Sacramento police discuss crime trends during the summer
SACRAMENTO — The summer months bring more than just triple-digit heat to the city of Sacramento.
Summer festivals, fairs, concerts, and outdoor water activities draw in crowds, and like many other big cities, Sacramento experiences an increase in crime.
Sgt. Mark Scurria with the Sacramento Police Department says so far this summer, they aren't seeing any unusual trends.
"With the warm weather, people like getting out and enjoying the city and what it has to offer. You see a small spike in crimes of opportunity, car break-ins or a lot of times, it has to do with intoxication," Scurria said. "As a department, we try to be aware of that."
Overall, the Council on Criminal Justice finds that violent crime is on the decline and is slowly returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Community advocates say it's important to keep kids as busy as possible while they're out of school and give them the necessary resources.
"Idle hands, we usually recommend kids get involved in some kind of activity, some program to keep them busy," Scurria said.
The City of Sacramento has a list of summer kid-friendly programs. The topic of summer safety was the focus of a round table in Sacramento earlier in June. The event was moderated by Pastor Anthony Sadler and Shiloh Baptist Church, and Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester was in attendance.
"We know we're going to have challenges in the summertime and it's looking to find ways to address them in what we do," Lester said.
Lester talked about the importance of community collaboration and said they are trying to do more outreach efforts to understand the needs of the community.
"What they said about how they felt and their sense of safety, they said they like the visibility of patrols and want the police in the neighborhood, but they also want programs for youth," Lester said.
Police also underscored the importance of common-sense safety tips like not leaving valuables in your car, being aware of your surroundings, practicing alcohol safety.