Dr. King’s dream and march, our nightmare and pain “I feel so broken hearted, I cried so many tears There was so much you gave me, to my heart, to my soul So much of your dreams that were never told There was hope for a brighter day Why were you, my flower, plucked away Oh, oh, I’m missing you Tell me why the road turns I’m missing you” —Diana Ross I miss my son. I miss hugging him. I miss looking in his eyes when he is excited. I miss us discussing his plans for his future. I miss sharing in his everyday experiences. I miss his smile. I miss his joy. All I ever wanted was for him to be in an environment where he can grow. My son was arrested at 19 years of age. He was sentenced t

Gang violence took what officials described as a drastic drop since July 2010, attributing the drop to Mayor Kevin Johnson’s gang-prevention programs initiated in June of 2010 and again after last December’s fatal barbershop shooting. Since implementing some of the measures, Lt. Bill Champion of the Sacramento Police Department said that the results have been effective. The number of gang-related firearm assaults has dropped by 60 percent, and the overall rate fell by 39 percent. In addition, there has been a 75 percent drop in homicide rates, and a 100 percent drop in non-fatal shootings. Community leaders gathered at City Hall Monday morning to discuss the mayor’s plan. Speakers, inc

In the view of Sacramento community activist Kathy Jenkins, stronger parenting of youth is key to reducing gang violence. At a forum in Oak Park on youth and gang-related violence, Jenkins told a crowd of about 150 Sacramento residents, city staffers and police officers that assertive parents should influence the lives of young people. “This is called parenting, this is not policing,” Jenkins said. “If we could parent, and if we can raise,” she added, “and if we can encourage, and if we can take guns and give books, if we can give dolls instead of pimping ... If we could do these things, we could put (the police) out of work. I would rather see them writing parking tickets.” Jenkins was

My, it was a busy weekend around Sacramento. And I'm not talking about the holiday. People were shot, people were killed and people (and homes) were robbed. And there was all the other horrible stuff that happens daily. I took the four-day weekend off from news consumption. Monday morning, I remembered why. Much of it, especially the crime news, is depressing and does nothing to improve my life. Worse, some of it is not even entirely true. But confronting it now gives me the opportunity to ask Sacramento Press readers a question about the future of this website. But first, as they say, the news: The big news that I missed until Monday was that a group of four people – described in The

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

A rock band steps onto a portable stage set up in the old Sacramento News and Review parking lot at 20th and J streets. They tune up and begin to play. This promotion marked beginning of the end of the traditional Second Saturday. Second Saturday was no longer going to be an art walk and about visiting art galleries. Second Saturday was going to be about bringing large numbers of young people to Midtown to stay after the event and continue partying and drinking in the Midtown bars and nightclubs. City officials and the Midtown Business Association (MBA) immediately tried to distance the Midtown Second Saturday Art Walk event and themselves from the unfortunate and preventable death of Vi

Let's get a couple of things straight: The shooting at 18th and J this weekend wasn't caused by Second Saturday. And it isn't going to take Second Saturday down. The shooting was an act of violence by someone who ended up in Sacramento's central city with a grudge and a gun. Sure, they may have been drawn here by the street party atmosphere that has grown around what began as an art walk. But they might have been here on a Tuesday night as well. Did they come to drink? Possibly. Did having a drink or two cause them to shoot at each other? That's a leap. Alcohol does not make someone a murderer. It may, however, cause one to hurl. And the ongoing irritation of some Midtown residents with

Sacramento Police said Monday that gang violence led to a fatal shooting within a crowd gathered outside a Midtown bar after a Second Saturday Art Walk. Police presence was stepped up Saturday, and for the first time, officers enforced the 10 p.m. curfew for minors, which coincides with the art event's official closing time. But the killing early Sunday has pressed city and business leaders to find additional ways to address growing concerns rather than end the popular event. On Saturday, 20 Sacramento police officers and at least eight undercover officers from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control worked to combat underage drinking and public partying or "tailgating,"

  “10 years ago I was high on crack cocaine, now I’m high on life.”, these are the words from Sacramento native, Bishop Ron Allen, a former crack cocaine addict for seven years, and now one of the must prominent leaders in the country on the war on drugs.   Allen united with law enforcement agencies from all over the world, who assembled themselves in the nation’s capitol last week to share data and strategies to help fight the escalating war on drugs in this country.  The event was hosted by HIDTA (The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program) an organization under the executive order of the White House.   Allen was there with the I.F.B.C. (International Faith Based Coalition),

It was my intention to continuing interviewing families affected by youth violence. I have not abandoned speaking to families. I feel it's important to go beyond the surface and take a good hard look at the history of gangs, specifically Bloods and Crips. It is important we go beyond simply saying "it's gang-related" or simply blaming parents. It is necessary for us to look at any and all contributing factors if we desire effective solutions. Before I begin I want to make it clear not all black youth are involved in gang culture. In Sacramento gang culture has masqueraded, for some, as black youth culture. In 2005 I read several editorials in the SacBee titled, "Hmong gangs need to be a

Below is Information of an upcoming event to address Youth & Gangs.  If you're interested in participating I encourage you to please register. Also please forward the information to any interested person or organization. Thank you Webinar To Address Gang Prevention On April 21, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. E.T., the National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent or At Risk will host a Webinar on gang prevention. Gang Prevention From Multiple Perspectives: Federal, Research, and Practice will explore youth involvement in gangs, including current data and initiatives, research, and prevention and reduction strategies, with emp

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 wh

Yesterday it rained in Sacramento. Yesterday I didn’t pay close enough attention to the weather forecast in Sacramento. Rather than parking near my office, I decided to park about a mile or so away and ride my skateboard in to work. It’s fun and gets me a little exercise. The ride in to work was quite pleasant. The ride back to my truck wasn’t so much, and the rain was not the worst part. I left my office around 5 PM, at which point a steady rain was falling. Skateboarding in the rain sucks. Getting wet sucks, having your wheels get super slippery sucks. That would’ve been plenty to spoil what’s usually an enjoyable ride. Not only did I have to endure getting soaked and trying not to fall

The writing doesn't show up well on the scanned ticket, and satan is in color on the real thing, but you get the idea... ...and yes, I did black out my address and phone number. There are lots of weirdos in Sacramento and I don't want them having my address so they can show up to my house, drain me of my fluids and attempt to bottle and sell my badassedness on the black market. Update: Cooler in color.

The City of Sacramento Department of Neighborhood Services announces: The City of Sacramento, Office of Youth Development (OYD), Sacramento Police Department, and U.S. Attorney’s Office are working together on the campaign. The campaign is designed to divert youth from gangs. The campaign consists of billboards throughout the City of Sacramento, public service announcements aired on local television stations, and hundreds of posters. Research has shown that effective, community based programs can keep at-risk youth from joining gangs, and rehabilitate those already in gangs. Accordingly, the campaign links parents, adults, and young people to the City of Sacramento’s information line, 3-

Police sirens are heard in my city as often as a declining pulse in the E.R. and most of the time one has something to do with the other. The police have become the most powerful gang in America. Sheriffs are like mighty tyrants and their reign of terror is looked over because unlike most gangs they have a secret weapon, a secret identity... their badge. Badges enable the police to do as they will, and trust, they will. Once you're in the system hope is almost well — hopeless. A record is like an infection that spreads until it consumes you or destroys you and that is the mission statement of Sac PD's war on gangs, to destroy them. Americans today have been brainwashed to believe all pe