Join the River Park Neighborhood Patrol
River Park is a relatively crime-free community, but it does have crimes that could be deterred with a stronger neighborhood watch. If you spend a lot of time walking, biking or driving around our community, you could be part of the River Park Patrol! The more vigilant we watch for suspicious activity, the safer our community will be. To join River Park Patrol, please send an email to riverparkpatrol@aol.com.
Important Phone Numbers
Emergency: 911
Non-Emergency Dispatch: (916) 264-5471
County Park Ranger Dispatch: (916) 875-7275
File a crime report online: www.sacpd.org
How to Report Crime
We know keeping River Park as safe and crime-free as possible is a high priority. While it helps that we live in a close-knit, vigilant community with a neighborhood patrol, one of the most important things we can do to deter and prevent crime is to report ALL crime and suspicious activity on a timely basis. The City and County note that law enforcement resources are deployed based on need. Both actively look at data and trends. They may assume that our area is crime-free if nothing is reported and divert resources towards other areas where activity is being reported.
So how do you report? The first thing to consider is whether it is an emergency. Emergencies, of course, should be reported using “911”. Consider which government agency has jurisdiction over the area in question for non-emergencies. The City’s jurisdiction is anything on the neighborhood side of the levee, and the County/Ranger jurisdiction is anything on the levee or the river side of the levee. However, because the County Rangers do not operate past 10 p.m., urgent issues on the river side of the levee should be reported to the City at night.
Activity that is not an emergency but still time-sensitive, such as suspicious activity, should be reported by phone as follows. The Sac PD dispatch non-emergency line is (916) 264-5471. For the county rangers, the number is (916) 875-7275. You will be asked to provide as much detail as possible, so we recommend taking photos of the incident and/or taking notes immediately after you see it. That way, you can remain calm when you call and accurately describe individuals and why you feel the activity is suspicious.
For non-urgent illegal activity (such as illegal camping or a potential hazard), the easiest way to report issues to the City or County is by using each jurisdiction’s 311 app. These apps allow you to easily enter your location (or another location on the map) and insert a photo when you make the report. The City’s app is called “Sacramento 311,” and the County’s app is called “Sacramento County 311 Connect.” You can also call “311” but lose the ability to share photos. Sharing your location can be more difficult, and you may have to wait on hold.
For information and referrals on social services such as homeless shelters, you can call 211 or visit www.211sacramento.org/211. The county rangers also have an online reporting tool that allows you to include photos and a location: http://www.311.saccounty.net/Pages/Category-Parks.aspx. The location field asks you to include the GPS coordinates. You can get those coordinates by using an app on your phone or zooming in to the location on Google Maps and then pasting the URL from Google Maps directly into the County’s form. If you cannot determine the coordinates, do your best to describe the location.
To report a crime, such as a theft, that has been committed in the City’s jurisdiction, use the SacPD web portal: https://www.cityofsacramento.org/ Police/How-Do-I/File-a-Police-Report. As you complete the questions, you will be asked for a number of details in addition to your personal information, such as the vehicle’s details for theft from a vehicle. When submitting the report, you will receive an e-mail confirmation. Once SacPD reviews the report, they may ask you to reopen it to add additional information. They may then assign your report to a detective, depending on the nature of the crime. To report a crime to the County that occurs on the levee or the river side of the levee, such as property theft, the SacCounty Sheriff has a similar online reporting tool: https://www.sacsheriff.com/pages/crime_report.php.
Lastly, if you report an issue to the agencies above, it is also helpful to make Rex Hescock aware so that he and the RPNA can track and report trends to our local government agencies. Rex can be reached at riverparkpatrol@aol.com