Dear Council Members: Let me acknowledge the tough job you face addressing the financial challenges our city and our nation faces as we move slowly out of a massive financial melt-down.  Adding to our worries are continuing closures of our business, and those in neighboring areas, such as Campbell Soup, Comcast and Coca-Cola to name a few. Despite tough financial times, this council is poised to make monumental decisions in this budget that will affect quality of life for years to come.  In many cases, in well known dangerous areas, your decisions will truly be a matter of life and death. I have grave concerns about violent crime and police staffing and how we address both in this

UPDATE - On May 15, 2013, Knecht was charged with two additional counts of burglary. Detectives recovered additional stolen property from Knecht’s home taken during two separate burglaries to the same location. The Burglaries were to a closed business in the 800 block of 57th Street that occurred on May 4, 2013 and May 8, 2013 in the early morning hours. Most all property was recovered. Burglary Suspect Caught The Sacramento Police Department has arrested 43-year-old Gregory Knecht for multiple counts of burglary to businesses in a specific area of Sacramento. On Tuesday, May 14, 2013, at 4:28 p.m., Sacramento Police detectives executed a search warrant at Knecht’s residence on the 1500

Help Us Identify The Sacramento Police Department is seeking the community's assistance in identifying a suspect. On Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at 3:55 p.m., an eleven-year-old female was walking in the area of Honor Parkway and Bill Bean Circle when she was approached by a black SUV. The unknown driver pulled to the side of the road, stepped out of his vehicle, and told her to get in. The child ran off and later reported the incident to her family. The suspect is described as a black male in his 20s with dark blue eyes and long black hair. Officers responded and checked the area, canvased for witnesses and searched for potential video surveillance footage. Felony Assault Investigators we

Sunday, May 12, 2013 ELMHURST- Disturbance, 6000 block of S Street, 5:50 p.m. Officers were dispatched to a disturbance of two people in a parking lot and one was armed with a gun. The subject with the gun fled on foot and the other subject fled in a vehicle. Officers arrived in the area and contacted the subject the fled on foot. He was found to have a loaded gun and ammunition on his person. He was taken into custody and the second subject involved fled prior to police arrival. The second subject was later identified and contacted. MIDTOWN- Disturbance, 30th Street/K Street, 10:36 p.m. Employees of a business reported a subject disturbing customers. The subject was identified and found

Friday, May 10, 2013 MIDTOWN- Vehicle Tampering, 2400 block of C Street, 8:07 p.m. Jared Bathe, 28, was taken into custody after officers responded to reports he was attempting to break into a parked vehicle. Bathe was booked into jail after officers observed him entering a vehicle for the believed purpose of theft. FLORIN- Bicycle Stop, 4300 block of Stockton Blvd, 12:16 a.m. Ryan King, 34, was arrested for possession of narcotics after leading officers on a foot pursuit in the area. King was also charged with resisting arrest and violation of his probation. Saturday, May 11, 2013 MIDTOWN- Theft, 3100 block of Folsom Blvd, 12:37 p.m. A subject was inside a store, selected and grabbe

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department is asking the public's help in finding a teenage girl who has been missing since Thursday morning. The family of 15-year-old Daria Clarke – the Rio Americano High School freshman known as "Dasha" who was last seen near the school about 10 a.m. Thursday – thinks she may have been lured away by someone she met online, her mother, Margie Clarke, said. On Sunday, friends and family members gathered at the Clarke home in a show of support. On Thursday, Daria Clarke went to algebra class and was also seen on campus about 10 a.m. But when her mother arrived back at school to pick her up at 12:30 p.m., she was nowhere to be found, her mother said. The

The Great Gatsby (x3) 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald 1974 film by Jack Clayton 2013 film by Baz Luhrmann There have been four theatrical film adaptations of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” the earliest of which was made in 1926, only a year after the manuscript was completed (and which is now lost). Other than the latest version by Baz Luhrmann, the only version easily found for comparison purposes is Jack Clayton’s 1974 film, with a screenplay adapted by Francis Ford Coppola. In anticipation of the press screening of Luhrmann’s film, I downloaded and re-read the novel in the break between last Sunday’s East Coast feed of “Game of Thrones” and the West Coast feed of “Mad Me

There is nowhere else in the world I want to live but Sacramento, Calif. Bold statement? Not for me. Let me explain why. Two recent life events have reopened my eyes as to why this place is unique. I’ll get to those in a minute, but first it’s important I define Sacramento. When I say Sacramento, I think of one place: the grid. That’s the area from Old Sacramento on the west to Interstate 80 Business on the east, and from the American River to the north to the WX Freeway on the south. It’s a roughly 900-square block area that contains world-class food, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, art, recreation and businesses. It also has acres of parks, a beach (no, I’m not telling you where),

Sacramento Police K9 Bodie is retiring after three years of devoted service as a result of injuries sustained during a critical incident.  Bodie is one of only two Sacramento Police canines that have been shot in the line of duty. Bodie has gone above and beyond the call of duty while serving the Sacramento community and will now proudly be the first ever honorary Sacramento Police reserve K9. In November of 2010 Officer Randy Van Dusen began training K9 Bodie. K9 Bodie is a German Shepherd dog that was imported from Germany for police work. After two months of training that included obedience, agility, search and suspect apprehension, Bodie was certified as a police canine. Bodie was ce

Friday, May 3, 2013 MIDTOWN: Suspicious Circumstances, 24th Street/P Street, 10:06 a.m. The victim reported that a suspicious parcel was delivered to her door. It was determined that the package was in fact sent from a known friend of the victim; however, the item appeared suspicious to her. Officers arrived and determined that there was nothing dangerous regarding the package and the currier was notified for further follow up. DOWNTOWN: Resisting, 7th Street/F Street, 12:46 a.m. Parker Caldwell, 24, was taken into custody for resisting arrest after officers contacted him in the area. Witnesses reported seeing Caldwell knocking on doors in the area and he became aggressive upon officers