Police chief cites multi‑year reductions, falling violent‑crime metrics and staffing gaps as budget choices loom

Police Chief Kathy Lester presented the department's five‑year crime trends, staffing levels and initiatives to the Sacramento City Council on Tuesday, saying violent‑crime indicators have decreased since 2022 even as the department carries substantial vacancies and faces possible reductions.

Lede and key point

Chief Lester said the police department received more than 600,000 incoming calls to the communications center last year that produced almost 160,000 dispatches, and that officers initiated nearly 60,000 additional contacts. She reported reductions compared with recent peak years: for example, ShotSpotter activations declined by about 45% and reported shooting victims fell from 256 in 2021 to 33 in 2024 in the area metrics she presented.

Why it matters: Lester told council that despite measurable crime reductions, the department has 87 sworn and 95 professional‑staff vacancies as of mid‑March and that continued staffing shortfalls affect overtime, specialty units and investigative capacity. She mapped the department's priorities — operational readiness, crime reduction, employee investment, quality of service and strategic governance — and described initiatives such as a Department of Justice organizational assessment, a public safety camera network and drone pilots.

Supporting detail and context

Lester said the department was awarded a federal Public Safety Partnership grant that helped with investigations and that the city saw large narcotics and weapon seizures in 2024 through federal cooperation: she cited approximately 2,000 pounds of narcotics and about 200 firearms seized with federal partners in the year, and reported more than 827 illegally possessed firearms removed in 2024. The department reported hiring 28 sworn officers in 2024 and said the communications center handled about 640,000 incoming calls in the year.

She described prior staffing reductions dating to the 2008 recession that removed units such as narcotics, financial crimes and vice; the department has partly restored some capabilities but still lacks certain specialty teams. Lester said the department would face significant program and personnel losses under deep cuts, and she identified potential impacts including losing community service representatives, training staff, records personnel, traffic enforcement teams and specialized investigative units.

Council questions and next steps

Council members asked for clarity on vacancies, pipeline programs and how many academy graduates are expected. Lester said academy class size varies but noted Sacramento typically graduates 32–35 sworn officers per year in earlier years, while the current academy cohort was smaller. City staff told the council vacancy dollars remain in the budget but that the administration assumes a vacancy factor in year budgeting.

Attribution

"Based on the 5 year average, we are down in every category, that we report to the FBI," Chief Kathy Lester said, summarizing trends. She and the council discussed the budget timeline; staff told the council the proposed budget will be released the week of April 28 and that department reduction lists are public and will be reviewed at the Budget and Audit Committee on March 25.

Ending

The police chief urged the council to weigh the operational impacts of staffing and program cuts and said the department will provide more granular vacancy and overtime data to the Budget and Audit Committee and in the forthcoming proposed budget documents.