The Sacramento Police Department is reporting a rise in gun violence.
Through August 2021, Police Chief Daniel Hahn says 173 people were shot in Sacramento, a 35% increase from the year before. More than 1,100 firearms were seized by police in August as well, a 45% increase year-over-year. As a result, the city is continuing to develop its new Department of Community Response, aiming to offer alternative response models for 911 calls that don't require fire or police assistance. Thursday, Chief Hahn also announced Sacramento police had 9,122 mental health-related calls through August 2021; a 2% increase from 2020. That averages to 38 calls a day.
Katie Valenzuela, the council member representing District 4, wrote: "This is an unfortunate national trend and I'm looking forward to understanding and confronting the root causes so we can keep our community safe and prevent violence."