The Sacramento Police Department has opened a new office in Downtown Commons to enhance its ability to deploy officers and maintain its presence within the shopping and entertainment district.
The new substation, located at 320 K St. across from the Holiday Inn hotel, will be dedicated to the department’s Bike Unit. The officers on bicycles routinely patrol DoCo’s plaza, Old Sacramento, the Kay mall and other downtown corridors.
DoCo is home to Golden 1 Center, the arena that serves as home court for Sacramento Kings basketball and a venue for concerts and other live performances, along with retail stores and restaurants. The officers on bikes also regularly patrol areas adjacent to DoCo, which are lined nightclubs, restaurants and other retail businesses.
“This partnership with DoCo represents a shared commitment to supporting a vibrant downtown environment,” Sacramento police Sgt. Dan Wiseman said Tuesday in a news release. “Having this dedicated space allows our officers to operate more efficiently and remain closely connected to the community they serve.”
The police Bike Unit is expected to be fully operational by early next year. Police officials said DoCo’s partnership with the Police Department reflects its continued coordination “to promote safety, accessibility, and engagement in the downtown area.”
“We’re proud to partner with the Sacramento Police Department to bring this new Bike Unit office to DoCo,” Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Officer Matina Kolokotronis said in the news release. “Our collaboration underscores a shared dedication to creating a safe, welcoming, and vibrant downtown experience for everyone who lives, works, and visits our dynamic plaza.”
Along with vibrant shopping and entertainment options, Sacramento’s downtown has been the site in recent years of violence that required swift police response, including gun violence this past weekend.
Two adults were wounded early Sunday in a shooting near Eighth and K Streets. Police said a Southern California man was arrested a few hours after the shooting in Placer County and will face an attempted murder charge he is returned to Sacramento County. The 27-year-old made a brief appearance in a Roseville court Tuesday but has not been charged with the felony crimes.
The two shooting victims suffered injuries not considered life-threatening.
A more dramatic and brazen shooting occurred on a weekend night more than three years ago near 10th and K Streets, where alleged street gang rivals opened fire on each other and left a large crowd of bystanders scrambling to avoid stray bullets. That mass shooting in downtown Sacramento killed six people and wounded 12 others.