A recent shooting on Sacramento’s K Street in downtown has sparked discussions about enhancing safety in the area. City officials confirmed on Monday that a new police bike patrol station will be coming to the Downtown Commons. The incident, captured in a video obtained by KCRA, shows people running for cover as shots rang out near Jeffrey Whitte’s apartment along 8th and K streets.”We were in the elevators when the shots were fired. So I went out to the balcony. I heard all the sirens,” Whitte said. The shooting is the latest in a series of violent incidents on K Street, an area known for its safety concerns. Frequent visitors to the area describe it as a place where people from all walks of life come together.”This is kind of like a microcosm of where everybody gathers from, you know, the upper echelon, to the worst people you can think of,” said Esquire Ali. Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum, who represents downtown Sacramento, said efforts are underway to improve safety, including the addition of a new bike patrol station downtown. “They’re establishing a little depot just west of the Golden 1 Center, where they’ll be able to be a lot closer to downtown, midtown, Broadway, and just have quicker response times as they’re doing their deployments,” Pluckebaum said. When asked if the increased police presence was due to a need for more visibility, Pluckebaum confirmed, “Yeah. And this is an opportunity to increase their availability and an efficiency opportunity. That’s just that much less time for them to ride from the station to the locations to actually try to be present in.”The news of more bike patrols has received mixed reactions. Some believe it might deter people from visiting the area for leisure, while others see it as a necessary step for safety. “I think having more police is going to have people who want to come down here and have a good time be deterred from doing so,” Ali said. Whitte added, “Every time I see a law enforcement officer, I do stop them, and I ask them for help.”Others believe community members need to take more responsibility for each other’s safety. “The people just have to do a better job of policing each other. You know, we’ve got to take care of each other some more. Quit being scumbags, quit being dirtbags,” Ali said. Pluckebaum also mentioned ongoing discussions about preventive measures to ensure safety, noting that new lighting was installed earlier this year to better illuminate the area, citing data that it could reduce crime.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A recent shooting on Sacramento’s K Street in downtown has sparked discussions about enhancing safety in the area. City officials confirmed on Monday that a new police bike patrol station will be coming to the Downtown Commons.
The incident, captured in a video obtained by KCRA, shows people running for cover as shots rang out near Jeffrey Whitte’s apartment along 8th and K streets.
“We were in the elevators when the shots were fired. So I went out to the balcony. I heard all the sirens,” Whitte said.
The shooting is the latest in a series of violent incidents on K Street, an area known for its safety concerns.
Frequent visitors to the area describe it as a place where people from all walks of life come together.
“This is kind of like a microcosm of where everybody gathers from, you know, the upper echelon, to the worst people you can think of,” said Esquire Ali.
Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum, who represents downtown Sacramento, said efforts are underway to improve safety, including the addition of a new bike patrol station downtown.
“They’re establishing a little depot just west of the Golden 1 Center, where they’ll be able to be a lot closer to downtown, midtown, Broadway, and just have quicker response times as they’re doing their deployments,” Pluckebaum said.
When asked if the increased police presence was due to a need for more visibility, Pluckebaum confirmed, “Yeah. And this is an opportunity to increase their availability and an efficiency opportunity. That’s just that much less time for them to ride from the station to the locations to actually try to be present in.”
The news of more bike patrols has received mixed reactions. Some believe it might deter people from visiting the area for leisure, while others see it as a necessary step for safety.
“I think having more police is going to have people who want to come down here and have a good time be deterred from doing so,” Ali said.
Whitte added, “Every time I see a law enforcement officer, I do stop them, and I ask them for help.”
Others believe community members need to take more responsibility for each other’s safety.
“The people just have to do a better job of policing each other. You know, we’ve got to take care of each other some more. Quit being scumbags, quit being dirtbags,” Ali said.
Pluckebaum also mentioned ongoing discussions about preventive measures to ensure safety, noting that new lighting was installed earlier this year to better illuminate the area, citing data that it could reduce crime.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel