More Deputies to Hit the Street

Statement

Dear Friend,

Just about a year ago Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness and I were having some serious conversations about the awful predicament his department was facing after cuts in services and the layoffs of some 300 deputies.

Sheriff McGinness already had submitted an application for a COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) grant and been denied. But that was BEFORE some of the most serious cutbacks in deputies and services had been decided. Sacramento County was facing the daunting task of law enforcement throughout 2010 with severely diminished resources.

We were stunned that Sacramento County had been passed over for the COPS grant, so we decided to go after the federal grant again in light of the new, bleaker circumstances. Some 330 full-time positions had been eliminated. Aerial support had been grounded and SWAT teams cut. I had never seen cuts like this. Action had to be taken and Washington needed to understand the gravity of the situation.

Our staff got to work in Washington. We called a meeting with the Sheriff, Sacramento County officials and representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice in September. I followed up in October with a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder requesting that the county be allowed to rewrite its COPS funding application.

Good news finally came Sept. 30, 2010, when Sheriff McGinness and the county learned that the rewritten request had been approved for $21.4 million -- enough to hire back 50 Sacramento County deputies for the next three years. That grant was the largest that any law enforcement agency in the country had received in the past two years.

Thursday I was invited to be present for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Annual Awards Ceremony. It was gratifying to see the deputies being recognized for their heroic actions. An added bonus was witnessing a swearing-in ceremony at which 36 of the 50 newly rehired deputies were reactivated.

The highlights of my travels elsewhere in the District this month were far-reaching and quite diverse.

During a tour of the Elk Grove Food Bank and Clothes Closet I met with the Board members who gave me a history of their growth, starting in a few homes, transitioning to trailers and finally to a warehouse location. During these very difficult economic times, the Food Bank serves a very vital need for the community.

While attending a luncheon with the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce I had a chance to meet a very promising young gentleman named Vishan Mudaliar, whom the Chamber had selected as their Student of the Month from those nominated by the San Juan Unified School District.

I can't say it any better than one of the teachers did: "Vishan is an avid reader. He enjoys playing games on the computer and likes playing basketball with his friends. He gets all his work done without any complaints and looks forward to the next activity with a BIG smile on his face. He has had perfect attendance; he is an honor roll student and behaves very well. Vishan Mudaliar is the kind of student every teacher, counselor, principal should have."

Last weekend I was privileged to address the Amador County Farm Bureau and enjoy a lovely evening helping them conduct an auction to raise money for their deserving programs.

I have great friends all over the District and it seemed wherever I went I was made to feel welcome back at home. It is a privilege to meet with you all, and especially to represent you.

Sincerely,

Daniel E. Lungren
Member of Congress

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