Chief's Corner
Welcome to the November edition of
The Dispatch, the Rancho Cordova Police Department's e-newsletter. I am proud to announce that crime is decreasing in Rancho Cordova, even more than we reported in last month's edition.
When adjusted for population, violent crime and property crime combined dropped by 31.5% from 2011-2016!
We adjust for population for two reasons. First, if your population is growing or shrinking, your crime rate can increase or decrease at the same ratio.
Second, adjusting population to per 1,000 residents allows us to compare our crime rate to other cities. By doing so, we were able to determine that within Sacramento County, Rancho Cordova experienced the largest drop in crime from 2011-2016!
This significant drop can be attributed to the Rancho Cordova Police Department (RCPD)'s proactive policing programs, many of which are featured in
The Dispatch, in addition to our community policing model of building relationships with our community to further prevent crime.
This month, I am also excited to share that RCPD is rolling out additional proactive policing programs. They include a new neighborhood policing program to continue building partnerships between officers and residents, in addition to three new positions to address homelessness and augment our partnership with the Sacramento Regional Transit District. More information is available in this edition.
Thank you to our residents and businesses for partnering with us to continue to make Rancho Cordova a safe place for all!
Chief of Police Chris Pittman
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Neighborhood Policing Program Launches
RCPD is rolling out a new neighborhood policing program to further build partnerships between officers and residents and enhance public safety.
We have already assigned Problem Oriented Policing (POP) officers to areas throughout Rancho Cordova, and you can learn more about the unit in each edition of
The Dispatch.
To enhance POP's efforts, we have now also assigned patrol officers to each neighborhood in Rancho Cordova! Officers will be responsible for getting to know the residents in their designated neighborhood in order to better address public safety concerns.
This program will allow us to focus on the unique needs of individual neighborhoods and enable us to work together to continue to make Rancho Cordova a safe place for all. We look forward to updating you about this program as it
rolls out.
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RCPD Adds New Positions to Support the Community
RCPD has added two new positions to support the City's efforts to address homelessness, and one new position to improve public safety on regional transit.
Homeless Outreach Team
The City of Rancho Cordova has a number of initiatives focused on homelessness. One of these initiatives includes employing a Homeless Outreach Team c
onsisting of the City's police and code enforcement departments, as well as its Homeless Navigator. This team's sole responsibility is to connect the homeless to housing and supportive services provided through regional partners, and work with local businesses to address homelessness.
RCPD added two full-time officer positions to be part of this team. These officers will focus on assisting homeless persons in finding services off the streets, enforcement when needed, and responding to resident complaints. These officers will also be partnering with the City's code enforcement department to conduct homeless camp clean-ups.
Regional Transit Officer
RCPD has created a full-time officer position to partner with the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) to improve public safety for residents riding RT. The officer will focus on crime prevention at the four RT stations in Rancho Cordova. By adding this position, we expect to lower the response time to incidents at RT stations. RT will also be adding 24-hour video monitoring and Transit Agents to further enhance public safety at our RT stations.
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Did You Know...?
RCPD provides a Community Crime Map so you can view crime reports in your area.
Visit our Crime Statistics webpage
and scroll down to the Community Crime Map section. The Community Crime Map button will take you directly to Rancho Cordova, and you can enter a more specific address to go to that location.
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Crime Prevention Tips
Holiday Safety Tips
The holidays have arrived, and crooks love the holidays as much as everyone else. We are providing information and tips to help protect you and your family.
Learn More
How to Protect Your Packages
The holiday shopping season is starting, and RCPD is providing tips to ensure your package isn't at the mercy of thieves. Learn about how we are taking a proactive approach to prevent package thefts
in this article below.
- Sign up for email or text notifications, so you know when your package is delivered.
- Have your package delivered to the post office, UPS, Amazon Locker, or your office.
- Require a signature upon delivery.
Vacation Home Checks
Will you be traveling during the holidays? Sign up for a vacation home check by our Volunteers in Partnership with the Sheriff (VIPS) by calling 916-875-9600. RCPD also encourages you to ask one of your neighbors to keep an eye on your property while you are away.
How to Report
To report a crime in progress or suspicious activity, please call 9-1-1. To report a crime after the fact, please call our non-emergency number at 916-362-5115 and press 1.
Click here to file a police report online. Please note that we cannot take reports via social media.
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Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Unit
ABC Grant Program
More than 120 businesses have Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licenses in the City of Rancho Cordova. RCPD's Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Unit works with other city and county departments and partners to ensure these businesses follow ABC laws when selling alcoholic beverages.
The ABC Grant Program allows the POP Unit to conduct operations to reduce the sales and availability of alcoholic beverages to minors, as well as to hold training for businesses on ABC laws. This effort is funded by a grant from the State of California Department of ABC.
Learn More
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Every Kid Needs a PAL
PAL Holiday Run
Lace up your running shoes, put on your Santa hat, and join us for the Rancho Cordova Police Activities League (PAL) Holiday Run on Saturday, December 9!
In its sixth year, proceeds from the PAL Holiday Run support the more than 1,200 local youth who participate in PAL programs annually. Registration is now open through Monday, December 4 by clicking here. Sign up to participate in the 5K for adult or youth, 10K for adult or youth, or 1.2 mile family walk and run.
Learn More and How You Can Register
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 Crime Suppression Unit
Bait Package Program
RCPD's Crime Suppression Unit (CSU) has rolled out its bait package program, just in time for the holidays!
Now in its third year, the bait package program is a proactive policing approach to prevent thefts and protect our residents. RCPD was the first agency in the Sacramento region to roll out the program in response to national statistics that show there are higher occurrences of package thefts during the holiday season.
Story of the Month
 In October, CSU observed a male commit an infraction relating to improper use of the crosswalk. The male was later identified as 41-year-old Anthony Rushing of Sacramento. Upon being contacted by the officers, Rushing fled on foot through the Zinfandel light rail station. Officers caught up with him in a nearby strip mall, where he engaged officers in a violent confrontation.
Rushing was booked into custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail for charges pertaining to resisting arrest, attempting to remove an officer's firearm, and a violation of his Post-Release Community Supervision (PRCS) probation status. Learn the Full Story
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Deputy Gets His Start in Rancho Cordova PAL
Deputy Aaron Muradyan grew up in Rancho Cordova, going to local schools and playing basketball. He is now a deputy with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and owes much of where he is now to the Rancho Cordova Police Activities League (PAL).
Learn His Story
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Make Holiday Wishes Come True in Rancho Cordova
RCPD and its partners will host the 7th annual Christmas in Cordova event on Saturday, December 16 at Mills Middle School to support families in need this holiday season.
Christmas in Cordova supports more than 800 local children by providing a shopping mall full of new toys for parents to select and wrap for their children, at no cost to them. The event also includes an arts and craft area for children to make gifts for their parents, meals for families in attendance, and a surprise visit from Santa.
Learn How You Can Make a Difference
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Event Lineup
Rancho Cordova Holiday Light Parade
Sunday, December 3, 6 PM
International Drive between Kilgore Road and Bridgeway Drive
Experience the magic of the holidays at the Holiday Light Parade, featuring Santa, The Grinch, illuminated floats, dancing elves and more. RCPD will be participating in the parade, so make sure to wave hello! Learn More
PAL Holiday Run
Saturday, December 9, 8:30 AM
Village Green Park, 3141 Bridgeway Drive
Register now to participate in the PAL Holiday Run! Be part of the 1.2 mile family walk/run, 5K or 10K adult run, or 5K or 10K youth run. Plus, the run includes a toy drive that supports Rancho Cordova's Christmas in Cordova event.
Learn More
RCPD Holiday Parade
Wednesday, December 13, 6 PM
Stone Creek Neighborhood
RCPD's annual holiday parade is bringing the holiday spirit to our community! This year, the excitement is coming to the Stone Creek Neighborhood. Come one, come all to enjoy a festive parade of vehicles and floats.
Click here to view the parade route.
Christmas in Cordova
Saturday, December 16, 10 AM
Mills Middle School, 10439 Coloma Road
Rancho Cordova's 7th annual Christmas in Cordova event supports more than 800 local children in need this holiday season. The event provides
a shopping mall full of new toys for parents to select and wrap for their children. Make holiday wishes come true for these families by making a donation or signing up to volunteer.
Learn More
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FAQ of the Month
Q: What is the difference between having a package stolen and mail theft?
A:
If UPS, FedEx, OnTrac or another company drops off a package on your doorstep, and it is stolen, the crime is considered property theft. Residents can file a report through RCPD's online reporting system by clicking here.
If a package or piece of mail was delivered by the United States Postal Service, was placed into a mailbox, and then was stolen, the crime is considered mail theft. Residents can file a report with the postal inspector by
clicking here or calling 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).
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Connect With Us
RCPD wants to connect with you on social media!
Every month, we will highlight one of our posts from RCPD's social media channels. We recently showed our Facebook followers one of the many ways our motor officers serve our community. In this case, our officers responded to a traffic collision in which the suspect was operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs. See the post here.
RCPD's Twitter page provides breaking news information including traffic information and road closures, missing persons, and more.
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Help Us Spread the Word
Thank you for reading this month's edition of
The Dispatch! Please help us by sharing this e-newsletter with your friends, family and colleagues via email by clicking the link below, or sharing on social media via the social icons at the top of this e-newsletter.
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