DSP Community Services Activity Report Q1 2014
The foundation for Downtown’s future growth relies on removing barriers and creating incentives to promote economic and development activity. Downtown Sacramento is building unprecedented momentum resulting in increased pedestrian activity. The Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s Community Services Departmentis stepping up efforts to ensure the district remains clean and safe as demand increases in the core.
As the foundation of the organization, the Community Services Department patrols the streets of Downtown 7-days a week working to make Downtown cleaner and safer. The department deploys a ‘boots-on-the-ground’ crew, who are first responders to many street level issues within the district’s 66-blocks.
Tracking and monitoring daily activity for the Clean Streets Team and the Community Service Guides allows the department to identify trends and gaps in service.
Clean & Safe Q1 Activity (2013 & 2014)
Nuisance & Abatement Calls for Service
Overall, DSP’s Clean & Safe teams received a 16 percent increase in nuisance and abatement calls for services during the 1st quarter. In Q1 2014 compared to Q1 2013, panhandling calls for service increased by 80 percent. During the first quarter of 2013, there was roughly 25 panhandling calls per month; 44 calls per month in Q 1 2014. The rise in panhandling can be attributed to increases in pedestrian activity in the downtown core as well as DSP’s efforts to encourage property and business owners to call upon DSP teams when needed.
Calls for service in regards to inebriated individuals has decreased over last year by 62 percent. This decline is attributed to an increase in focus and collaboration between Downtown’s Community Prosecutor and the enforcement of the Serial Inebriate Program (SIP) in the core.
Litter, Debris & Leaf Removal
The Clean Streets team, DSP’s maintenance arm, was hard at work in 2014 removing more than 200,000 pounds of trash, debris, and leaves in the 1st quarter. There was a 34 percent increase in trash, debris and leaf removal compared to the same time period of the previous year. Increases in activity is attributed to the lack of rain this past winter.
Graffiti
The Clean Streets team removed more than 1,200 pieces of graffiti, a 50 percent decrease from the previous year (Q1 2013 – Q1 2014). The team’s quick response time for removal and the support from DSP when prosecuting this type of vandalism has been successful at averting additional graffiti behavior.
DSP remains committed to deterring these types of nuisance behaviors by working closely with law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, elected officials and property owners to identify innovative solutions and best practices.
To report a non-emergency or maintenance issue, contact the Community Service Guides at 442.2200. For more information on DSP’s Community Services Department, contact Director Dion Dwyer at 916.442.8575.