During 2009, there were 220 collisions involving bicycles - 5 were fatal; 203 of the collisions involved injuries to the bicyclist. 
The Sacramento Police Department has created Safe Ride Sacramento for the month of September.  The mission is to reduce the number of bicycles involved collisions through education, engineering, and enforcement. 

The Smart Cycling group is offering another FREE bike seminar through the League of American Bicyclists. These classes go fast and you must pre-register. The classes will be Tuesday, September 14 from 6-8 p.m., and two Saturdays, September 18 and 25, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The location will be held at the Bicycle Chef at 3184 N Street in Midtown.

The workshop is described as a fast-paced course which develops self-confident cyclists that ride predictably on the street. The riders will learn about lane positioning, learn skills to avoid crashes, and how to blend smoothly into the flow of traffic. The course includes a student manual which you can download prior to the course.

The feedback from the last class was positive. When asked if the course made the students feel more confident about riding a bike, Diane Miller wrote, “Yes, I feel more confident because I now know the rules of riding on the road.” Don Bortel said, “Absolutely. I was surprised at the number of techniques I was doing correctly and am ecstatic in learning the proper way to handle others. While I never was intimidated by riding on the street, I do have a better sense of understanding my role as a bicyclist for my safety and others. I also feel this course made me a more conscientious and better automobile driver.” Every one of the students said they would recommend this class to others.

The only requirements are a helmet and a multi-speed bike. For a registration form, e-mail mkbryant@surewest.net. You may also get further information by going to www.smart-cycling.org.

This course is presented by www.smart-cycling.org and the Sacramento Transportation Management Association. All of the instructors are certified by the League of American Bicyclists. And did I mention this course is absolutely FREE.

Posted by jamesally1

If threatening messages are coming from a person living out of state, (however they leave their name and phone number and detailed threats, and I know where they live) do I file a report with the police in my area or the area where the offender lives?

How do I get life threatening voice messages off my phone and recorded to press criminal charges against someone?

Dear jamesally1,

The biggest hurdle with most crimes is that the victim does not know who the culprit is. Since you already know the suspect by name and address, you would file a police report with our department and list them as a suspect. Our department will have to work with the outside state agency for follow up. You must be specific about the type of threat. I will tell you that the threats must be credible with a potential of immediate harm. The threats can be either verbal or written. If this is a domestic violence situation and you are fearful that your spouse may hurt you, you should file for a restraining order with Sacramento County.

I don’t know what type of telephone answering system you have. If you have a machine with a microcassette, you could call your phone and attach a microphone to a pocket recorder to copy the message. If you have a digital system or the message is on a mobile voicemail, you can download it onto a computer and copy via a CD. I hope I have been able to answer your questions. Good luck.

Officer Michelle

Posted by Shoua

Hi Officer Michelle,

For the past few months, there have been some neighbor kids playing knock-and-run. We ignored it at first because we’ve been told that they’ll stop if we don’t check who’s at the door. However, a few weeks ago someone threw an egg at our front window. I decided to setup a fake security camera and it has been quiet for a while now until a few days ago. The knock-and-run is happening again. Other than having to dish out some money for some security cameras, what are my options? I’m concerned that things will get worst and I’m trying really hard not to take things into my own hands but it’s just so rude and annoying.

Thank you,
Shoua

Dear Shoua,

It sounds as if these kids are getting increasingly brazen. It is one thing to simply disturb your peace and another to vandalize your property. I would encourage you to speak with your neighbors. There is power in numbers, and you may get more information on the kids responsible. If you know who is involved, you could speak to their parents. If you have tried to speak to the kids’ parents and all they do is simply watch your mouth move, you could sign a citizen’s arrest for vandalism and take a report on line. The kids would be cited and given a court date. The parents would have to go to court with the juvenile and a fine or punishment would be imposed by the judge. The punishment is usually minor for this sort of thing, but rest assured the problem should stop. I would document dates and times of occurrences. If this is happening when school is in session, there could be some truancy issues as well that could be communicated with the school.

Setting up a camera is definitely an option. The camera will capture other things that may be useful to you. Camera systems aren’t as expensive now, and they are small. They can run between $60.00 and $150.00 online and at home hardware stores. Check with your homeowner policy to see if you are eligible for a discount. You could hide it in a little birdhouse or wind chime and lay in wait. Suddenly, it’s not so funny. Good luck with this.

Officer Michelle

Posted by cabaya123

Officer Michelle,

Is it advisable to report a neighbor whom I suspect smokes marijuana? Can they even be reported to police? I am not even sure about the legality of smoking marijuana in California anymore.

Thanks,
Chris

Dear cabaya123,

You can call police (non-emergency at 264-5471) to have your neighbor’s activity checked out.  If your neighbor has a medical marijuana card and is staying within the bounds of the law related to medical marijuana usage, we wouldn’t take action.  If legalization of marijuana in California is approved, there are certain to be quality of life (such as if neighbors find the smoke irritating) and safety issues to work out.

Thanks for writing,
Officer Michelle

Posted by C

Good day, I’m a CSUS student and your agency is listed on the Criminal Justice Agency Internship Placements list. Would you mind providing me with some information on what your intern position(s) entails? Also, would the position(s) happen to have any evening/night and/or weekend work hours available? Thank you kindly.

Dear C,

You can go to our website for more information our internships:  http://www.sacpd.org/getinvolved/student/intern/.  On this page, there is a student internship application that can be downloaded. We generally do not have night/evening/weekend internships available.

Thank you for inquiring and good luck in the future.

Sacramento Police Recruiting
(916) 808-0880

Posted by jp101
I will be starting a police academy next week in the Bay Area as self sponsored. I see that Sac PD is hiring for Police Officer Cadets and Laterals. Where should I apply or can I apply? If I can apply, is the hiring process the same as a Cadet?  I appreciate your time.

Dear jp101,

You will need to apply online for the Cadet Position.  Go to our website: www.sacpd.org for additional information or to http://agency.governmentjobs.com/saccity/default.cfm to apply.

Good luck,

Sacramento Police Recruiting
(916) 808-0880

Posted by tlstay

Good Morning,
My vehicle was stolen in February from my driveway.  It was recovered in perfect condition after only a couple of days one mile from my house.  Apparently, standard operating procedure is to have the vehicle towed to a tow yard before we are notified that the vehicle was recovered.  We were advised of the recovery at 3pm and couldn’t leave work until 4:30, which was when the tow yard closed.  We went to pick it up at 8 am the next morning, and the charge for towing and storage was $245.  While I was happy to have the vehicle recovered, this was frustrating, to say the least.  While I understand the need to remove stolen vehicles from their location in a timely manner, I don’t understand why a call wasn’t placed to us.  Our home and work numbers were readily available on the police report and a call could have been placed to us just as easily as to the tow company.  A sensible solution to me would have been a call from the police department to say that the vehicle was found and I had X number of hours to come and get it or it would be taken to the tow yard.  Even if the vehicle wasn’t drivable, the towing on my insurance policy would have brought the car to my house.  If I didn’t have this coverage and had to pay towing out of pocket to my home, it would still be less than the cost of the standard tow charge in these situations (more than any other tow charge) + storage. I could have walked to the recovery location to drive my car home!  Could you please explain why the tow companies are automatically called in this situation?  Perhaps there is a piece to this that I’m not understanding. 
Thank you, and thanks to all of the officers for their great work.

Dear tlstay,
I understand that this could be maddening to you.  I too have had my vehicle stolen out of my driveway before I was a police officer.  It is a very strange feeling when you go to use your car and it is gone.  You never realize what a liberty it is to have a car until it is gone. Usually, when officers with the Sacramento Police Department find a stolen vehicle, we try to contact the registered owner.  If you or someone at your address is the registered owner, the police will radio to dispatch to attempt to contact the registered owner.  When the registered owner arrives on scene, the officer does the necessary recovery and transfer paperwork and releases the vehicle to the owner.  I can’t speak for the officer who recovered your vehicle.  I’m sorry for your trouble. 

Take care,
Officer Michelle

Posted by maddox95747

Can I still apply to become a police officer if I was convicted of felonies at the age of 10 and 13 for B and E when I was a kid? I was given a waiver for these when I joined USMC but don’t know how it will work as trying to become a cop?

Dear maddox95747,

Unfortunately, if you were convicted of a felony at any time, you cannot apply to be an officer for the Sacramento Police Department.

Sacramento Police Recruiting
(916) 808-0880

Posted by armystrong916

hello i am currently a service member in the us army and i’m coming up on my ets (exit the service date) and i have always wanted to get into law inforcement. I am wrighting to find out what all is needed to become a law inforcement officer and also what the hire rate is averagely. Any help would be appreciated.

Dear armystrong916,

First, I’d like to thank you for your selfless service in protecting our country and the great Americans who live here. As for a career in law enforcement, because it is a paramilitary career, you will find it a little easier as far as the structure, chain-of-command configuration, wear of the uniform, working with others from all backgrounds, etc. Most departments require some college. You can go to our website to see what our requirements are at www.sacpd.org. My advice to you is to sign up for college whether it be online or at an institution. Some accelerated programs, although they can be costly, transfer your military experience as college credits. Look into your VA benefits to see if you qualify for the GI Bill. Our department accepts the GI bill as payment while going through our academy. I don’t know whether you are going right into the Ready Reserves or the National Guard directly after active duty, but you may have some benefits there as well. I went through the police academy while in the reserves. Explain to your company commander what your intentions are. I also had soldiers who were going through police training while I was a company commander. I worked with their schedules as long as I knew in advance.

There are departments that don’t require any education past high school. The Sacramento Sheriff Department currently hires those with no degree. However, most departments are having the same financial constraints because of budget woes. You must be marketable and a degree certainly helps. Your army training is definitely a bonus, but unfortunately that experience alone is not going to get you a police job.

I would also go on a ride-along with a department; and I don’t mean with the Military Police. Go with a civilian agency that is close to your base. If you are interested in the Sacramento Police Department, you can download an application and fill it out on line.

I wish you success in your endeavors, and I hope that your transition into becoming a civilian again is easy for you. I hope this helps.

Officer Michelle

Posted by kasey0131

How can i get reports of all the evidence in a DUI case?? like police reports, video interviews ect…

Dear kasey0131,

The best way for you to get these documents is through an attorney. If the case is involving yourself, your attorney will have all this information.  As a private citizen requesting this information, you would have to fill out a Public Request for Information to the appropriate agency. It a requestor doesn’t have a legitimate need for this information, it will more than likely get denied. The request for information should include the name/address of the requestor, type of information requested, and the need for information. Some information such as certain arrests and court documents are public information and can be obtained by going to the courthouse. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle