With the City Council decision to cut $12.2 million dollars from the Police Department's budget we now prepare to transform the way we police in Sacramento.

The impact of four years of police budget reductions has resulted in $35 million dollars in cuts and a lost 372 positions which includes over 180 sworn.  This year alone, we will lose 164 positions (82 sworn, 68 civilians, and 14 vacant sworn).  The dollars cut to the police budget translate into service reductions to include the following:

Elimination- Narcotics Unit

Elimination- Gang Unit

Elimination- Traffic Teams

Elimination- Problem Oriented Policing Teams

Elimination- Magnet School Program

Elimination- Community Service Officers

Elimination- Bike Unit

Elimination- Mounted Unit

Elimination- Marine Unit

Elimination- Foot Beat Officers

Elimination- High-Tech Crimes Unit

Elimination- Auto Theft Investigations Unit

Elimination- Parolee Intervention Team

Transformation- SWAT to part time teams

Transformation- Crime Scene Investigators to sworn officers

In the next three weeks, the Department will be shifting the way we police to primarily handle emergency calls and investigate major crimes.  More details on what the service impacts means for the community will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.  "Although we will no longer be able to provide the level of service, we are committed to continuing to provide quality service when we do respond" said Chief Rick Braziel.