CSI Solves Crime At Council Member's Home; Faces Chopping Block
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The members of the investigative unit that helped catch a suspect who broke into a council member's home are now slated to lose their jobs in coming budget cuts.
Councilman Steve Cohn said forensic investigators and Sacramento Police detectives helped identify the suspect who was later convicted for breaking into his home while he, his wife, and his kids were sleeping.
Kenneth Johnson, 41, is scheduled to be sentenced for the burglary on June 17.
Cohn was outvoted Tuesday night when the City Council agreed to move forward on a plan that would trim $12 million from the Sacramento Police Department's budget, which authorities say will force them to cut more than 80 sworn police officers.
"I voted to retain as much as possible," Cohn said.
Cohn proposed pulling $4 million from the city's reserve fund to keep some of the police department's positions off the chopping block, but his plan was voted down 6-3.
The proposed cuts, which have not been finalized, would essentially eliminate many specialized units at the Sacramento Police Department and would replace the current civilian forensic investigators with sworn officers.
The cuts would keep those officers from investigating anything but major crimes; documenting home burglaries would not be part of their duties.
Police Chief Rick Braziel said he has filed a waiver to get a federal grant that could save 35 jobs, but is not optimistic about his chances -- 100 other agencies around the country have also applied.
If approved, the cuts will go into effect on July 1.
