Detrick, Leary stakeout positions on crime in Elk Grove

Cooper says Elk Grove is safe


During Thursday's Elk Grove city council candidate forum, the question of local crime highlighted the starkest difference between incumbent Mike Leary and his main opponent, Steve Detrick.

Detrick, who has staked his campaign for the district three seat in large part on improving public safety in Elk Grove cited crime statistics from 2007 to lay claim that crime is a growing problem. Detrick said last year Elk Grove experienced 758 violent crimes, 3,591 property crimes and 250 gang related crimes.

"If anybody says we don't have a crime problem here in Elk Grove needs to get their head out of the sand," Detrick said.

Detrick went on to say that there needs to be more officers on the street and stricter code enforcement. "I am a firm believer in tak[ing] care of the smaller ones [problems], the bigger ones will take care of themselves," he said.

In response Leary did not specifically address whether or not he believes Elk Grove has a crime problem. Rather he focused on budgetary aspects of hiring more officers.

Leary said as projects as the now-delayed Elk Grove Promenade mall start to generate tax revenues, the city will be able to hire more officers. "That's when we add more," Leary said.

Greg Higley, also running for the district three seat did not address crime per se, rather he focused on police conduct.

Council member Jim Cooper, who like Leary is a Sacramento County Sheriff, was not asked about crime during his session, but choose it as his optional question at the end of the forum. Cooper said he would not live and raise his children in Elk Grove if it was crime ridden.

"We don't have a lot of problems out here," Cooper said. "Be glad you have this."


See each candidates response to this question below. The first video has Leary, Detrick and Higley. The second has Cooper.







Coincidentally, on the day of this forum, there were no major criminal incidents reported in Elk Grove.