Residents tell council police response to vandalism has been inadequate; public asks for targeted outreach to Farsi-speaking community

Kathy Bailey, board president of the Riva on the River homeowners association, told the City Council on May 21 that 252 homeowners at her complex have suffered "emotional and financial" harm from a pattern of property crimes and what she described as insufficient police follow-up.

Bailey said a targeted act on Feb. 24, 2025 damaged four units at the complex. "Damage so extensive that remediation alone on day 1 was over $50,000," she said, and she told the council she expects total loss to exceed $400,000. Bailey said her group preserved evidence and provided video and license-plate information but "law enforcement failed to investigate. No fingerprinting, no follow-up." She added, "The likely culprit did not even get questioned. Eventually, an officer told us that officers are only able to respond to person crimes, not property crimes." Bailey said the complex has reported more than 30 incidents of mail theft in the last three years and warned that repeated losses could make homes uninsurable and force foreclosures; she urged council to address the pattern by reviewing departmental policy, funding or public accountability measures.

Also during the public comment period, resident Guy Stevenson acknowledged the challenges police face and praised department leaders, and he urged the city to expand outreach to a large Afghan population in West Sacramento. Stevenson said language barriers and unfamiliarity with U.S. laws make some community members hesitant to contact police and recommended hiring or assigning Farsi-speaking outreach staff to improve communication and reporting.

Council response and context: City leaders later recognized the police department with a proclamation for National Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day and heard presentations from department leaders, but the record of this meeting shows no formal action directed solely at changing policing policy or reallocating resources in response to Bailey's request. Bailey and other residents asked for increased urgency from the council and police regarding property-crime investigations.

What was said (selected quotes) "This was a targeted act," Bailey told the council. "To be told that this isn't a police matter is not only disheartening, it's dangerous."

"They speak Farsi. They do not understand the laws of The United States," Stevenson said. "I think the city really needs to have somebody that's part of an outreach program that can kinda navigate... maybe they have to have somebody come in there that will speak Farsi so the police know that they're protected and they can report crimes."

Public comment is a forum; state law prohibits council from discussing or acting on items not on the agenda at the time they are raised. Bailey and Stevenson's remarks were recorded during the meeting's public-comment period. The concerns they raised about investigative practice, translation and community outreach were left on the record for possible staff follow-up.