SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento Police Department Chief Daniel Hahn told ABC10 he is fed up with what amounts to race battles playing throughout the capital city streets almost every weekend since the presidential election.
Police officials say one-third of the police force has been dedicated to dueling factions on Saturday’s for the past few months. It has resulted in more than $600,000 in overtime pay, 11 officers injured, and the arrest of 11 Proud Boys and 16 counter-protesters.
"We can't continue to do this," Hahn said. "I can't continue to put our personnel through this. This is not sustainable."
Hahn pointed to social media as an example of where the conflict has been brewing since President-elect Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump.
"They threaten each other all the time on social media and then they brag about the damage that they did in our city," Hahn said. "I take that personal. This is my city."
Hahn explained what people could expect if they arrived in Sacramento to cause violence during Inauguration Day.
"If you come to our city and commit violence, if we can have you identified, we will arrest you," Hahn said.
Hahn said local law enforcement and the California National Guard are now caught in the middle of a growing racial rift in the country.
"I don't know anybody that wants to live like this," Hahn said. "Law enforcement agencies from all over our region are protecting buildings, protecting people."
Hahn said the racial divide was evident after that those who attacked the U.S. Capitol were called patriots in some political circles.
"We call them patriots, and they just broke into the Capitol," Hahn said. "Now, when there were people in Sacramento calling for law enforcement reform, we had people who talked about those protests as these savages in our streets."
Hahn said he refuses to stay silent about the protests that strained police resources for weeks, and he claims his officers are only there to enforce the law, not who hit first.
"We're on the side of our businesses and our residents not having their homes burned down and damaged," Hahn said. "That's whose side we're on."
"When we are talking about how we handle protests and how we respond, we try to prevent acts of violence and property damage, but still allow people to exercise their First Amendment rights in a peaceful manner," Sacramento Police Department spokesperson Kathy Lester said.
However, several civil rights groups and community members who called in for public comment say the department’s presentation felt one-sided. They take issue with the characterization that anti-fascist protesters are the equivalent of Proud Boys and say city leaders must take a strong stance against a known hate group.
"If they are genuine about solving these problems right now for the safety of all constituents - they have to take a stance against hate groups that are openly racists and white supremacists - and to not treat them as anything else,” said National Lawyers Guild Sacramento President Elizbeth Kim..
The National Lawyers Guild Sacramento said three of its clients who are anti-fascist activists were arrested on Tuesday while it has heard little of efforts to arrest right-wing extremists. The guild and other advocates say they have witnessed officers responding aggressively toward anti-racist protesters compared to right-wing extremists.
The disparity was most notable during the summer protests following the death of George Floyd. The police department said it does not tolerate hate or racism in its department.
Councilmember Katie Valenzuela said the disconnect between the police department and community members warrants another forum and further overview of police response to protests.
