SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office recently launched a public service announcement aimed at reducing crime after dark. The PSA is aimed at encouraging parents to keep an eye on their kids and know what they're doing.
The video lasts about 15 seconds in total, ending with Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper saying, "parents, it's 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?"
Adults might recognize the phrase from a PSA that ran before television newscasts in the late '60s through '80s.
The sheriff's office is bringing it back, hoping will catch the attention of local parents.
The agency recently released the PSA after seeing a spike in stolen cars, particularly Hyundais and Kias, over the past few months. They believe the crimes they are seeing were sparked by popular videos on Tik Tok showing people how to steal the cars.
"Part of this challenge is they go through and walk you step by step on how to steal these cars," said Amar Gandhi, sheriff's office spokesperson. "The problems is our deputies are getting tied up with one to two of these arrests a night and this is taking away from their normal duties responding to 911 calls and other actual emergencies and violent assaults."
According to the PSA, more than 7,300 felonies are committed after 10 p.m. in Sacramento County and many of them are committed by juveniles.
Gandhi says when it comes to juveniles, there are not many consequences.
"They're getting cited and released and sent home," he said. "Our legal system is limited. We're handcuffed with what we can and can't do beyond that arrest."
Through the PSA, officials are hoping to get parents more involved with their kids and keep them out of trouble.
"Really pay attention to not only where they are, which is very important, but what they're doing," said Gandhi.
Especially with summer vacation around the corner, officials say this is a reminder to parents to know who your kids are with and what they're watching on social media.
Some residents are optimistic about the PSA and what it could do for the community.
"It's not a bad idea. I think it's a pretty good idea. How effective it is, we'll have to find out," said Brenda Paul from Sacramento.
Others remember the old '80s PSA.
"I remember it coming on the news and watching the news with my parents and that always came up, but we were with them," said Peter Greiner from Sacramento.
But some residents have lingering questions.
"It's interesting that they say it's juveniles," said Miguel Cordero from Sacramento. "I wonder where their statistics are coming from."
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