Family of downtown Sacramento shooting victim pushing for new initiatives to curb crime
SACRAMENTO —It's been a difficult road for Deborah and Gregory Grimes since their son was killed in a mass shooting six months ago.
Greg "Najee" Grimes was a much-loved pillar in the Sacramento community. He was a former Boise State football player and coach at Inderkum High School.
Three months later, his parents are set to meet with city officials.
"Definitely tough," Deborah Grimes says of the last three months. "That would be an understatement. It's really heart-wrenching still for us."
But instead of giving in to despair, they decided to do something about it.
"We're inspired," she mentions. "We're working on a lot of initiatives that are going to do the city a lot of good."
With some persistence and an excellent supporting foundation around them, the Grimes family is set to meet with Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and city council members on Friday.
The initiatives discussed relate to what Deborah and her husband, Gregory, call "Najee's Law" in honor of their son.
The proposed initiative would have three main components: Mandatory exterior security cameras for entertainment establishments, walk-through metal detectors, and a zero-tolerance policy on establishments that don't adhere to the first two initiatives.
Deborah says the businesses would cover the cost at no expense to taxpayers.
Over the last six months, the central city of Sacramento has been rocked by several high-profile shootings at bars and nightclubs. It has been nearly six months since the K Street shooting, while the shooting that took the life of Najee Grimes occurred three months ago.
"We're taking every step imaginable to make sure that people have a good, positive, fun experience in the central city of Sacramento," Mayor Darrell Steinberg said in a news conference earlier this week.
Mayor Steinberg named longtime city employee Tina Lee-Vogt as the Nighttime Economy Manager for Sacramento.
"There's some technology that we've put into place. For example, we were a leader in the development of scanners," Lee-Vogt explains. "That's been a really useful tool, and looking at other tools we can use for our entertainment venues that can make patrons feel safe."
While there have been some delays on the part of the city council and the local government, the Grimes are hopeful their initiatives will be met with a receptive audience.
"There's no chance to just relax on this anymore," she says. "We really really have to get busy as a city and take care of it as quickly as possible."