A zebra that ran amuck through the streets of Carmichael was featured on Fox's COPS show over the weekend. The incident occurred in August 2010 and ended with the animal's safe capture, after several hours of being chased and corralled by law enforcement and its trainer.  The nearly 7-minute clip shows the feral, black-and-white-striped creature, running through residential neighborhoods, with Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies following close behind.  "This is gonna be bad if he runs around this corner fast," says a Sheriff's deputy as the animal makes its way through an apartment complex. "This is so bad."  "I think we should just stop trying to rope him, because that horse is just

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones is trying to prevent his department from having to lay off any employees despite facing a $4.3 million budget shortfall, according to Jones’ spokesman, Deputy Jason Ramos. The county budget was approved Thursday by the Board of Supervisors. Jones told the supervisors earlier this week that he recently brought down his department’s $26.7 million shortfall to $9.5 million. The Board of Supervisors restored $5.2 million to his budget Thursday, leaving a gap of $4.3 million. The supervisors resolved the county’s $90 million gap by making severe cuts. County Budget Officer Tom Burkart estimated that more than 200 layoffs may occur as a result of the budge

Sacramento County elected officials approved a budget Thursday that could result in more than 200 employee layoffs, according to county budget officer Tom Burkart. These layoffs for the 2011/2012 fiscal year are in addition to the 1,299 layoffs the county has made since the 2008/2009 fiscal year, said county spokeswoman Chris Andis. She added that 1,299 people were actually laid off as opposed to job positions being cut. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors balanced its budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year on Thursday afternoon, closing out a $90 million shortfall. The county has a general fund of $1.9 billion and a total budget of roughly $3.5 billion. The approved budget is a f

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones told county leaders Monday that he has reduced his department’s budget gap but a $9.5 million shortfall remains that could result in department cuts. The sheriff’s department was among other county departments that addressed the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors during its first day of budget hearings for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. The county is facing a $90 million shortfall for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. The supervisors are expected to meet for additional hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday. The county has a two-budget process – the supervisors approve a first version of its budget in June and a final budget in the fall. Sacramento County Exec

In response to the December shootings at a south Sacramento barbershop, Mayor Kevin Johnson will host a public forum on crime and violence on Wednesday in Oak Park. “That was the latest spark, if you will, that brought the call for this particular meeting,” said R.E. Graswich, Johnson’s special assistant. City Police Chief Rick Braziel and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones will attend the event, according to the press offices of the two law enforcement agencies. Graswich said the forum will include sessions for community members to discuss the causes of crime and violence in their neighborhoods and how those problems can be addressed. “Obviously, we can’t tolerate this,” Graswich s

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said Monday that he will ask faith and business groups to advise him on public safety issues. At a briefing with reporters at the Sheriff’s Department building downtown, Jones said he will create two new advisory boards with representatives from religious, community and business groups within the next three months. Jones had pitched his plan to establish the two new advisory groups during his political campaign for sheriff last fall. These groups will help the department connect with youth and improve the county’s business climate, he said. Jones has not yet named anyone to the new advisory groups, according to the Sheriff’s Department press office.

Two Sacramento County sheriff’s captains are in their final weekend of campaigning for sheriff. Voters will decide on Tuesday whether Sheriff Capt. Scott Jones or Sheriff Capt. Jim Cooper should replace outgoing Sheriff John McGinness. Jones sat down with The Sacramento Press on Friday morning in Carmichael to discuss his ideas and qualifications. Read The Sacramento Press’ interview with Cooper here. SP: In your view, what are a few of the most pressing public safety issues in the county? SJ: We have a lot of pressing problems. Of course, everything is overarched by the budget. It’s not just a question of what I would like to do, it’s a question of what we can do within our budgetary

The duel between two Sacramento County sheriff’s captains is nearly over. Local voters will choose one of two candidates in the Nov. 2 election to replace outgoing Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness. Sacramento County Sheriff Capt. Jim Cooper is in the final stretch of his runoff campaign against Sheriff Capt. Scott Jones. Cooper, who is also an Elk Grove City Council member, sat down with The Sacramento Press on Thursday afternoon to discuss his ideas and qualifications for the sheriff’s post. The Sacramento Press has asked for an interview with Jones, and aims to talk to him before Election Day. SP: In your view, what are a few of the most pressing public safety problems in the

The future of Arden Arcade’s relationship with Sacramento County is one of the most contentious local issues in the Nov. 2 election. Measure D asks voters to choose whether Arcade Arcade should leave the county and become a city. Two passionate campaigns have debated for months whether a 98,000-person Arden Arcade community should have a city government with a city council. The Sacramento Press is providing the following summary of three key subjects in the Arcade Arcade fight: a guide to the opposing campaigns, what the county’s financial relationship would be with a new city, and an exploration of campaign claims that the city of Sacramento wants to annex Arden Arcade. The proposed ci

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department’s $37.6 million budget deficit is forcing two inmate housing facilities to close down at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center (RCCC): the Roger Bauman Facility and the Sandra Larson Women’s Facility. Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center houses 2,651 inmates and allocates 45 deputies per shift. In Sheriff John McGinness’ budget report for fiscal year 2010/2011, he stated that approximately 475 inmates would need to be released into the community to accommodate the reduction of 26 deputies. Along with facilities closing down, the Sheriff’s Department has seen cuts elsewhere: the closure of the sheriff’s training academy, the closure of the emergency v

Sacramento City Council candidate and law enforcement officer Henry Harry is troubled by youth violence in Sacramento. Harry, an Oak Park resident and a 13-year Sacramento County deputy sheriff, said youth violence is one of the key reasons he’s running for Lauren Hammond’s District 5 City Council seat. There are ways to prevent youth violence, Harry said, but too many young people are dying in Sacramento. “And it breaks my heart to see it,” he said. The Sacramento Press is interviewing City Council candidates in advance of the June 8 election. Harry, 44, is one of five candidates running for the District 5 seat. Hammond, the sitting councilwoman, is competing in a race for Assemblyman

Emergency call response times will suffer as a result of the nearly $1 million in budget cuts facing the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, according to the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. When the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved the county's budget on Friday, it resolved a shortfall of $76 million. The county made major budget cuts to its programs and departments — including the Sheriff’s Department — and has laid off more than 700 employees since July.  The Sheriff’s Department will not face layoffs. However, the cuts will result in more vacancies for deputy positions at the department, said Kevin Mickelson, president of the Sacramento County Deputy

Photo: Sheriff John McGinness It still sounds bad: The county laid off more than 240 employees earlier this month. But it was supposed to be even worse: A total of 800 layoff notices were sent to county employees in June. Though 800 pink slips were sent to employees in June, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and officials at county departments took steps to prevent several hundred of the planned layoffs, according to a county spokesman. The county made major budget cuts to its departments and laid off 243 people to respond to its previous $180 million budget gap for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. The 243 figure does not account for layoffs at the Sacramento County District Attorney