Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg held a news conference Tuesday morning after receiving a letter from the district attorney’s office threatening to sue the city over its response to the growing unhoused population in the area. Steinberg said he met with Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho on July 26 to offer a partnership in addressing the issues surrounding homelessness in the area. Ho responded to the city Tuesday in a letter that includes data gathered from his office’s survey on Sacramento’s homeless response, and included a 30-day notice for the city to comply with the DA’s demands. | PREVIOUS COVERAGE | District attorney asks for public’s opinion on Sacramento’s homeless responseThe DA’s demands include requiring the city attorney’s office to prosecute codes and ordinances outside of his office’s jurisdiction, providing four additional city attorneys, creating more temporary emergency shelter and caping spaces, access to real-time data regarding shelter beds and a citywide daytime camping ban, among other things. “This local crisis has been made worse by local decisions and indecisions. Therefore, we have taken the first formal step towards litigation against the City of Sacramento. However, we are providing the City an opportunity to adequately address this public safety crisis,” a statement from the DA’s office said.| MORE | Read District Attorney Thien Ho’s letter to the city of Sacramento hereIn a statement Tuesday, Steinberg said the letter “deflects responsibility, takes credit for programs the city initiated, lacks basic understanding of existing shelter management systems and funding structures, and includes a series of demands that would cripple the city financially.”| MORE | Read Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s response hereSteinberg had proposed some of the following, acknowledging that the county does not plan to implement CARE Court until late 2024:Strict enforcement of misdemeanor crimesA comprehensive strategy for the prosecution of those who commit “quality-of-life” crimes living with serious mental illness or under the influence of a controlled substanceExpansion of alternative courts through more staffing and servicesFull implementation of the City/County agreementAlternatives to jail booking sites for low-level offensesThe DA’s office to provide a community prosecutor to the north, south, east and central areas of the city that would be funded by the DA
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg held a news conference Tuesday morning after receiving a letter from the district attorney’s office threatening to sue the city over its response to the growing unhoused population in the area.
Steinberg said he met with Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho on July 26 to offer a partnership in addressing the issues surrounding homelessness in the area.
Ho responded to the city Tuesday in a letter that includes data gathered from his office’s survey on Sacramento’s homeless response, and included a 30-day notice for the city to comply with the DA’s demands.
| PREVIOUS COVERAGE | District attorney asks for public’s opinion on Sacramento’s homeless response
The DA’s demands include requiring the city attorney’s office to prosecute codes and ordinances outside of his office’s jurisdiction, providing four additional city attorneys, creating more temporary emergency shelter and caping spaces, access to real-time data regarding shelter beds and a citywide daytime camping ban, among other things.
“This local crisis has been made worse by local decisions and indecisions. Therefore, we have taken the first formal step towards litigation against the City of Sacramento. However, we are providing the City an opportunity to adequately address this public safety crisis,” a statement from the DA’s office said.
| MORE | Read District Attorney Thien Ho’s letter to the city of Sacramento here
In a statement Tuesday, Steinberg said the letter “deflects responsibility, takes credit for programs the city initiated, lacks basic understanding of existing shelter management systems and funding structures, and includes a series of demands that would cripple the city financially.”
| MORE | Read Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s response here
Steinberg had proposed some of the following, acknowledging that the county does not plan to implement CARE Court until late 2024:
- Strict enforcement of misdemeanor crimes
- A comprehensive strategy for the prosecution of those who commit “quality-of-life” crimes living with serious mental illness or under the influence of a controlled substance
- Expansion of alternative courts through more staffing and services
- Full implementation of the City/County agreement
- Alternatives to jail booking sites for low-level offenses
- The DA’s office to provide a community prosecutor to the north, south, east and central areas of the city that would be funded by the DA
