Downtown Guides at Your Service

Downtown Guides serve as downtown good-will ambassadors, providing visitors with directions and assistance while also acting as “eyes and ears” for local law enforcement agencies to control nuisance behavior. Community Service Guides patrol downtown streets seven days a week. Call us at 916-442-2200.

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Safety Tips for Downtown Property Managers and Business Owners

Last month the Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) hosted a Downtown Forum on Safety. Our partners at the Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, and Sacramento Steps Forward shared some helpful tips to keep your property safe. Below are some basic takeaways:

Reporting Incidents

It’s critical to file crime reports following an incident as it helps Sac PD identify emerging issues and connect related criminal activity.

For life threatening instances or major crimes in progress please call 911 or call 916-732-0100 if you are using a cell phone.
To report a crime which has already occurred or a nuisance please use the non-emergency number 916-808-5471.
Submit an online report www.sacpd.org

Protests and Demonstrations

The Sacramento Police Department makes every effort to notify any affected businesses in advance of a known protest. If your business or property is targeted for a protest, you can lock your doors and shut your business down temporarily to prevent the protest from entering your location. If the protest becomes a frequent issue, you should consult with private legal council. It may be possible to secure a restraining order or injunction. But, most importantly be sure to educate employees NOT to engage with the protestors. This tactic not only poses a liability risk, but also incites more activity. Most groups will move on if they don’t get a reaction.

Closed-Circuit Security Systems

Video survelliance is an effective tool to deter nuisance behavior. When filing an incident report, be sure to reference that you have video footage. The Police Department can use your closed-circuit security system footage if there is ever an incident at your property.

Nuisance Behaviors

If you experience nuisance behavior at your business, call Sac PD’s Non-Emergency line at 916-808-5471 to report it. If the same person comes back to your business on the same day Sac PD has responded to an incident, call dispatch again and request that they put an “all bike units out” on the repeat offender and explain to them situation. If the individual’s behavior becomes a reoccurring issue, talk to your bike officer. You can also email Dion Dwyer, DSP Director of Community Services, at [email protected]. They will work with an officer to follow up and develop an action plan.

Downtown Guides

Our downtown guides serve as the eyes and ears for local law enforcement and are at your service 7 days a week. Please call the guides at 916-442-2200:

If someone is disrupting your business or trespassing on your property
If encounter someone who is homeless and needs social services

Often times, the Downtown Guides will ask you to place a call to Sac PD even though they are also making a call on your behalf. The more calls dispatch receives about an issue, the faster the response. Also, when a guide is on the scene before PD arrives, they are able to shadow the person of interest if they leave your premises and direct the officer when they arrive on the scene.

For additional information about safety best practices, please contact Dion Dwyer, DSP Director of Community Services at 916-442-8575.