Logo courtesy of the City of Citrus Heights

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) – At the April 8 meeting of the Citrus Heights City Council, Police Chief Alex Turcotte presented the Citrus Heights Police Department’s (CHPD) annual report. 

Turcotte said that proactive policing activities are making an impact, with crime down in 2025 in every major crime category: crimes against persons down 7 percent, crimes against property down 8 percent and crimes against society down 1.7 percent. 2025 had the lowest crimes rates in the department’s history. 

Looking back at data starting in 2007, there has been a 54.5 percent decrease in crime since the CHPD was established 20 years ago. “That is an unheard of drop in crime,” said Turcotte.

The case clearance rate has also been increasing, up 19 percent from 2023 and up another 6 percent over 2024. And in 2025, more than $800,000 worth of narcotics were seized. 

Mayor MariJane Lopez-Taff thanked the CHPD for working so effectively. Vice Mayor Porsche Middleton said, “Your team is doing an exceptional job.”

The council also heard the 2025 annual report from the Sunrise MarketPlace Property-Based Improvement District (SMP PBID), which collects assessments from commercial parcels within their boundaries in order to provide marketing, branding, economic development and advocacy services for those businesses. 

For 2025, the total assessment income was $961,348, plus $87,797 in grants and sponsorships, for a total of $1,045,145. 

Actual expenses were $128,901 for administrative and operational costs (14.9 percent), $46,265 for economic development (5.3 percent), $318,530 for marketing and events (36.8 percent), and $369,777 for the clean and safe program (42.8 percent). Expenses totaled $863,473, leaving $181,672 to carryover to 2026.

The SMP PBID board approved a 5 percent consumer price index (CPI) increase to the 2026 assessment to keep up with rising prices. Retail-zoned parcels will now be assessed at 0.735 cents (up from 0.07 cents), per square foot of land per year. Office/Professional-zoned parcels will be assessed at 0.047 cents (up from $0.045 cents).

For 2026, they expect to have a total of $1,155,741, with plans to expend $933,341, leaving $224,400 carryover for the following year.

SMP PBID Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter highlighted district events, such as holiday events, a laser light show, movie night, skate party and social media outreach and contests. SMP PBID also supports the community by partnering with the Sunrise Chrisitan Food Ministry for the Fall Food Drive and supporting the CHPD in the Big Day of Service.

Carpenter also outlined the results of the clean and safe program, stating, “The numbers are good this year.” They saw a decrease in homeless and transient activity within the district due to constant patrols. Maintaining a proactive and visible presence helps deter that activity, although they still have a lot of interactions. But “it’s a big decrease this year,” she said, around 80 per month down from 250-300 per month. 

Unfortunately, Carpenter said trash and graffiti are still problems in the district, which remain the biggest maintenance issues. She said juveniles loitering, trespassing and breaking into vacant buildings is currently the most significant security problem. 

Vice Mayor Middleton hopes that redevelopment at the mall will help curb this behavior by decreasing the number of vacant buildings. 

Councilmember Jayna Karpinski-Costa said she was sorry they continue to experience issues with trash and vandalism, and Councilmember Kelsey Nelson encouraged SMP PBID to keep reporting incidents to the police department.

Vice Mayor Middleton said despite the challenges, “the financials look good. You guys have done a really great job of keeping the community engaged.” 

The council voted unanimously to approve and accept the annual report. 

The council also approved a policy to address potential disruptions to the remote participation options for council meetings. 

Updated state law requires options for remote public participation so residents can call in or attend online. If the city’s phone or internet service is disrupted during a meeting, the updated law requires the meeting be recessed to try to restore the service. If it can’t be restored, then after an hour’s recess, the council could adjourn to a later time or vote to continue since a good faith effort was made. This updated policy will ensure the city is aligned with state law. 

The April 22 meeting will be cancelled due to a conflicting date with a statewide Cap-to-Cap program meeting that some members will be attending. The next Citrus Heights City Council meeting is scheduled for May 13.