Posted by bmacias07

HI I WANTED TO KNOW HOW WOULD I GO ABOUT GETTING A RIDE ALONG..

Dear bmacias07,

You will find all the information you need on our website at: http://www.sacpd.org/getinvolved/ridealong/

After reading the eligibility requirements, you can print out an application from the link on the page and fax it to the number on the page.

Thank you for your post,

Officer Michelle

Posted by mrsking

My mentally ill adult son who lives with me, was out walking, got picked up, taken to the police station, and tested for illegal drugs. He was not taken to jail. Test results were 100-percent negative for any illegal drugs, and positive for a psychiatric medication. I provided proof to the police that my son’s psychiatric medication was a legitimate prescription.
However, police now believe my son is an illegal drug user because their computers say he was arrested for drugs. What can be done to clear this up?
Thank you.

Dear mrsking,

I feel for you that you are dealing with a son who has a mental illness. I work around people with mental illness on a daily basis and I know that it can’t be easy for you.

I’m not sure what happened with your son. The police don’t test people for illegal drug use unless it is to take blood and/or urine for a DUI or in conjunction with a blood test involving a felony arrest. The samples are sent away to a lab and take time for the results to arrive.

What may have happened is that your son had a substance on him that officers thought may be illegal drugs. The drugs can be preliminarily tested to see if they test positive for a drug. If your son didn’t have his medication in a prescription bottle or have the prescription with him, the officers may have thought he was in possession of the drug illegally.

If your son had been arrested for drugs in the past, he may be flagged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as a registered drug offender. The only agency who could remove that would be the DOJ. You can look at this website for more information http://oag.ca.gov/contact or call (916) 322-3360.

Until the flag is removed, each time your son is run in the system by law enforcement, it will pop up with the registered drug offender flag. If your son is on probation or parole, he can be stopped at any time by law enforcement and searched. He could have agreed to this stipulation in order to get out of jail.

Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Posted by rlcraig,

I filed a report online for a stolen bike. the bike was returned to me. thanks Jesus! so who do i notify, how do i notify that this clase can be closed ?

Dear rlcraig,

Congratulations on getting your bike back. It’s nice to have a happy ending now and then. You can go back to the online report using the number. Then file a supplement to the report and state that the bike has been found.

Thank you for writing,

Officer Michelle

Posted by Col.Caldwell

I am trying to get a job as a police officer and am kinda at a loss to know where to begain. i was wondering if you know of any departments that are hireing.

Dear Col.Caldwell,

Due to budget constraints, the Sacramento Police Department is currently not hiring. We don’t provide information on all the agencies who are hiring. For that, you would need to do some research and apply if you meet qualifications. This site has information about agencies hiring around the state: http://post.ca.gov/law-enforcement-jobs.aspx

If you aren’t hired by another agency that would pay your way through an academy, you can apply to our non-affiliate academy through which you pay your own way. There is more information on our website here: http://www.sacpd.org/inside/academy/police/#nonaffiliate

If you meet all of the requirements and can go through the academy, it would put you in position to be hired by agencies that are hiring. Of course, you would have to go through the hiring process with them but you would already have your certification.

Thank you for writing,

Sacramento Police Recruiting
(916) 808-0880

Posted by Shari

Zen Spa on H Street has closed. We still have an open account there and would like to get this money back. How can we do that. I phoned and message line is full. I have no telephone numbers of persons who worked there and on the web there is no place to contact this closed business. Please give me some direction in obtaining a refund of the money that hasn’t been used.

Dear Shari,

What you have is a civil issue. If you can’t get a hold of anyone affiliated with the spa, or they refuse to refund you, you could contact the Better Business Bureau and the Department of Consumer Affairs. The Department of Consumer Affairs sometimes has the name of the business owner who requested the license. You can start a search through public records for an address to send a letter. I also found another number you may want to try. Call 475-1224. It was an automated voice telling me to leave a message after the beep. Just a side note, the Zen Spa in Roseville said that they weren’t affiliated with the one downtown. Good luck.

Officer Michelle

Posted by cyd evans

I saw an officer talking on a cell phone while driving a marked car yesterday. Don’t the same rules apply to police officers as the general public regarding only using hands free devices?

Dear cyd evans,

Police officers are to abide by the same rules of the road as citizens. However, there are some exceptions to these rules – for instance, when talking on a cell phone while driving, California Vehicle Code Section 23123 (d). This section does not apply to an emergency services professional using a wireless telephone while operating an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in Section 165, in the course and scope of his or her duties. This translates to, if the officer is using the phone for official business then this law applies. If they are talking to their spouse about non-police business for example, then they are in the wrong.

Police do a lot of business on their cell phones, and our cars are like our offices. We use the computers and cell phones for every call for service. We coordinate with other units, with dispatch, records, get additional information from victims, talk to citizens, Deputy District Attorneys, supervisors, and coordinate with outside agencies all on the cell phone.  Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Posted by KSaechao04

Is there anything that can be done about vehicle noise such as vehicles with loud exhaust systems? It seems as if my neighborhood has been plagued with people driving nothing but loud vehicles lately. The same people drive up and down the street reving their vehicles day after day night after night. It’s so loud and obnoxious that it vibrates my house and sets off alarms which it seems like they are doing on purpose.

Dear KSaechao04,

There is something you can do. There are a few codes that I invite you to look up that may be pertinent. Look up Sacramento County Code Section 6.56.010 on the County website regarding the abatement of vehicles. The fact that this vehicle is causing a noise disturbance may apply to you. Call 311 to speak with a Code Enforcement officer. You can also call our traffic section at 808-6128 if it is a continuous problem driving down your street. Get the vehicle license plate and leave its description on the message for traffic officers. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Posted by Max

If someone is arrested for a misdemeanor warrant in Sac County but has an outstanding felony warrant in El Dorado County, what happens to inmate? His bail is set in Sac for $906.00 and substantially more in El Dorado for $92,500.00.

Dear Max,

A felony trumps a misdemeanor every time. Because El Dorado County is so close to Sacramento County, the person with the felony warrant would be booked in the Sacramento County Jail and then extradited to the El Dorado County Jail to serve out the sentence. This happens with out-of-state warrants but the procedure is different. Most states (depending on the type of crime associated with the felony) don’t extradite.

Once the person completes their felony commitment, they will most likely be given another court case for the Sacramento misdemeanor. If a court date isn’t issued upon release, it is that person’s responsibility to go to the Sacramento County Warrants Division at 711 G Street to get another court date so that the warrant can be cleared. I hope your questions were answered.

Officer Michelle

Posted by MartinM

Hi,I suspect that my friend Is using drugs,I am almost sure he is using some kind of drugs.Should I report him? After all I am not 100% sure,but he has had some problems before.

Thank you.

Dear MartinM,

It sounds like you have some concerns about your friend using drugs.  You may be right.  Have you discussed this with your friend?  He may need help and police involvement may not be the best route.  Your friend may need some intervention from friends and family.  There are many drug and alcohol clinics in Sacramento and in the outlying region where your friend may seek help. 

If your friend is selling drugs or furnishing the drugs to others, then you should call the police.  Being under the influence of a narcotic or drug is a misdemeanor in this state.  If they are operating a motor vehicle, or are involved in caring for children while under the influence, it could be a felony, especially if it your friend gets into an injury accident.

If your friend is on probation or parole, his agent should be notified.  It is a violation of the conditions of the probation/parole if the subject uses illegal drugs during the time they are on this status. 

Your friend may also have a mental condition such as bi-polar.  People with this condition may act strange, have mood swings, have disrupted sleeping patterns, and change their social behavior which may present much like a person on drugs.  They may distance themselves from their friends and family.  I am not a physician, but I do work with people with mental illness every day, and have been working with them for 21 years, so I do have some exposure. 

Several years ago, I did a series on our blog entitled, "Drug Trends and Teens." I laid out some the different types of drugs that are often abused.  Attached is the link: http://blog.sacpd.org/2007/02/09/drug-trends-and-teens-2/ You may want to read the article and familiarize yourself with the different types that fit the behavior of your friend.  I hope you will be able to help your friend.  Keep me posted.

Officer Michelle

Posted by elanbond

What are the requirements (education, training, and time) to become Homicide Detective with a city police department?

Dear elanbond,

The requirements to become a Homicide Investigator are really the same as any other special assignment that you would apply for once you are hired with the Sacramento Police Department.  In order to apply for a specialized assignment, you must first become a police officer in patrol.  You must complete at least 2 to 3 years in the community (patrol) and then you simply apply with the specialized unit that you are interested in, assuming that there is an opening within the unit.  After being accepted into the unit, the department will send you to any training schools that are necessary, such as homicide school.  Remember, to get hired with our department, you must be at least 20.5 (21 by the end of the academy) and have at least 43 college credits (60 by the end of the police academy).

Keep in mind, specialized assignments such as in Homicide are highly coveted. When an officer is accepted to become a detective, they don’t go directly to Homicide in the first year. After some experience with other detective work such as in Robbery/Burglary or neighborhood crimes, a detective may be hand selected for a slot in Homicide depending on availability and the detective’s abilities.

I hope that helps.

Sacramento Police Recruiting
(916) 808-0880