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A one-on-one interview with Sacramento's District Attorney Thien Ho after lawsuit against city

The suit alleges the city has 'failed to consistently enforce the law' when it comes to homelessness

A one-on-one interview with Sacramento's District Attorney Thien Ho after lawsuit against city

The suit alleges the city has 'failed to consistently enforce the law' when it comes to homelessness

THINGS WORSE. GOOD MORNING. AFTER MONTHS OF PUBLIC BACK AND FORTH, MY OFFICE FILED A CIVIL LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO. SPECIFIC THAT IT’S ALLOWED AND CREATED AND ENABLED A PUBLIC SAFETY CRISIS REGARDING OUR UNHOUSED. TODAY, DISTRICT ATTORNEY TIM HO MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN A ROOM CROWDED WITH BUSINESS OWNERS, RESIDENTS DO THE JOB THAT YOU WERE ELECTED TO DO AND I KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO GET THERE. THANK YOU. AND COMMUNITY LEADERS LIKE FORMER LONGTIME SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER JEFF HARRIS. I’LL BE QUITE CANDID. I WELCOME THIS LAWSUIT. IF IT WILL CAUSE THAT BALANCE THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT BETWEEN COMPASSION AND ENFORCEMENT. WHAT WE DON’T HAVE IS THE BALANCE. AND IT NEEDS TO BE THERE. THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO HAS FAILED TO CONSISTENTLY ENFORCE THE LAW, PUTTING THE SAFETY OF THE UNHOUSED AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AT RISK BY ALLOWING FOR THINGS LIKE UNLAWFUL CAMPING, DUMPING AND INACCESSIBLE SIDEWALKS. WE SPOKE TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ONE ON ONE AFTER HIS ANNOUNCEMENT, AND YOU EXPLICITLY ASKED THAT QUESTION ON PAGE FIVE OF THE COMPLAINT. IS THERE A MANDATE FROM CITY HALL TO STOP LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM ENFORCING THE LAW? I ASKED YOU A SIMILAR QUESTION DURING THE PRESS CONFERENCE AS WELL. DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF CONVERSATION OR AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY HALL AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO STOP ENFORCEMENT? I KNOW THAT THE POLICE WANT TO ENFORCE THE LAW. THEY WANT TO KEEP OUR STREETS SAFE AND CLEAN. I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THEM. SO I FIND IT VERY SURPRISING THAT WE DON’T HAVE A SINGLE CITATION OR PROSECUTION IN THE LAST YEAR FROM THE CITY. AND SO WE ARE GOING TO FIND ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS, HE SAID. THROUGH THIS LAWSUIT HE WILL OBTAIN EMAILS, TESTS, MANDATES, MEMOS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS TO ASK PEOPLE UNDER OATH TO GET THOSE QUESTIONS ABOUT ENFORCEMENT ANSWERED. IN A STATEMENT AT KCRA 3, THE MAYOR SAID THE COUNCIL IS PRESSING FOR STRONG ENFORCEMENT AND THAT THEY HAVE, QUOTE, NO TIME FOR THE DA’S PERFORMATIVE DISTRACTION IN THE CITY. ATTORNEY SAID THEY DID TRY TO WORK WITH THE DA’S OFFICE AND THEY LOOK FORWARD TO RESPONDING TO HIS CLAIMS IN COURT. MEANWHILE, ADVOCATES FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TELL ME THEY ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED. MY FEAR IS THAT THE CITY WILL WILL, WILL PROVE THAT THE LAWSUIT DOESN’T HAVE ANY GROUNDS BY STEPPING UP ENFORCEMENT, TOWING PEOPLE’S CARS, CITING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHO DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY, AND ULTIMATELY, THE THE THE REAL HARM WILL BE TO OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS IN SACRAMENTO. BRITTANY HOPE, KCRA THREE NEWS. AND THE DA SAYS HE HOPES THIS LAWSUIT WILL FORCE THE CITY TO ENFORCE CITY ORDINANCES LIKE SIDEWALK OBSTRUCTIONS, UNLAWFUL DUMPING AND UNLAWFUL CAMPING, CREATING MORE SAFE GROUND SITES, SHARING REAL TIME DATA ON SHELTER BED AVAILABILITY AND COMPLETE AN AUDIT ON ALL OF THE MONEY THAT IS SPENT ON THIS CRISIS. SO HOW DO WE GET TO THIS POINT? WHILE IN LATE JUNE, MEASURE O TOOK EFFECT? THAT’S AN AGREEMENT PASSED BY VOTERS FOR THE CITY AND COUNTY TO TAKE STEPS TO TACKLE HOMELESSNESS AND OFFER MORE BEDS. A FEW WEEKS LATER, IN MID-JULY, SAC COUNTY’S DA ASKED THE PUBLIC TO WEIGH IN ON HOW THE CITY WAS HANDLING THE HOMELESS CRISIS. HE ASKED PEOPLE TO FILL OUT A SURVEY TO GET MORE INPUT FOR THEIR INVESTIGATION. SO WE’RE GOING TO GATHER THE EVIDENCE. WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE AND DECIDE WHERE THE FACTS AND THE LAW ARE GOING TO TAKE US. COULD THAT MEAN A LAWSUIT? ABSOLUTELY. BUT I’M NOT GOING TO PREJUDGE THE EVIDENCE. WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE FACTS AND THE EVIDENCE. NOBODY IS ABOVE THE LAW. TWO WEEKS AFTER THE ONLINE SURVEY, DISTRICT ATTORNEY TIM HO WROTE A FORMAL LETTER TO THE CITY LAYING OUT THE CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE RAISED HIS OFFICE, GOT 1600 RESPONSE TIMES IN A MATTER OF DAYS, AND MANY HE SAYS, WERE DISTURBING AND APPALLING. THE DA THEN LAID OUT SEVEN OBJECTIVES FOR THE CITY TO ADDRESS IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS. THOSE INCLUDE OPENING AN EMERGENCY SHELTER AND A BAN ON CAMPING AT CITY HALL DURING THE DAY. SACRAMENTO MAYOR DARRELL STEINBERG RESPONDED TO THAT LETTER, SAYING IT DEFLECTS RESPONSIBILITY, LACKS BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF EXISTING SHELTER MANAGEMENT AND INCLUDES A SERIES OF DEMANDS THAT WOULD CRIPPLE THE CITY FINANCIALLY. AND ALL OF THAT BRINGS US TO TODAY. THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY DA AGAIN FILING A CIVIL LAWSUIT AGAINST TH
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Updated: 11:54 AM PDT Sep 20, 2023
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A one-on-one interview with Sacramento's District Attorney Thien Ho after lawsuit against city

The suit alleges the city has 'failed to consistently enforce the law' when it comes to homelessness

KCRA logo
Updated: 11:54 AM PDT Sep 20, 2023
Editorial Standards
After months of back and forth, Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho announced Tuesday he is suing the city of Sacramento for its handling of homelessness.The suit alleges the city is not consistently enforcing its own ordinances in regard to homelessness, which Ho says is risking the safety of unhoused people, city residents, business owners and other members of the community.KCRA 3 sat down for a one-on-one interview with the district attorney after he made the announcement.Ho responded to Mayor Darrell Steinberg's response to the lawsuit and spoke about his concerns regarding what he calls the city and police department's lack of enforcement of homeless ordinances.He also described what he wants enforcement would look like in the short-term, mid-term, and long-term should the case win in his favor and why he's not concerned about finding an unbiased jury. You can watch the full interview below. This lawsuit and interview is the latest of back-and-forth reaction between city and county officials over unhoused encampments.Earlier this year on July 26, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Ho met to discuss a partnership between the city and county to address homelessness issues. Ho responded to the city a month later with a letter that included data from his office’s survey on the Sacramento homeless response, which included a 30-day notice for the city to comply with the DA’s demands.

After months of back and forth, Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho announced Tuesday he is suing the city of Sacramento for its handling of homelessness.

The suit alleges the city is not consistently enforcing its own ordinances in regard to homelessness, which Ho says is risking the safety of unhoused people, city residents, business owners and other members of the community.

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KCRA 3 sat down for a one-on-one interview with the district attorney after he made the announcement.

Ho responded to Mayor Darrell Steinberg's response to the lawsuit and spoke about his concerns regarding what he calls the city and police department's lack of enforcement of homeless ordinances.

He also described what he wants enforcement would look like in the short-term, mid-term, and long-term should the case win in his favor and why he's not concerned about finding an unbiased jury.

You can watch the full interview below.

This lawsuit and interview is the latest of back-and-forth reaction between city and county officials over unhoused encampments.

Earlier this year on July 26, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Ho met to discuss a partnership between the city and county to address homelessness issues. Ho responded to the city a month later with a letter that included data from his office’s survey on the Sacramento homeless response, which included a 30-day notice for the city to comply with the DA’s demands.