Sacramento County declares state of emergency, may tap National Guard if needed
Sacramento County proclaimed a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon, citing the recent violence associated with protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
The move allows the county to receive deployment of National Guard troops to assist with local law enforcement agencies, if needed, and to tap federal funding for law enforcement efforts related to protests.
County sheriff’s officials could not immediately be reached for comment on whether they have specific plans to deploy the National Guard in their jurisdiction.
The county also has not declared a curfew. Sacramento city, which suffered two nights of vandalism downtown, imposed a curfew Monday that will continue tonight, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
There has been limited vandalism and few protests so far in the county.
Guard troops arrived in the Sacramento region Monday, and were stationed Monday night in downtown Sacramento near the Capitol and the Macy’s store area. Guard troops also guarded the El Dorado Hills Town Center on Monday night in El Dorado County.
“The proclamation is primarily an administrative tool for the county to access state resources such as National Guard troop deployment as well as activate the State Emergency Services Act, which helps to facilitate coordinated response throughout the County,” county officials said in an announcement.
The proclamation goes into effect retroactively to May 30. The Board of Supervisors will hold a meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday to confirm and ratify the proclamation.
County officials said they will review the need on an ongoing basis for a local emergency at least every 60 days.
Vandals have smashed windows and stolen from stores, mainly in downtown Sacramento on Saturday and Sunday nights, after protests.
This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Sacramento County declares state of emergency, may tap National Guard if needed."