A friend of late Sacramento security guard Leroy “Pops” Fisher is urging the city’s gay community to attend the trial of the man charged with killing Fisher in 2009. The trial involving Fisher’s death started last week in Sacramento County Superior Court. Michael Bruce Weisz of Sacramento faces charges of second-degree murder and felony hit-and-run with death or injury in the case of Fisher’s death.  Steve Thompson, who was a friend of Fisher’s, has already used Facebook and e-mail messages to ask more than 150 people to appear in court to honor Fisher. “I want to bring as many people as can be allowed,” Thompson said. He said he is reaching out to the gay community about the trial bec

“Stop the violence now” is the message the Sacramento Police Department hopes to get across to the communities of Sacramento that are most impacted by gang violence through its “Ceasefire” program. The program had its community kick-off event last July, but officially began in November. Captain Dan Schiele of the Sacramento Police Department said gang violence in Sacramento has always been an issue. “From 2009-2010, there was a 37 percent increase in crimes involving gang members,” said Rhonda Jackson, project director of Ceasefire. “There are over 4,600 gang members in Sacramento,” she said. The Ceasefire program originated in Boston. “Ceasefire has been chosen because the program m

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 a

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 wor

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

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 e

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

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 iden

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 t

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 answere

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

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 lo

Sacramento, CA | A drunk driver with passengers collides head-on with a Taxi minivan leaving several injured in Midtown early Thursday morning. At approximately 1:47 am Thursday morning, a black compact car collided head on with a taxi cab minivan at 20th and N Streets in Midtown. Occupants in both vehicles were injured and transported to area hospitals with non threatening injuries, per Sacramento Police department.   more from this incident and about Midtown DUI checkpoint >>

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 thi

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

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, Curren

Sacramento, CA | SWAT gears up to go into a downtown parking garage where an alleged gunman has taken refuge. SWAT personnel have geared up and taken positions around and inside a parking garage at 7th Street and Q Street in downtown Sacramento. In an email communique, a state employee in a nearby building stated, “…right across from my building. I have a good view of the 8th floor of all the cops crouched down and hiding behind walls with their guns drawn. 3 blocks have been cordoned off. They won’t let employees go to their offices and are holding them in the lobby.” There were unconfirmed reports that the suspect has a history of mental illness issues and a criminal history with fire

The Sacramento Police Department has arrested a suspect responsible for a shooting that injured a 21-year-old man and a 10-year-old boy. On November 26, 2010, the two victims were walking to Panda Express in the shopping complex located on 19th and S Street. Two suspects that were also walking in the area got into a verbal confrontation with the victims over gang affiliation. One of the suspects, a 16-year-old male Hispanic, pulled out a gun and shot at the 21-year-old. The shooting resulted in both the 21-year-old and a 10-year-old being shot. Both victims received non-life threatening injuries. Through a tip, detectives were able to identify the involved subjects and on December 7, 201

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 of

The Sacramento Police Department is moving forward with plans to set up security cameras in multiple locations in the city by May 2011. However, the number of cameras the department plans to use and where they will be placed is unclear. In April 2009, the department announced it would use $615,000 in federal Homeland Security grant funding to purchase a surveillance equipment package. The deadline for the department to buy and put the surveillance equipment into effect is next May, according to department spokesman Konrad von Schoech. “Equipment has to be purchased and operational by May 2011, but some equipment will be operational before that date,” von Schoech wrote in an e-mail. The