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Sacramento County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
Smart Voter

Public Safety

By Kevin Kidder

Candidate for Council Member; City of Citrus Heights

This information is provided by the candidate
Citrus Heights, since 2006, has had its own police department. While it is the single largest expenditure of General Fund monies, a dedicated police department is much more responsive to local concerns than the Sacramento County Sheriff Department can be under the current economic conditions. I have talked to several police department personnel and they have been unfailingly polite and helpful, and have also sent an officer out on each of my calls (generally for noise coming from trucks and other sources in the early morning hours near Auburn Boulevard commercial areas). Additionally, property crimes such as automobile break-ins seem to be increasing and nuisance issues like broken glass and litter on sidewalks must also be addressed. Note that the General Services people with Citrus Heights do regularly maintain the sidewalks, but budget constraints limit the frequency of this activity. Given that the economy locally is probably going to get worse before it gets better, a responsive police department will be essential to quality of life in this area.

Citrus Heights has recently addressed the panhandling issue by the adoption of a new ordinance. While I have not lived in Citrus Heights for a lengthy period of time, I have read the background material provided by the local government in support of this ordinance. I note that I moved here after living in the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years, where I experienced panhandling in various venues. Panhandling is both a public safety and quality of life issue. Individuals soliciting money while standing or sitting on roadway center divides or walking in lanes of traffic is dangerous for both the panhandler and the driving public. Panhandlers who approach people in areas where money is to be obtained or change hands (at ATM machines or in front of businesses) can be intimidating to shoppers and businesses alike.

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ca/sac Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 15, 2010 13:37
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