News from Tretheway’s Office

Just a few tidbits from Councilmember Ray Tretheway’s district newsletter…

Six New Officers Assigned to Natomas

Beginning in early 2008 six new patrol officers will be assigned to Natomas. These new officers will bring the total authorized police officers for Natomas from 35 to 41. Since coming to office I have worked successfully worked to both increase the number of officers who work in Sacramento and direct those officers to District 1.

In addition to these officers, the city of Sacramento also deploys Traffic Enforcement Officers, S.W.A.T. Officers, a Gang Enforcement Detail and , and Problem Oriented Policing—or POP Officers—who work on specific neighborhood issues. For more information about Sacramento’s Police Department, please visit their website.

---

Beware of a Scam

The Sacramento Fire Department has received phone calls from concerned citizens saying that they have received telephone solicitations and door to door solicitations by persons identifying themselves as Sacramento Firefighters.

The impersonators are claiming to be raising funds for the fire victims of Southern California. The Sacramento Fire Department does not solicit funds and there are no Sacramento firefighters engaging in this activity. Anyone who encounters someone at their door claiming to be a firefighter is encouraged to contact their local Police Department.

There are legitimate organizations that have played a crucial role in the help of the fire victims. Please make sure that you know who it is that you are giving your money to in times like this. Organizations like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army and many others are legitimate organizations that are helping the fire victims

---

City and County Address Homeless Issues

Several media outlets have recently reported about the eviction of about 100 homeless people from property owned by Union Pacific Railroads near Richard’s Boulevard. The City and the County of Sacramento have a 10 year plan to end homelessness which focuses on providing housing first and foremost. We try to balance between care and compliance. We will continue to work to try to get homeless people into housing.

Today, representatives from the County’s Department of Social Services visited with the homeless people who were still at the camp. Their goal was to evaluate these people and work with them to get them into housing right away.

Sacramento has options for the homeless population. There are available shelters now throughout Sacramento, and the winter overflow will open November 19th. We need to work to connect this fragile population with the housing and resources that are available to them. The County has recently developed a central intake program that evaluates the needs of the individual and connects them to resources. In addition, we work closely with the existing providers so that they can help us connect with this community.

Although not a perfect solution, we continue to be proactive in reducing the number of homeless people and enforcing laws to ensure they are not trespassing and destroying people’s property.