Sacramento County Grand Jury
• 2019-2020
911 – the Sacramento Police Department Vacancy Crisis
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 13 findings
F1
For several years Sacramento PD has lagged behind the national standard for number of officers based on population. This was caused by budget reductions during the 2008 recession resulting in staff reductions that, in spite of significant recruitment efforts, have never been fully restored.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Sacramento City Council and the Sacramento Police Department should work together to include the positions and budget authority necessary to permanently establish an on-going recruitment function in the Department. The position and budget authority should be included in the 2021-2022 Sacramento PD budget proposal considered for approval by the City Council.
F2
While recruitment seems to be a high priority within the Department, there is no line item budget for recruiting police officers and there is no continuity in police officer recruitment staffing.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The Sacramento Police Department should review potentially eliminating the A.A. degree and 60-unit requirement to attract new recruits. The review should consider waiving those requirements for potential recruits with professional training and expertise that could be equally relevant (Military, Lateral Police Transfers). This review shou ld begin immediately with an implementation of its recommendations during FY 2020-2021.
F3
Unlike other Northern California law enforcement agencies, the Sacramento Police Department requires a potential recruit or transfer from another agency to have an A.A. Degree or 60 hours of college instruction. While the Department believes the requirement helps to assure higher quality policing, it may also unnecessarily preclude the Department’s ability to consider otherwise highly qualified candidates. This requirement makes Sacramento PD less competitive for attracting recruits.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
The Grand Jury recommends that elected officials support and highlight the positive accomplishments of the Police Department and the vital mission/services provided by law enforcement, which in turn would encourage recruitment and retention of officers and would improve the morale of the Department. The Grand Jury recommends this becomes a priority immediately.
F4
Differences in law enforcement agency responsibilities and job functions appear to be determining factors in recruitment more than salary and benefits.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
The Sacramento City Council and the Sacramento Police Department should work together to include the positions and budget authority necessary to permanently establish an on-going recruitment function in the Department. The position and budget 80 authority should be included in the 2021-2022 Sacramento PD budget proposal considered for approval by the City Council.
F5
Public officials support for the Department is a critical factor in improving departmental morale and in responding to community criticism of the Police Department. Community criticism of the Department has a negative impact in the recruitment of new officers and the morale of existing officers.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
In an effort to improve public perception, the City should consider using a professional public relations firm and/or seek pro bono assistance of an ad agency to create a multi- faceted advertising campaign with the goals of building a collaborative relationship between the community and citizens and highlighting law enforcement as a career. The City’s Public Information Office should present a public relations plan to the City Council and the PD for their consideration by the end of calendar 2020.
F6
Rapid growth in population away from the city center not only supports the need for additional police officers for patrol duties but also limits the amount of time available for officers to complete required administrative tasks and do community outreach.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
The Department should explore ways to shorten the entire recruitment hiring process. This process should begin immediately with a completion date within the next 12 months.
F7
Due to the current demands of the job, officers are not able to spend as much time as would be desirable developing relationships within the communities they serve.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
The Grand Jury recommends the Police Chief continue to work with POST officials to update or change cadet marksmanship and driving standards and to give candidates the attention needed to better prepare them for those requirements. The Goal for completion would be within the next 12 months.
F8
The Grand Jury recognizes the Department has taken steps in reviewing policies specifically related to tattoos. 79
Related Recommendations (1)
R8
The Grand Jury recommends the Sacramento City Council and the Police Department continue to expand and make permanent the CSO Program and provide a strategy for the utilization of the CSO position by December of 2021.
F9
The main target groups for recruitment are millennials or Gen Y individuals whose career needs and concerns vary from veteran officers.
Related Recommendations (1)
R9
The Grand Jury recommends that bi-annual open forum style town hall meetings with the police officers moderated by the Mayor, City Manager, Police Chief and the Police Union Representative be conducted that would give officers and management an opportunity to discuss areas of concern and interest with the goal of bolstering support between police officers and community leaders. The Grand Jury recommends this meeting begin within the next six months.
F10
The resources allocated to public relations to enhance the image of the Police Department are inadequate. It must be noted that the Police Department is making some positive changes in public relations with rap videos and freeway signage etc.
Related Recommendations (1)
R10
The Grand Jury recommends the Police Department establish a committee or forum of younger officers to provide input on the type of “incentives” or programs that are geared to the younger professional lifestyle in order to attract new officers. The goal would be to drive changes in the Police Department that will attract new candidates including lateral transfers and also assist in retaining current officers. The Grand Jury recommends this should be done within the next six months.
F11
The current hiring process is antiquated and too long which may discourage potential recruits. The Grand Jury notes that the Police Department is reviewing how the process might be updated and shortened.
Related Recommendations (1)
R11
The Grand Jury compliments the City and Sacramento Police Department for reviewing and relaxing restrictions on tattoos, and encourages them to take similar actions on body piercings and below the collar ponytails. The Police Department should reflect not only the diversity of the community but also what is now more prevalent and acceptable in order to increase the recruitment pool and better relate to the public they serve. The Grand Jury recommends this work begin immediately. 81
F12
POST training requirements for driving and marksmanship contribute significantly to candidate washout/failure at the Police Academy.
No recommendations for this finding
F13
The Community Service Officer program has made a positive contribution to both the Sacramento PD and the citizens it serves. Not only has it enabled the PD to reduce call response times even as the population has grown but it has provided a good pool of candidates to fill full time police officer positions.
No recommendations for this finding
Comments 1
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CO1RETIREMENT AGENCY OR PROBATION 2015 26 4 15 2 4 1 0 6 2016 8 4 14 0 32 0 5 FTEs who resigned 2017 5 8 37 52 1 1 0 returned. 1 FTE termination 2018 4 7 12 5 2 0 30 returned. 2 FTEs who resigned 2019 6 3 0 12 0 1 22 returned. Despite the reduction in police staffing, crime rates have declined during this period. However, the ways in which crimes are reported has also changed significantly so there is no direct correlation between staffing and crimes reported. The crime rate is a function of the number of crimes reported by law enforcement as well as the definition of reportable crimes. Over the past 10 years, changes in laws have changed the way the Department handles its priorities. Fewer serious crimes have been reported by police and offenses previously classified as felonies are now classified as misdemeanors, lowering the statistical reporting of serious crime. However, even with the classification changes and at 2018 rates, the Sacramento crime rate exceeds the U.S. average for both violent and property crimes. 2 (See Figure 4) Figure 4: Sacramento Crime Rate Violent crime rate in 2018 Property crime rate in 2018 Sacramento: 349.0 Sacramento: 290.3 U.S. Average: 207.3 U.S. Average: 189.3 Violent crime rate in 2008 Property crime rate in 2008 Sacramento: 532.6 Sacramento: 513.5 U.S. Average: 252.4 U.S. Average: 302.2 2 www.usa.com With increasing population, more downtown and Sacramento County homelessness3, increasing numbers of citizens with mental health challenges on the streets and increased numbers of released inmates, one would certainly expect an increase in the crime rate. Has the shortage of patrol officers made it difficult for the Police Department to keep up with crime in the city? The FY2019-2020 Proposed Budget for the Sacramento Police Department states the measure of crime is an indication of the overall safety in a community. Safe neighborhoods and safe public spaces create a sense of well-being to citizens and visitors. As a result of the recession layoffs, important units dealing with issues such as gang violence, vice/sex trafficking and boating violations as well as the Crime Scene Investigation Unit (CSI) were disbanded and have yet to be reinstated. The Department has reinstituted the use of sworn Community Service Officers (CSO). The CSO program was one of the casualties of the recession budget cuts. In 2007 before the CSO position was eliminated, the response time to low level crimes was 20 to 26 minutes. After the position was eliminated, the response time to the same calls went up to 50 minutes, only to fall back to 38 minutes once the position was reintroduced. The program now has approximately 20 officers, with an additional 20 or so CSO positions budgeted for hire in 2020. They are categorized as either CSO 1: Entry Level, or CSO 2: A CSO currently in the Academy. The CSO position is a limited term entry level position designed to help prepare those interested in a career as a police officer. It is a support position for patrol officers. The CSOs work in the field to assist patrol officers with a variety of tasks, such as investigating burglaries, vehicle thefts and missing persons as well as assisting with processing and photographing scenes, establishing scene protection, crowd control and traffic enforcement. The use of CSOs relieves some of the more routine task pressures from the patrol officers.4
Agency Responses 4
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.