Citrus Heights Police Chief Alex Turcotte (left) joined Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sheri Merrick (right) for a question-and-answer session as part of the monthly ACCESS Citrus Heights Luncheon.

 

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - A falling crime rate does not mean much to someone whose business has just been burglarized or whose car has been broken into.

That was one of the messages Citrus Heights Police Chief Alex Turcotte shared with local business and community leaders Sept. 15 during the monthly ACCESS Citrus Heights Luncheon at the Citrus Heights Event Center.

“When that happens to you, you are no longer a statistic,” Turcotte said. “Your perception is, my world has been shaken because someone came into my business or came into my car and took what was mine.”

Turcotte joined Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sheri Merrick for a question-and-answer session covering crime trends, police staffing, retail theft, technology and a new effort to strengthen communication between businesses and law enforcement.

The Chamber presented a $2,000 donation to Silver Wishes, a nonprofit that grants wishes to seniors age 65 and older experiencing physical, financial or emotional hardship.

The discussion came as the Citrus Heights Police Department marks 20 years since its launch in 2006.

Turcotte said the department recorded its lowest year for crime in 2025 and told attendees that overall crime has dropped about 53% since the department began.

“There’s plenty of work for the police to do,” Turcotte said. “There’s always ways that we can get better.”

He credited department employees, city leadership and residents for the decline. Turcotte also said that through August, the city was trending downward in every major crime category in 2026, though he noted the holiday season can have a significant effect on year-end numbers.

Retail crime will be among the department’s focuses during that period, he said.

Turcotte encouraged businesses to continue reporting theft, trespassing, vandalism and other incidents, even as some of those issues improve.

“The more we can identify patterns and more people being affected, the easier it is for me to put resources towards that particular problem,” he said. “The data is the driver that helps me justify those things.”

Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce ambassadors stand alongside new chamber members at the September ACCESS Luncheon on Sept. 15.

That information-sharing approach is also behind Citrus Heights Business Watch, a new partnership involving the Chamber, city and Police Department.

Turcotte compared the concept to a neighborhood watch, with businesses communicating about suspicious activity, repeat offenders and emerging problems.

“If businesses can get together and share some of these details, it’s like shining the light on criminals,” Turcotte said.

Timely reporting is particularly important, he said. Information shared soon after an incident could alert nearby businesses and help police identify patterns before additional incidents occur.

Turcotte also discussed staffing at the department, which he said has improved significantly since he became chief in 2021.

“We’re very close to fully staffed, as I sit here today,” he said.

The Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce hosted their monthly ACCESS Citrus Heights Luncheon on Sept. 15 bringing together local businesses and community leaders.

While vacancies remain and newly hired officers require significant training before becoming fully operational, Turcotte said staffing has returned to more typical levels after losses surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Looking ahead, Turcotte said technology and succession planning will be two significant issues for the department. Some employees who joined CHPD near its beginning are approaching retirement, requiring the department to prepare its next generation of leaders.

The luncheon also highlighted a different type of community support.

The Chamber presented a $2,000 donation to Silver Wishes, a nonprofit that grants wishes to seniors age 65 and older experiencing physical, financial or emotional hardship. The money came from proceeds from the Best of Citrus Heights event earlier this year.

Silver Wishes President and co-founder Stephanie Berger said the wishes often address basic needs rather than vacations or entertainment.

Berger shared the story of a Citrus Heights woman who had gone two years without running water in her kitchen before the organization helped restore it.

“These are the kinds of wishes that your donation today are helping make come true,” Berger said.

The luncheon was sponsored by the City of Citrus Heights, with lunch provided by Momos Smokehouse.

The next ACCESS Citrus Heights Luncheon is scheduled for Oct. 20 and will feature the Citrus Heights Water District.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit https://chchamber.com/.