Elk Grove Police Community Beat Meeting Covers Variety of Public Safety Issues

The Elk Grove Police Department held a community beat meeting at Pleasant Grove High School last night that covered a variety of public safety issues ranging from red light camera enforcement to local gang activity. This meeting specifically covered beats three and five which are primarily east of Highway 99 in Elk Grove.

The meeting, which was sponsored by the department’s Problem Oriented Police unit, was part of an on-going effort to involve community members in reducing criminal activity. Representatives from several departments made presentations, gave advice and answered questions.

The topics covered included the POP’s unit philosophy, dispatch, red light camera enforcement, crime free housing, crime analysis, neighborhood watch and code enforcement.

Facilitating the meeting was POP’s officer Jason Jacobo who said the unit’s ultimate goal is to reduce crime and enhance the community by being engaged in the community. “Our goal is to be proactive and provide long term solutions,” Jacobo said.

Among the more revealing presentations was from the traffic division that showed several blatant red light violations along Laguna Boulevard captured on video. One showed an intersection collision caused by a red light violation.

Officer Steve Benetti, a reserve officer in the traffic bureau, said the department reviews over 40,000 videos and images annually from the three enforcement cameras along Laguna Boulevard . Benetti said the cameras are meant to improve traffic safety and reduce collisions at high-incident intersections.

The next red light enforcement camera is planned for the intersection of Elk Grove Boulevard and Bruceville Road . “It is a good enforcement tool,” Benetti said.

Elk Grove gangs mostly transient detectives says

Detective Paul Grant of the departments gang unit said that while street gangs are present in Elk Grove, for the most part they are transient in nature. Grant said the unit’s primary function is to gather intelligence.

Grant said there are Asian, Black, Hispanic and White gangs operating at any given time in Elk Grove but noted the unit has been able to drive out the White gang. “We have put the screw to them the last two months,” Grant said.

Grant noted that while Elk Grove has a zero tolerance policy regarding gangs, there have been 10 recent gang-related shootings in Vineyard area just north of Elk Grove. Grant said the recent increase in the area could be related to the sheriff department cuts resulting in reduced patrols.

One gang that Grant said has operated in Elk Grove is the Red Krew Norteno, or RKN gang. “They have been here for generations,” Grant noted.