so that I could notify the police? Or something similar? is that discouraged or illegal in any way? I hate gangs, I hate drug dealers, and I want to help the Cops in any way that I can, IF I can. How can I become more actively involved without becoming a Law Enforcement Officer?

Dear Sorren,

I share your sentiment about gangs and drugs. I worked narcotics for several years and saw what drugs can do to people.

I would suggest you call our Narcotic Tip Line at 808-5796 and leave a message about the activity you are witnessing. Be specific. Give license plate numbers or vehicle descriptions if you have them, suspect descriptions, times of day you are seeing this, etc. One of our investigators will receive the information and process it. They can go from there.

As far as you videotaping these activities, it is not illegal, but could be dangerous for you. If they discover that you are taping them, they may become violent, and oftentimes, these are not nice people to tangle with. If you have a legal right to be somewhere, you can tape it, but there can be civil ramifications if you post any footage on public sites.

I would advise to you act as the best possible witness you can be, while staying safe, and call us. If the crime is in progress, you can still call 264-5471 to have an officer dispatched. If they leave before we get there, you can always call us back to let us know they’ve left and are no longer on scene. We appreciate when the public gets involved as our eyes and ears when we aren’t there. Thanks for your comment.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - An Obsessed Ex-Boyfriend Won't Move On

2009-08-31T02:55:22Z

Posted by presleyfan70,

I am concerned that my daughter’s ex boyfriend may hurt my daughter. A few years ago, they were dating, and he broke up with her when he turned 18. She is now dating one of his ex friends. Her ex has been following her, after I specifically told him to leave her alone. He logged onto her yahoo, myspace, hotmail accounts and changed her passwords and usernames to “Hell is coming for you 666″. His profile on his myspace was updated to depressed, planning, plotting, wanting to kill, plan figured out, insane things. I do not think he is in his right mind, but he continues to follow her and seems to know where her new boyfriend just moved to a week ago. I am concerned that his state of mind may provoke him to harm her or even worse. I would like to know what I should do, file a restraining order, talk to his parents, and how to go about it. I am afraid that if I don’t do something, it may be too late. Please tell me what I should do!

Dear presleyfan70,

First, run to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and file for a restraining order. The restraining order will allow law enforcement to arrest your daughter’s ex if he violates it by either contacts with her via email, telephone, or in person. Secondly, if he is printing things like “wanting to kill,” or is planning on hurting himself or others, he meets the criteria of a mental subject. He can be placed on a 72-hour mental hold. Print out the information that he is writing and call the police in your jurisdiction.

From the information you have given me, it also sounds like he is stalking your daughter. You will want to tell the district attorney’s office this when you file for your restraining order. Did I mention…hurry? He sounds dangerous. You need to take action. Keep me posted.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Blocking a Resident's Driveway Makes for a Quick Tow-away

2009-08-24T02:43:04Z

Posted by bambam05

Hi I have some neighbors that are constantly blocking my driveway by about 3 feet. I’ve talked to them on more than one occasion and have almost hit their car yet they continue to do it. Is there anything I can do about this or am I just stuck with jerks?

Dear bambam05,

This is annoying and 3 feet definitely doesn’t allow you to get your vehicle out of your driveway. This is a towable offense. California Vehicle Code Section 22500(e) states, “In front of a public or private driveway, except that a bus engaged as a common carrier, schoolbus, or a taxicab may stop to load or unload passengers when authorized by local authorities pursuant to an ordinance.

In unincorporated territory, where the entrance of a private road or driveway is not delineated by an opening in a curb or by other curb construction, so much of the surface of the ground as is paved, surfaced, or otherwise plainly marked by vehicle use as a private road or driveway entrance, shall constitute a driveway.”

If you live in the city, call the non-emergency number at 264-5471 and tell the dispatcher that your neighbor’s vehicle is blocking your driveway. They’ll send an officer out. Chances are the neighbor will come out and move the car. This may be the wake-up call they need. I’ll be willing to bet that they won’t block you in again. Good luck!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Credit Card Info Lifted at Restaurant

2009-08-17T15:03:22Z

Posted by PoliticsAsUsual
I have had my debit card information (not the actual card itself) stolen and used fraudulently out of state twice in less than two months. Most recently, on Saturday. It seems to me that someone at a local business, restaurant, etc. where I use my card is gathering my debit card information and then selling it to people out of state. I understand that given the major budget cuts to police, this type of crime will probably fall down the list of priorities, but I was curious if SacPD has officers that investigate this type of crime who can pinpoint where the financial information is being illegally taken.
I’ve heard that waiters at restaurants, when running someone’s debit/credit card, will lift the card data and sell the information, is this common in Sacramento?
Thanks for any comments, help, etc.

Dear politicsasusual,

What a nuisance! I have heard about the method whereby waiters lift credit card data and sell it. The main factor is proof. It is suggested that you watch the waiter do the transaction with your card. It only takes one time to get burned before you become hyper-vigilant.

What you need to do is, if you live in the city, is to file an online information report with us. Explain what happened and the last time you used the card before it was compromised. Give as much detail as you can remember. You will be given a case number that you can use when you contact outside agencies and banks. You would then have to contact the jurisdiction where your card was used. I spoke to the investigators with our Financial Crimes Division. They receive reports from out-of-state agencies for similar reasons quite frequently. They informed me that your bank needs to know about this as well, and that they have internal investigators who will investigate this. The banks will sometimes reimburse you for these fraudulent charges as well.

Cancel your credit card…which you probably already have. You also need to check your credit with the 3 national credit companies, Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union. I was reprimanded by the Financial Crimes Sergeant for not doing this myself every six months. You may be surprised what is on your report! Good luck!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Reporting indoor Marijuana Grows

2009-08-09T16:28:59Z

Posted by caringparent

After listening to the news and all the raids that have taken place in Sacramento of homes that are growing pot, how does one go about reporting a possible “pot house”, anonymously? I have some info of such a place, but I want no repercussions…I have a family to protect, which is why I am doing this in the first place. I believe in the law and do not agree with what this individual is doing.

Dear caringparent,
To anonymously report narcotics activity occurring in the city of Sacramento, citizens can call our 24-hour Narcotics Tip Line at (916) 808-5796, or they may submit an anonymous e-mail via our website: www.sacpd.org. (Go to the heading, File Online Reports, click on Suspicious Activity and Crime Tip Form). The more precise and exact the information, the better we can follow up on your tip. Callers can leave their names and/or phone numbers for follow-up contact by detectives, but by no means are they required to.
Most of the surrounding agencies also have narcotics tip lines. The Sheriff’s tip line number is (916) 874-9056.

The tip line and the web-based tip forms provide absolute anonymity to the complainant. However, much of what we can do with “anonymous” information is limited by court decisions. With anonymous information, we are able to check our information systems and determine if a suspected drug dealer is on parole or probation, and work with their parole or probation officer.
It is more helpful when a caller is able to provide his or her name and a call back number because we are able to legally do more with complaints that are not anonymous. Be assured that we recognize the sensitive nature of narcotics complaints and always protect the identities of our sources of information. We will not come to your house and your confidentiality will be maintained.

I hope this information is helpful.
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - An Ex Makes Threats on My Space

2009-08-02T23:21:01Z

Posted by presleyfan70,

Dear presleyfan70,

Officer Michelle

Midtown Sexual Preditor Arrested

2009-08-01T02:38:17Z

The Sacramento Police Department has arrested 32-year-old Domingo Vargas for two different sexual assaults.
On January 25, 2009, at around 1:00 a.m., a female was walking on K Street between 19th and 20th Street when she was grabbed, knocked unconscious, and dragged into a parking lot. The suspect then raped the victim before fleeing the scene.

On June 7, 2009, a female fell asleep in her vehicle in the 1300 block of Del Paso Boulevard. The victim woke up to a subject on top of her. The victim was able to yell for help and got the assistance of a security guard who chased the suspect away.

Based on evidence processed by the Sacramento County District Attorney's Forensic Lab we were able to determine the identification of the suspect responsible for the January 25 rape as being Domingo Vargas. The Police Department then was able to use further forensic evidence to link Vargas to the June 7 attempt sexual assault. Vargas' photo was not released because of the possibility of additional victims that may need to identify him in a photo line-up.

Due to the violent nature of the crimes committed by Vargas, detectives will review cold cases to determine if Vargas is linked to any other sexual assaults.

The Sacramento Police Department urges anyone with information pertaining to these crimes to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Ask Officer Michelle - The Dog's Bite is Worse than the Bark!

2009-07-27T00:10:32Z

Posted by raventribe

My dog is almost 1 year old and I feel a need to have her trained to attack on command for protection. Is this unreasonable or unsafe? Can you recommend a school, training course, or other recommendation that I can consider? I have an offer to send her to a school on the east coast, but that means someone else will be teaching her. Doesn’t she need to be taught by me? I don’t where to look to gather factual information about this subject.

Dear raventribe,

I certainly understand your concern about seeking protection; however, there are a few things to consider when teaching a dog to attack. I can’t give you legal advice, but I can tell you that you may be opening yourself for liability (both criminally and civilly) should an accident occur. Check out the Internet about this. Not all dogs are cut out for this sort of training. It’s not necessarily the breed but rather the dog’s personality. There are several dog trainers in the Sacramento region which can answer logistical questions for you about what kind of dog is best suited for that sort of thing as well as perform an evaluation on your dog. I would talk to several of them as well as read up on the subject. You might also talk to a breed club of the type of dog you own. They will have an understanding of your specific breed.

Lastly, dogs are an automatic deterrent for crime whether they’re trained to attack or not. A mere bark from a dog can stop a would-be aggressor in their tracks. Good luck!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Parking Next to a Fire Hydrant Causes Sparks

2009-07-20T01:38:59Z

Posted by nmciampa
I have a concern with Sacramento County and their processes in following the fire penal codes with fire hydrants in commercial districts. Currently, there are several fire hydrants on Goethe Rd (off Bradshaw) that do not have the curbs painted red, nor have posted signs designating ‘no parking within 5ft of the fire hydrants’. On the opposite side of the street (south), there are actual signs stating that no parking is allowed, however, the north section of the road is continuously being used for parking since there are no signs posted. The reason for my concern is that the parking enforcement officers have been ticketing numerous cars outside of the businesses (citation is $100) and when asked about signs or red curbs, the officer stated that it is not required. This just does not seem right. I understand that you shouldn’t park within a certain distance from a hydrant, but based on the penal codes, proper labeling of fire related/parking enforced locations should be mandated. Yes it may cost the county more money and time to properly mark hydrants and post ‘no parking’ signs, but in the long run, people will begin to obey the signs and reduce the number of citations, leaving more time for Sac Officers to focus on more crime related activities.

Dear nmciampa,

The law does not require that fire hydrant areas be posted. If a fire hydrant is in a location where there may be some confusion, or (possibly because of vegetation, etc.) it’s not in plain view of a person parking a car, curbs can be painted red or a sign installed. But according to the California Vehicle Code, it’s not necessary for citations.

Fire Hydrants
22514. No person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle within 15 feet of a fire hydrant except as follows:
a) If the vehicle is attended by a licensed driver who is seated in the front seat and who can immediately move such vehicle in case of necessity.
(b) If the local authority adopts an ordinance or resolution reducing that distance. If the distance is less than 10 feet total length when measured along the curb or edge of the street, the distance shall be indicated by signs or markings.
(c) If the vehicle is owned or operated by a fire department and is clearly marked as a fire department vehicle.
Amended Ch. 488, Stats. 1987. Effective January 1, 1988.

Since the area you are asking about is in the county and not within our jurisdiction, you can contact County Traffic at (916) 874-2424. You might want to request that someone look at this particular location to see if it’s clear, in terms of the parking near the fire hydrant.

I hope this helps.
Officer Michelle

Comment by countof3'

I have a similar question and would like clarification on part (b) of the vehicle code:

(b) If the local authority adopts an ordinance or resolution reducing that distance. If the distance is less than 10 feet total length when measured along the curb or edge of the street, the distance shall be indicated by signs or markings.

I had the same occurance today. There is a hydrant at my apartment complex on the street where people consistently park. The hydrant is pale, peeling yellow and the curb is not marked. It is less than 10 feet but it is in the grass. I’ve lived there 2 years and did not know it was there!! I took pictures because I didn’t see the ticket until I was halfway to my destination. I was incredulous at the charge saying “I didn’t park in front of a hydrant!!??” So I drove back to check. Sure enough, there it is - I took photos because this hydrant is not noticable. No red curb.

I think for something that important - a red curb is in order. I’ve never parked knowingly in front of one in my 24 years of driving. I certainly NOW know it’s there but $100 is a stiff fine for something I didn’t even know I did.

So what does portion (b) really mean? When I see the words “shall be indicated by” in my experience with the law it means “it must be done”.

Thank you for your time

Dear countof3,

In congested areas, such as metered areas, the City (local authority) places end brackets (markings) indicating where parking stops and continues. These brackets also mark off the space available for the fire hydrant. Part b of Vehicle Code 22514 does provide the City the authority to reduce the distance to less than 10 feet, and in these cases it would be marked by the brackets. In locations where the normal footage applies, there is no requirement by law that the City post or paint near a hydrant.

The city enforces 22514 VC. parking within 15 feet of a hydrant. That is any portion of a vehicle that is measured to be within 15 feet of the hydrant. For example, if your right front bumper is measured to be 16 feet from the hydrant, the vehicle is legally parked. If it is parked within 15 feet or less from the hydrant, there is a violation. The measurement is taken at a 90 degree angle.

Regarding subsection (B), if the city wants to reduce the distance allowed to park near a hydrant from 15 to 10 feet, for example, then the city has to post and mark it.

I researched it and the city does not have an citywide ordinance reducing the distance allowed from 15 to 10 feet, and we have had very few cases in the past requesting any reductions at locations.

However, if you feel that you have unrightfully received a citation, you are encouraged to follow the process for an administrative review – your “day in court.” Because it is such a safety hazard, the City would like to know any location where the circumstances may lead to people to unknowingly park in front of a hydrant.

I hope this helps.

Comment by tymoore

I am a CA Bar licensed attorney. I recently observed an officer ticketing vehicles on this stretch of road similar to the one mentioned above (I live nearby) and found this thread based on that inquiry. The stretch of road on Broadway next to Stockton Blvd. has a number of fire hydrants located in flower beds or in grassy areas not on the curbs but within the aforementioned 15 foot zone. Technically the person mentioned above is correct in their interprutation of the law. However, these fire hydrants are painted green to blend in with the grass and bushes around them. Because these hydrants are not marked on the sidewalk and seemed to be painted a color to make them blend into their environment, one could argue that they are not sufficiently conspicuous or marked in such a manner as to give motorists notice of them. I would encourage persons being ticketed in this area to contest their tickets until the city/county marks the hydrants in an appropriate fashion; paint is cheap and if the county is really interested in keeping cars away from those hydrants, thus protecting the safety of the people of Sacramento, they will take notice of this potential hazard.

Dear tymoore,

Ok, with some research I’ve learned there is actually a reason why hydrants are different colors. Fire hydrants are color coded to reflect the flow/pressure meter capacity.

Class AA is light blue and has a 6000 liter/min flow
Class A is green and has a 4000-5,996 liter/min flow
Class B is yellow or orange and depicts a 2,000 liter/minute flow
Class C is red and has less than 2,000 liter/minute flow

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Noisy Neighbors are a Common Complaint in Midtown

2009-07-12T22:56:32Z

Posted by slackerov

Just wondering what can be done about vehicle noise in my neighborhood? We have some neighbors that constantly have their car stereos too loud at all times of the day. We’ve asked them to turn it down, and they ignore us. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Dear slackerov,

You have written in about a problem that is extremely frustrating. Everyone has a right to peace and quiet in their homes. If you have tried asking them to turn the music down and they refuse, then you can call our non-emergency number at 264-5471. It is considered a lower priority call, so it may take us awhile to respond during a busy time. Usually on noise complaints, we contact the people making the noise and ask them to turn the music down without telling the parties who called us.

By the way, there are noise ordinance laws that start at 10 p.m. On noise complaints, if you want to press charges on the noisy party, you need to sign a citizen’s complaint. We issue a citation and give them a court date for about 3 weeks out. This defeats the purpose of anonymity though, but may provide the best results.

I hope that helps.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Alarm Calls - It Can Sometimes Be a Forced Issue

2009-07-05T15:43:27Z

Posted by trailhiker1

Hello. I assume this is where I ask my question!?

I was wondering about what happens if my home alarm goes off while I am away and the police come to my house. I have locked doors, windows, and gates. Does this mean that the police will break through the gate or doors to investigate the cause of the alarm? should a person generally expect potential property damage if police come to their home? thanks in advance for the response. This is something that I have been curious about.. Brian

Dear trailhiker1,

Typically, when we are dispatched to an alarm call, we are armed with a lot of information prior to our arrival. We contact the alarm company. We know where the source of action came from, who lives there, if there have been any false alarms in the past, and sometimes if the alarms have the voice feature, we can tell if there is someone inside.

If we arrive and there is no sign of forced entry, we try to call inside. We check the doors to see if they’re locked, and if there is an unlocked door, we will go inside and identify ourselves, and walk in and check for occupants. If it is locked, with no signs of forced entry, we will go around the perimeter of the house and look in windows. We may even knock on doors and ask neighbors if they’ve seen or heard anything out of the ordinary, or if the homeowners are out of town. If there is a locked gate, we can climb over it. We try not to do any property damage. If we did have to force entry into a home because we heard a suspicious noise or saw something like a person lying inside, we would find an area where it would cause the least amount of damage to gain entry. After the fact, we would call and have a professional board up the area before we left. We would then leave a note with a case number and a number for the homeowner to call.

If it all checks clear, we will annotate it on the call and clear the call. It happens all the time, but we never become complacent. You never know.

Take Care,
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - One Man's Garbage is Another's Treasure

2009-06-29T01:50:57Z

Posted by R.G. Angel

Dear Officer Michelle,

I am wondering if there is someone I can call to report this or someway to have this issue looked into to.

Thanks,
~Angel

Dear R.G. Angel,

Take care,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Covering up Nasty Graffiti

2009-06-21T16:44:43Z

Posted by dockson2003

I have a question, just realized that my fence has graffiti on it “white power” with swastica’s on it and some initials. Is this something I need to report to the police? Thanks

Dear dockson2003

That graffiti is definitely offensive and needs to be covered up. If you live in the city limits, I would encourage you to do two things. First, call Sacramento City Code Enforcement at 808-5948 and give them the information. They can send someone out to cover the graffiti or provide information on how you can cover it up. They will photograph it and document the vandalism so that if the suspect(s) are ever caught, we can tie them to this crime. Secondly, call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 264-5471 and tell the dispatcher that you want to file a graffiti vandalism report. Be sure to tell them that the graffiti mentioned “white power” and that there are swastikas accompanied with the writing. This is classified as a “hate crime” particularly if you feel it was aimed at you personally.

Thanks for writing in.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - What to do if your neighbor is dealing drugs

2009-06-14T17:21:57Z

Posted by rcldude

Recently, the house next door to us was rented to a number of individuals who appear to be dealing drugs. There are strangers coming at all hours of the day and night. Exchanges of money and items can be observed taking place in front of the house and in the street. What is the process for getting this handled by the PD?

Dear rcldude,

You came to the right place! This is can be a relatively easy fix because they are renters. It is much easier to get people out when they are doing something illegal if they are renters. Assuming that you live in the city limits, you can call our Narcotic Tip Line at 264-5796. You can remain anonymous, however, it would be helpful if a narcotic detective can talk to you directly to get additional information. Try to get license plates, names, or any other information for investigators. If, in fact, your neighbors are selling drugs, they are bringing a criminal element into your neighborhood. A lot of negative things go along with selling drugs. Pull the plug on this operation and call us. Your neighborhood will love you for it!

Take care,

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - manknee wants to know about all those cameras

2009-06-01T04:32:52Z

Posted by manknee

I just moved to the Natomas Creek area on Mike Waldron Drive and noticed surveillance cameras from Elkhorn and down along East Commerce Way. How is it used? Are there cameras because of increased criminal activities and unsafe neighborhood?

Dear manknee,

You ask a great question. I asked the experts in the City’s Traffic Engineering and Operations. Here’s what they said: “The City of Sacramento Department of Transportation (DOT) deploys two types of camera systems. Many of the City’s traffic signals have a way to detect vehicles. To minimize the pavement problems (loops of wire cut into the pavement), the City has started using video detection of vehicles waiting at signals. To achieve this, the City has deployed camera systems that use a machine vision processor and have the ability to detect vehicles in the camera’s field of view. This system sends the signal to the traffic signal controller that a vehicle is there and needs service (a green light).
The second type of camera is a Closed Circuit TV camera. These cameras are used to provide information to the City’s Traffic Operation Center that operators use to verify traffic conditions and traffic signal timing. The City of Sacramento DOT does not record the video. At Mike Waldron Drive and East Commerce Way you will see both types of camera systems.”

I hope this answer is helpful.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Neighborhood Dog Causes Disturbance

2009-05-24T22:31:09Z

Posted by lilian,

Take care,
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Lee Gets Into Trouble

2009-05-17T18:38:14Z

Posted by Lee

Hello! I am curious, like an idiot i paid for the companionship of an escort found on craigslist. she sweet talked me and we were going to go to a concert together, and spend some time getting to know each other. For whatever stupid reason, she asked for her fee of $700 up front, and I foolishly gave it to her. She headed out the door got in her car and sped away. Is there anything I or the police can do to get my money back? thank you, lee

Lee, Lee, Lee…
What a pickle you are in. This is the deal…technically; it is not illegal to hire an “escort” for the purpose of companionship. If you made an agreement for sex with an exchange of money, then this is where it becomes a crime of prostitution which is a misdemeanor. If your agreement was for companionship and she walked out on the deal with your money, she has committed a grand theft, which, because of the dollar amount is a felony.
It is your choice whether or not you want to file a police report. You can do so on line by going to www.sacpd.org. Follow the instructions on filing an online report. Do you have any way of identifying her? Did you get her license plate as she was speeding off? Chances are she didn’t use her real name.
I dealt with these types of things before when I worked Vice. I’d be willing to bet that her story would be much different than yours. These girls are really streetwise, and this is probably not the first time she has done this.
Take care,

Officer Michelle

Camping in a Residential Area

2009-05-11T02:46:21Z

Posted by mike916

hi, i live across the street from the freeway on w st.ive owned this house close to ten years now. in the last two months weve had new tenants in the neighborhood. a crew of homeless guys moved into the parking lot across the street. now im sympathetic to their situation. but it makes me a little uneasy having desparate people staying across the street from my home always watching when im coming and going. knowing when my wife is home alone. and they NEVER leave. i have called the police, and they move for about 6 hours then they come back. the same guys! what do i do? why cant the police take care of this? its worse 2 blocks down by the tracks. ive driven by during the day there is about 15 guys living there! and there are about 4 vans that people live in between 22nd & 23rd.

isnt there a law against camping in a residential area? anyways i know this is part of living downtown, but it is really getting out of control. this wouldnt happen in fair oaks or elk grove

Dear mike916,

I don’t think I would be comfortable with your situation either. I too feel for people who are less fortunate. However, there are places for them to stay. It is often their choice not to go to the facilities that the city and county provide for them. A large percentage of homeless here in Sacramento is not necessarily due to tough economic times. It is largely in part due to substance abuse, and in some cases, mental health issues. That being said, I would suggest you call the central Problem Oriented Policing (POP) team. They deal with solving chronic problems like this. They can be reached at 808-6449. They should be able to help these homeless guys get to an available shelter and to better living conditions for both you and them.

Take care,
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Up In Smoke

2009-05-04T04:51:28Z

Posted by saclights

We work in a multi suite office in midtown. We have a neighbor in our building that runs a tobacco/head shop. They smoke cigarettes constantly and seem unwilling to knock it off. What are my options?

Dear Saclights,
I checked with the City’s Code Enforcement Business Compliance section and confirmed that if the business you are referring to meets the criteria of a smoke shop, smoking would be allowed inside the store. These shops do have to abide by certain restrictions, such as: No one under 18 is allowed inside, and they must have proper ventilation systems in place. In this particular case, it sounds like the shop is located in the same building as other businesses/suites, so it is possible that they could be violating the State Labor Code 6404.5, regarding “smoking in the workplace.”

Since Code Enforcement enforces smoking regulations in the city, you could request a Code Enforcement officer to investigate by calling (916) 808-5948.

Good luck,
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - A filthy problem

2009-04-27T03:54:38Z

Dear Officer Michelle,

I have a question regarding a problem situation that my neighbors and I have been facing these last few months. We all live in a midtown apartment complex that has covered parking in the back off the alley. For the last six months or so, someone has been urinating and defecating by one of the cars in the covered parking area. We really did not know who was doing it until last week when our apt. manager discovered that it is a homless gentleman that is well-known to the area. I understand that it must be difficult to find places to go to the bathroom when one is homeless, however, his use of our parking area is filthy and inexcusable. What can we do about this problem? The apt. manager chased the gentleman off, but I am fairly certain that he will be back again. Is there really anything that can be done, other than chasing the man off every time we catch him?

Thanks for your help and expertise!

Dear Michilee,

This is a problem with the homeless downtown. You are right in that it is sometimes hard for them to find a bathroom, but there are public restrooms in many of the parks downtown. It sounds like your apartment manager is aware of this problem which is the first step.

If you catch them in the act, call the Sacramento Police Department at 264-5471 and describe them to the dispatcher. Even if they take off, if we find them, there is a City ordinance under which we can cite them. The caller will have to identify them though since it didn’t occur in police presence. Also, if you happen to have a cell phone camera with you, snap a photo. A picture is worth a thousand words. Nothing is more incriminating than a photo.

If you aren’t getting any satisfaction from your apartment manager, contact the owners. They too have an obligation to make sure things run smoothly on their property. Additional security measures such as lighting and fencing may be appropriate. Good luck

Officer Michelle

Drunk in Public

2009-04-20T02:52:41Z

Posted by dvh123

I am trying to find statistics for drunk in public incidents in my neighborhood. I live at 22nd and I street in midtown and it seems to me and my husband that in the past year or so we have had more and more of these incidents, particularly on the weekends. We are very disturbed by the number of individuals leaving the bars/restaurants in our neighborhood who are at best just loud and drunk and happy or at worst having horrible drunken altercations, sometimes right under our bedroom window. We do call the police, but this situation has gotten out of hand and it is also a very dangerous one in that there are fights and people driving away intoxicated. We need a foot or bicycle patrol. We need someone to watch people leaving these establishments and following them to their cars and stopping them from being loud, fighting and driving away drunk.

What else can I do besides call the police when I am woken at 2 or 3 am by loud fighting drunks?
Thanks!

Dear dvh123,

Thank you for writing. I did some research into two square blocks surrounding the intersection of 22nd St. and I St. Since November 2007, officers made arrests for a wide range of offenses including, but not limited to, public intoxication, DUI, simple assaults (fist fights) and aggravated assaults involving a weapon (a metal bar). Officers also responded to a number of disturbance calls. Often times, the source of the disturbance is gone by the time the officer arrives. An officer’s response time is based on the volume and priority of calls at that particular time.

I encourage you and your neighbors to continue calling the police when your peace is disturbed. We focus our resources on the basis of calls for service, so your calls are important. Unfortunately, we do not have the staffing resources available to follow patrons to their cars when they leave the restaurants, clubs and other establishments. However, I will forward the information you provided to the officers assigned to your area.

Officer Michelle

"stephenm" Asks Officer Michelle About Concealed Weapons Permits

2009-04-12T17:00:21Z

Posted by stephenm,

Recently, both the Sacramento PD and Sheriff’s Department have been reducing patrols, and the PD recently only narrowly avoided layoffs. The Sacramento PD has acknowledged that simply does not have the resources to investigate many crimes, and the overwhelming majority of property crimes go uninvestigated. The District Attorney’s Office and Public Defender’s Office recently stated that they did not have the resources to prosecute and defend accused criminals meaning many criminals will remain free. To top things off, the Federal Courts have ordered prisoner releases to relieve overcrowding. This all occurs against the backdrop of court decisions stating that the PD cannot be held liable for preventing crime — i.e., the people are responsible for their own safety.
With this reality, will Chief Braziel be revisiting the PD’s concealed weapons permit standards that deny upstanding and law abiding citizens the means of defending themselves?

Dear stephenm,

I certainly understand your concern. We have to do more with less during economic crises. That being said, crimes against persons far outweigh property crimes. It is not to say that we aren’t doing anything about property crimes, it is just that they aren’t as high a priority. The quality of service hasn’t changed, just the kinds of calls we respond to. For instance, a cold burglary call, where there are no suspects on scene, and no cause for citizens to be in danger can be pending until an officer is free. There is also an online option for citizens to report crimes, freeing up patrol officers to handle higher priority calls for service.
As far as carrying concealed weapons, to be honest with you, more people are injured and/or killed with their own handguns. You have a right to protect yourself, but the average citizen doesn’t need to tote a concealed gun, and this is coming from my prior service as a military officer and police officer. The policy for carrying concealed handguns will remain unchanged.
Thank you for writing.

Officer Michelle

Bumperfish asks about the police helicopter and the overhead message.

2009-04-06T02:48:37Z

Posted by Bumperfish

Greetings! It’s 7:45pm in midtown Sacramento and there is a police helicopter flying overhead. I cannot understand a word the officer is saying as he is speaking too fast. I’m only in my 30’s and feel like such a little old woman because I can’t hear what they’re saying! Please tell them to slow down when they speak! Thanks!

Dear Bumperfish,
I agree with you. It is often hard not only to hear the admonishments from above, but it is hard to understand them as well. They often get muffled and you can only understand every third word, (“Attention, **** police department *** armed subject *** call 911 ***”). It is especially difficult to hear when it is a windy day. This is why they repeat the admonishment over and over. You can also call our dispatch center and ask them what they are saying. They are usually significant messages, and it is important that residents hear them.
I will forward your email to our Air Operations Unit. Thank you for your input.

Officer Michelle