Candidates for Sacramento mayor disagree on police, public safety funding. What do voters think?

The candidates for Sacramento’s next mayor disagree on how to fund public safety in the long-term: one wants to shift money away from the police budget while the other says the city should hire more officers. 

Some voters and community leaders are steadfast in their support for one position or the other. But with just weeks left before the November election, others say they feel conflicted about how Sacramento’s next mayor should tackle the city’s public safety and quality of life concerns. 

Artist Janine Mapurunga listened to Dr. Flo Cofer and Assembly member Kevin McCarty share their proposals at a recent candidate forum. Living downtown, Mapurunga said she has dealt with crime issues such as people breaking into her car and apartment building. 

“I’ve had people running after me,” Mapurunga said. “I had to grab my dog and run. Also, pretty much every night I get woken up in the middle of the night with people screaming down the street.” 

Mapurunga said she isn’t sure who has the best solutions for public safety, which she sees closely tied to homelessness. Neither Cofer nor McCarty have proposed laying off officers who are on the job today. 

But Cofer wants to gradually move funding away from traditional police officer jobs and toward violence prevention programs and the city’s Department of Community Response for non-violent calls. Meanwhile, McCarty wants to increase the number of police officers once the city grows its revenues. He often repeats the statistics of how the city today has 67,000 more people than it did 15 years ago, but 49 fewer officers. 

Sacramento mayoral candidates clash on police funding and how to confront city’s homeless crisis

“We shouldn’t have to choose between police and collaborative, more harmonious social work,” Mapurunga said. “I think we should have both. And as an immigrant who chose to be here, I believe that this place has a lot of resources.” 

Paying for more public safety will be a challenge, at least next year. That’s because the city has a projected $77 million budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. Sacramento’s finance director has warned the city will likely go through another round of spending cuts after it increased fees and cut services this July. 

Brian Clay, CEO of the private security company Lead Star Security, said he thinks the city should maintain the police budget. Clay lives in Sacramento, where his business provides security, training and consulting services. He said funding the police ensures officers can quickly respond to and investigate crime. 

“I’m 100% behind funding them,” Clay said. “Now, can some of the funds be earmarked for certain issues, certain situations that they have? Absolutely. But definitely full funding.”

Lead Star Security CEO Brian Clay in his office in Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 11, 2024.Kristin Lam/CapRadio

Clay said he’s seeing an increase in break-ins, theft and vandalism across Sacramento, from businesses to homes to cars. He said hiring more officers would help, adding the police department is overwhelmed. At the same time, Clay said the city should also fund support programs, such as crime prevention, in addition to police. 

In 2020, the city council passed a resolution redefining public safety, saying it encompassed more than just police and fire services. But that hasn’t stopped the council from increasing the police budget. In fact, it’s approved higher spending for the police department every year since 2018, according to city budget documents. 

Some community groups, including Sacramento Area Congregations Together, believe the city should revamp how it invests in public safety, said Tere Flores Onofre, the nonprofit’s director of organizing. She said prevention programs and understanding the root causes of crime are important. 

“For us, public safety is much broader than just police and fire,” Flores Onofre said. “They may be important elements to the mix, but it has to do with people really being able to feel safe in the community. And the reality is that having police around doesn’t necessarily always make certain communities feel safe.”

The interfaith nonprofit isn’t making an endorsement in the mayoral election, but Flores Onofre said it believes city policies that punish people after they commit crimes isn’t necessarily the best way to address public safety. She added that gun violence and homelessness are pressing public safety issues in the city. 

Some voters also see public safety in a broader way. East Sacramento resident Elizabeth Ramm said she wants the city to put more attention and money toward road safety and design. 

Improving bike lanes and adding crosswalks should be a public safety priority, said Ramm, who is training to be an emergency medical technician. She would like to see the city invest in deferred maintenance instead of putting it off, too. 

Ramm also supports redirecting homeless calls from police to other city staff trained to deal with those issues. She said that would allow the city to better allocate resources. 

She noted that she doesn’t see many officers in her neighborhood, but sees a lot more in other parts of Sacramento. Ramm said she doesn't have the most positive association with the police, but feels conflicted. 

“It's hard for me because it’s like if something were to happen to me in my house, the first thing I would do is call 911 and, like, hope a cop gets there as fast as possible,” Ramm said. 

Oak Park resident Aref Aziz said he supports both Cofer and McCarty. The communications and marketing professional added that their stances on public safety ask voters to think about proactive solutions.

“There’s a real question whether the number of officers actually makes a community safer or is it the programs and all of the things that you do that support those officers and support the community as a whole?” Aziz said. “That’s really the big policy question here.” 

Aref Aziz outside of Underground Books in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 3, 2024. Aziz attended a mayoral candidate debate next door at The Guild Theater.Kristin Lam/CapRadio

Aziz said he doesn’t know if adding more police officers, like McCarty suggests, or if Cofer’s reallocation proposals are the answer to public safety concerns. 

Voters have until Nov. 5 to decide who they want to elect as mayor, and guide the city’s public safety future. Whoever wins will be sworn in on Dec. 10 and serve a four-year term.