Del Paso Heights Residents Say They're Being Shortchanged On Police, Code Enforcement
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Accused of being left in the economic dark, some residents in Sacramento's Del Paso Heights neighborhood say they're being shortchanged on police and code enforcement services.
Now they want a piece of the nearly $1 billion budget pie that's up for debate by the Sacramento City Council.
Community leaders say they're putting pressure on City Councilman Allen Warren because they believe it's the squeaky wheel that gets the much-needed services.
"Our neighborhoods are suffering," said Ross Hendrickx with the Del Paso Heights Community Association. "We need more police. We need more code enforcement."
The grassroots organization is concerned about one of the most crime-ridden and poverty stricken districts in the capital city with a lot of social challenges and where abandoned homes are a common sight.
But Hendrickx believes Del Paso Heights can turn around if the City Council allocates more funds to address the decades-old issues.
Warren acknowledges the plight of the community he represents.
"We really have a lot of work to do but we are making some progress," he said.
Over the next several weeks, the City Council will discuss the 2016-17 budget.
"It's a year long process of trying to make adjustments where we need," he said.
There are no set budgets for individual districts, he says, because the city's needs change from month-to-month, but he promises he will fight crime and blight as well as poverty by demanding more economic stimulus dollars to attract new businesses and jobs.
"We really need economic engines in this district," he said.
