Policy Text
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Roll Call Training Bulletin
Produced by: Sgt. Brent Meyer , Backgrounds and Rec ruiting Katherine Lester , Chief of Police
Prepared by: Ofc. Jason Meier, PSU Volume 57
Sacramento Police Cares Program
October 18 , 2023
Background:
The Sacramento Police Cares Program was originally established in 2012 as the “Sacramento
Community Cares Program,” by Sacramento Police Dispatcher Sarah Kern. In 2014, the name was
changed to “Sacramento Police Cares” to reflect the foundation of the program, which is the
Sacramento Police Department and its employees. Recently, administration of the program was
moved from the Community Advancement Division to the Office of the Chief.
Sacramento Police Cares has evolved since its inception, but the core values have stayed the same:
to provide non- monetary assistance to people in immediate need . Sacramento Police Cares
originated with the intent to help good people down on t heir luck. The primary focus was , and still is ,
to be able to assist people any time of day who were stranded in Sacramento and in need of bus
tickets, hotel rooms, fuel, food, etc.
While Sacramento Police Cares is made possible solely through private generous donations, our
available funds are limited. To ensure we have enough funding for the most vulnerable and deserving
people we encounter , we encourage officers and sergeants to seek assistance from other resources
first (see Rollcall Training Bulletin Vol. 55 - Outreach & Engagement Resource Card).
Sacramento Police Cares criteria:
1) Non-monetary emergency needs (i.e. food, shelter, baby formula, diapers, etc) up to $150
dollars ;
2) No funds, family, or friends who are immediately available to assist ;
3) All other resources have been exhausted;
4) Any purchases over $150 shall be approved by the program coordinator or a Field Operations
Lieutenant (if after hours) first ;
5) Must submit the itemized copy of a receipt to the program coordinator for reimbursement.
Reimbursement to employees who assist persons in need of assistance with funding from Sacramento Police Cares will follow these guidelines:
1) If the purchase is under $150, employees who make the purchase should forward the receipt
(itemized copy) to the program coordinator in the Office of the Chief via the department’s
outreach email: outreach@pd.cityofsacramento.org
2) Briefly summarize the details of the event to include the incident number
3) Employees will be reimbursed once the program coordinator receives the receipt and the
summary of the event.
4) Reimbursement will be in the form of cash only.
5) If cash is required prior to purchase (and it is not time sensitive) , employees may c ontact the
program coordinator to receive the cash prior to the purchase.
a. The receipt , along with any unused cash, shall be returned to the program coordinator.
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Roll Call Training Bulletin
Produced by: Sgt. Brent Meyer , Backgrounds and Rec ruiting Katherine Lester , Chief of Police
Prepared by: Ofc. Jason Meier, PSU Volume 57
6) Under extraordinary c ircumstances, a purchase of over $150 may be authorized. Supervisors
should contact the program coordinator in the Office of the Chief or a Field Operations
Lieutenant (if after hours) t o ensure there are funds available for the purchase.
a. Once approved, employees may make the purchase and forward the receipt to the
outreach email .
Questions or clarification of the Sacramento Police Cares program should be directed to the program coordinator in the Office of the Chief at outreach@pd.cityofsacramento.org or at 916- 808-0817.