The Vision
Public safety should be built into our streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces through smart design, targeted services, and practical enforcement.
Policy:
- Fix our roads with better design and striping.
- Improve lighting and visibility.
- Address homelessness with a three-tier approach.
- Utilize public security in our commercial and business districts.
Context:
Public safety is more than policing alone. It starts with how our streets are designed, how our public spaces are maintained, and how we address complex issues like homelessness and mental health. Sacramento must take a layered and realistic approach that prioritizes prevention, accountability, and compassion while ensuring residents and businesses feel safe.
Better Roads
Safe streets save lives. Many traffic-related injuries and fatalities are preventable through better roadway design. Sacramento should invest in clearer lane striping, highly visible crosswalks with flashing beacons, and improved pedestrian infrastructure near schools, parks, and commercial corridors. Speed control should rely on proven safety measures such as rumble strips, road narrowing, and visual cues rather than relying solely on speed bumps. Designing streets that naturally slow traffic protects drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike.
Better Lighting
Well-lit spaces deter crime and increase community confidence. Parks, trails, sidewalks, and public gathering areas should be adequately illuminated so residents feel safe using them during early mornings and evenings. Better lighting improves visibility, discourages illegal activity, and supports families, seniors, and workers who rely on public spaces outside of daylight hours.
Homeless Mental Health
Addressing homelessness requires prioritizing mental health while recognizing that not all situations are the same. A clear three-tier approach is necessary.
The first tier includes individuals who are easiest to help and can quickly return to stable housing and employment with targeted support. The second tier includes individuals who require medical or mental health treatment but can still be rehabilitated into productive members of society with structured intervention. The third tier includes individuals who cannot care for themselves and repeatedly refuse help. Compassion does not mean allowing people to deteriorate on the streets. For this group, the city must prioritize mandated treatment and structured care rather than offering a perpetual free pass to refuse assistance.
Public Security
Sacramento should better utilize a mix of public and private security to improve everyday safety. Security guards can help prevent loitering, vandalism, and disruptive behavior in commercial corridors and business districts while acting as additional eyes and ears. This approach helps businesses stay open and safe while allowing police officers to focus their limited resources on serious and violent crimes amid ongoing staffing shortages.