Sacramento County to use drones to track homeless people on probation
SACRAMENTO — Sacramento County is eyeing a new approach to track and contact people living homeless: drones.
The county's probation department said it needs the drones to contact homeless people who are on probation, specifically in hard-to-reach spots like along the American Parkway.
"It's a scary thought to think our society is at the point that we are tracking homeless people with drones," said Alan Howard, who uses the American River Parkway.
The drones won't just be eyes in the sky. They will be able to communicate with homeless people. The department said this will prevent officers from exposing themselves to potential risk, such as loose animals, terrain issues and other hazards until they are sure it is safe to move in.
"Obviously, there are transportation barriers for them to reach us, so we want to remove those barriers," said interim Chief Probation Officer Julie Wherry.
Wherry got the green light from the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to purchase three commercial drones. The goal is to avoid issuing warrants when a homeless person does not show up for their probation check-ins.
"Most importantly, support on-site community check-ins with clients to reduce warrants and provide support resources such as clothing, water, snacks and hygiene products," said Wherry.
Probation said those services include personal hygiene kits, food, mental health referrals, drug and substance counseling referrals, access to temporary housing resources and information, as well as services provided by system partners.
The Sacramento Homeless Union harshly opposes the plan to use drones. Crystal Sanchez, the union's president, gave CBS13 a statement that reads:
"The use of drones by the county probation department is just the latest escalation in a disturbing trend - treating people in crisis as if they are criminals to be surveilled, rather than neighbors in need of support and dignity..."Instead of investing in real housing solutions, the county is doubling down on tactics that traumatize, intimidate and further destabilize those who are already vulnerable."
"A lot of homeless live right on the other side of this hill here," said Nicholas Free, who works at University Automotive near Cal Expo. "Multiple fires, encampments, but over the years, it has been getting a lot better."
In the past, CBS13 has covered homeless encampment fires feet away from Free's work, and it is why he thinks having more surveillance on the American River Parkway is a positive thing.
"I think it could be an inside help where they can have eyes up ahead and plan for some of these situations," said Free.
The probation department said it will follow all federal, state and local rules for flying the drones. It is still working to secure the grants to purchase them.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Canton's 120-year-old William McKinley statue still standing after being hit by loose RV
CANTON − Stark County swiftly made repairs to the President William McKinley statue outside the Stark County Courthouse after it was stuck by a runaway recreational vehicle. County Administrator Brant Luther witnessed the June 3 mishap from his office window in the Stark County Office Building across the street. "I glanced to the left out my window ... what I see is an RV, what I believed to be backing at an angle, and it's not stopping," Luther said. He found out later that the 30-foot RV was not backing up. It broke loose while in tow as the tow truck made a turn at the Tuscarawas Street W, Market Avenue N intersection. The RV went over the curb and first crashed into the front of the courthouse stairs, demolishing the Lincoln Highway marker. Its momentum from that initial crash sent it backwards into the McKinley statue. The statue sustained about $7,300 of damage to its base. Coon Restoration & Sealants, the company that originally installed the statue's pedestal, promptly made repairs. No one was injured in the accident. The highway marker will have to be remade. The county is moving ahead with making repairs and later plans to negotiate with the parties responsible to cover costs. Before its move to Canton in 2023, the nearly 120-year-old bronze sculpture was located in Arcata, California. The statue survived one of the deadliest earthquakes in U.S. history in 1906 in San Francisco. Later in Arcata, it was a target of vandals critical of the 25th president. "That thing has survived (so much)," Luther said. "To be taken out by an RV would just be the ultimate 'Are you kidding me?'" Reach Grace at 330-580-8364 or gspringer@ Follow her on X @GraceSpringer16. This article originally appeared on The Repository: McKinley statue at Stark County courthouse damaged after RV crash
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
At Least 6 Dead and 2 Missing After Boat Capsizes on Lake Tahoe amid Strong Winds
Six people are dead and two remain missing after a boat capsized on Lake Tahoe on Saturday, June 21, according to the U.S. Coast Guard The 27-foot Chris-Craft boat capsized in the vicinity of D.L. Bliss State Park at Lake Tahoe at around 3:00 p.m. local time The boat allegedly capsized due to "a large swell" amid strong windsSix people have died and two are missing after a boat capsized on Lake Tahoe. At approximately 3 p.m. local time on Saturday, June 21, response teams received a report 'of 10 people in the water.' They had been passengers on a 27-foot gold Chris-Craft boat, which capsized near D.L. Bliss State Park on Lake Tahoe, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) stated in a news release. The vessel "reportedly capsized due to a large swell,' the USCG announced, per the release. Six people are confirmed dead and two others were transported to a local hospital. 'The search for two missing people is still ongoing,' the Coast Guard said. Their identities have not been released at this time. At the time the boat capsized, the weather was allegedly 30 knot winds and 6-8 foot swell, per the release. The Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe, California State Parks and the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) responded to the scene. A seasonal lifeguard and ranger rescued two people and placed them onto nearby rocks and performed CPR after spotting them in the water, South Tahoe Now reported, citing the USCG. 'As the Coast Guard arrived, they saw another person in the water, and the lifeguard swam to assist. The person in the water and the lifeguard were pulled onto the Coast Guard boat and transported to Lester Beach. EMS arrived at the beach, but that person was pronounced deceased,' the USCG told the outlet. In footage obtained by South Tahoe Now, boats are seen in rough water amid strong winds. Witnesses told the outlet that at around 3:00 p.m. local time, the wind 'suddenly came from the north, creating eight to ten-foot troughs.' Boat Captain Joby Cefaludes described this as 'worse than 30-foot waves on the sea.' Cefalu set up a triage at the Tahoe Keys Marina office to help victims, some of whom reportedly had hypothermia, per South Tahoe Now. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to the outlet, an EDSO helicopter and USCG airplane were reportedly searching for the missing people in the area at 9:00 p.m. local time. The EDSO Search and Rescue and EDSO Dive Team will resume search operations on the morning of Sunday, June 22, the EDSO stated in a news release. PEOPLE has contacted the USCG and EDSO for comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Agents, some in unmarked cars and street clothes, are arresting L.A. immigrants. Who are they?
Immigration arrests in Los Angeles have been headline news and the subject of legal disputes for the past few weeks, but Angelenos watching the drama play out on television and in their communities may be confused about who exactly is putting people in handcuffs and hauling them off. After all, some of the federal agents involved in the raids are in unmarked vehicles, without visible badges, wearing street clothes and covering their faces. Are they U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers or Homeland Security Investigations officials? What is the difference? All these federal agencies are branches of the Department of Homeland Security, which was created to combat terrorism in the United States in the wake of 9/11 terrorist attacks. Its duties include responding to natural disasters, terrorism and homeland security threats, enforcing trade laws (by checking goods coming into and out of the U.S.), as well as managing the flow of people and products at U.S. borders. Three branches of Homeland Security carry out the enforcement of these missions: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Federal agents were most recently sighted without identifying clothing or badges, sporting face coverings and armed with pistols at Dodger Stadium's entry gates on Thursday. When protesters learned of the officials' presence and demonstrated outside the stadium, they held signs that read "ICE out of L.A." But the officials outside the stadium were actually U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents who "were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement," the agency said. Confused? Immigration officials' way of identifying themselves when conducting operations is by verbally saying they're ICE or Homeland Security agents, Homeland Security officials told The Times in a statement. The federal agency also said immigration agents wear vests that say "ICE/ERO" or "Homeland Security" on them, and the name of their respective department is on either one or both sides of their vehicles. "When our heroic law enforcement officers conduct operations, they clearly identify themselves as law enforcement while wearing masks to protect themselves from being targeted by highly sophisticated gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13, criminal rings, murderers, and rapists," said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of Homeland Security. So which immigration officials are in Los Angeles and what is their purpose here? Have U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials been in Los Angeles? At the start of the month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials raided a fashion warehouse in downtown Los Angeles and arrested more than 40 immigrant workers, sparking anti-immigration protests across the county. What is ICE's mission? ICE, along with the agency's Enforcement and Removal Operations officials, identify, arrest, detain and remove immigrants without authorization in the U.S., according to the federal agency's website. ERO agents target public safety threats, the website states, such as convicted criminal undocumented immigrants, gang members and those who "illegally re-entered the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges." Read more: What businesses are the feds targeting during L.A. immigration sweeps? Here's what we know Have Homeland Security Investigations officials been in Los Angeles? Two months before immigration officials began aggressive raids across Los Angeles, Homeland Security Investigations officers took part in two separate arrests involving people suspected of being in the country without authorization. In May, HSI officials raided a nightclub and arrested 36 Chinese and Taiwanese individuals there. The location of the club was not disclosed. The officials were also involved in arresting 12 Mexican citizens, suspected of being unlawfully in the U.S. after traveling in a small boat from Mexico to Long Beach. What is HSI's mission? HSI is an agency within the Department of Homeland Security and a branch within Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Homeland Security Investigations focuses on investigating crime "on a global scale — at home, abroad and online," according to the Homeland Security website. This department conducts federal criminal investigations into the illegal movement of people, goods, money, drugs, weapons, and illegal technology exports and intellectual property crime into and out of the United States. Officials also investigate crimes such as child exploitation, human trafficking, financial fraud and scams. Read more: Federal officials arrived, denied entry at L.A. schools amid immigration enforcement fears Have U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials been in Los Angeles? On Thursday, McLaughlin confirmed that CBP officials 'arrested 30 illegal aliens in Hollywood, California, and 9 illegal aliens in San Fernando and Pacoima.' In Hollywood, officers raided the parking lot of a Home Depot where laborers and food vendors worked. What is CBP's mission? U.S. Customs and Border Patrol maintains traffic at checkpoints along highways leading from border areas, conducting city patrols, transportation check and anti-smuggling operations, according to its website. It monitors international boundaries and coastlines in areas of Border Patrol jurisdiction to intercept illegal entry and smuggling of unauthorized individuals into the U.S. CBP officials carry out traffic checks on major highways leading away from the border to detect and apprehend unauthorized individuals into the United States and detect illegal narcotics. There are two other federal agencies on the streets: Officials vowed to send at least 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles. So far, they have mainly protected federal buildings. It's unclear how many are now on the ground. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided Thursday to leave troops in Los Angeles in the hands of the Trump administration while California's objections are litigated in federal court. California officials argued the National Guard was not needed. The federal government has also deployed some U.S. Marines to Los Angeles. The U.S. Northern Command, which oversees troops based in the United States, said the Marines will work with National Guard troops under 'Task Force 51' — the military's designation of the Los Angeles forces. The Marines, like the Guard, they said, 'have been trained in de-escalation, crowd control and rules for the use of force.' Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot told The Times earlier this month that the Marines in Los Angeles were limited in their authority, deployed only to defend federal property and federal personnel. They do not have arrest power, he said. Local officials have also opposed having Marines in L.A. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
