Old Sacramento safety concerns grow after stabbing left 5 injured over the weekend
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A stabbing attack in Old Sacramento over the weekend that left five people injured has sparked renewed conversations about improving safety in the historic district.
Michael Ault, executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, said the situation has left local business owners and property owners feeling frustrated.
“I think the business community and the property owners down here are frustrated, and I think, rightfully so,” Ault said.
The Downtown Sacramento Partnership has already expanded private security patrols in the area, but believes more needs to be done.
“We have engaged a group called HQ Security, which has increased patrols, increased effectiveness, increased the ability for us to manage bad behavior,” Ault said. “A large portion of that is partnering with law enforcement, with Sac PD, with the district attorney’s office.”
The partnership is now discussing additional safety measures with city leaders, including extending patrols, exploring late-night street closures, strengthening curfew enforcement, and potentially installing street bollards to limit vehicle access during late-night hours in Old Sacramento.
| VIDEO BELOW | Survivor of Old Sacramento stabbing shares his story as youth advocate calls for change
Jason Minow, owner of Sacramento Sweets, expressed doubts about the ability of security and police to prevent such situations.
“How do we get on the other side of that? I don’t think the security and the police can get in the middle of that and stop it because they don’t even know when it’s going to happen,” Minow said.
The Sacramento Police Department declined an interview and referred inquiries to the Office of Nighttime Economy for information regarding their training initiatives.
In a statement, the department said, “The department continuously evaluates how resources are allocated in the city, including Old Sacramento and the downtown areas. Through the use of various resources including increased staffing in the area during peak times, utilization of the Public Safety Camera Network, and strong partnerships with local businesses, community organizations and area security we are able to respond efficiently to incidents, investigate them thoroughly, and hold offenders accountable.”
Sacramento’s Office of Nighttime Economy also declined an interview and referred KCRA 3 to Sacramento police, but stated that it partners with the police department on hospitality and nightlife safety trainings throughout the year.
Minow added that most issues occur late at night.
“I don’t think they should even worry about anything of that here; 99.9% of that is after midnight and like you know, nothing good happens after midnight,” Minow said.
Ezekiel Paul Griffis, 18, is in custody in connection with the stabbings. He sits in the Sacramento County jail, facing an assault with a deadly weapon charge, jail records show. He has a $250,000 bail set and is expected in court at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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