By Beryl Turner, Citrus Heights– [RE: Citrus Heights city manager announces retirement; May 14th]Just discovered news of the Citrus Heights City Manager’s retirement on May 11. That was sudden, but not surprising. I feel he quit (jumped ship), unable to handle the city’s financial problems that he was partially responsible for and was unable to manage.
When he took over from Henry Tingle, his predecessor, I had high hopes for Manager Chris Boyd who was previously our police chief, but have been disappointed in his running of the city for some time.
When he took over as manager, the city was financially secure with millions in reserve. Now the city is in debt; cannot meet their unrealistic budgets; and has many employees earning over $100k annually. Also, a fat part of the General Fund goes to the Police Department. No wonder the city can’t balance their budgets.
This is a small city. It shouldn’t be that difficult to manage. I hope they hire someone (male or female) to fill this position that has successfully run a city like ours.
More letter(s):
Saddened to hear Chris Boyd retiring from city manager. There were areas with disagreement, however he has done a wonderful job. Chris, you will be missed. Warm wishes for you and family! -Tamara Paraker, Orangevale/Citrus Heights
Editor’s note: no other letters were received on this topic. Those interested in submitting a letter to the editor or opinion column for publication can do so by clicking here.
File photo, City Manager Chris Boyd discusses objectives with other city leaders during a break-out small group session during a 2017 strategic planning meeting. // CH Sentinel
Sentinel staff report–
Citrus Heights City Manager Christopher Boyd on Thursday publicly announced that he will be retiring from his position as the top executive tasked with running the city, coming on the heels of the assistant city manager retiring earlier this year.
“For quite a while now, I have been contemplating my next chapter,” said Boyd in a prepared statement, which said advance notice had been given to the City Council. “After 31 years of public service, I have decided it is time for me to focus on my family, so that my wife and I can enjoy the few short years we have left with our teenage sons before they are grown.”
Boyd served as the original chief of police for the Citrus Heights Police Department, later replacing former City Manager Henry Tingle in 2016 upon Tingle’s retirement. Accomplishments listed by the city during Boyd’s term include undertaking “sizeable economic development projects including the Sunrise Mall Specific Plan, pushed forward revitalization efforts of the Auburn Blvd. corridor which was recently awarded $9 million in grant funding, realigned staffing for significant cost-savings, and more.”
“Convincing Chris to move from Chief of Police to City Manager was one of the best things our Council has done for the City,” said Mayor Steve Miller in Thursday’s statement from the city. “Thanks to his leadership we have weathered a pandemic while keeping all our City service lines open, launched economic development plans to secure a bright future for our City, and undertaken massive efforts to balance our budget and remain committed to fiscal prudence. ‘Thank you’ just does not seem like enough.”
Boyd also received criticism during his five-year tenure as city manager, facing a rocky relationship with the city’s newest two council members and also from some members of the public for his advocacy that the city make the historic move to go into debt for the first time in 2018 and his support of the Measure M sales tax increase proposed last year.
Following Boyd’s official retirement date of May 11, the council will meet Thursday to consider hiring an interim city manager while also launching immediate recruitment efforts to find a permanent replacement.
Potential names to fill the interim or permanent position have not been made public, and an agenda packet for the May 13 City Council meeting includes no further details. In an email response, the mayor opted to not include names being considered for the interim position, but said the council “will discuss our options in closed session this Wednesday,” prior to Thursday’s public meeting.
He also said, “I anticipate we will be very deliberate hiring a permanent City Manager.”
Some who have been unhappy with Boyd’s leadership have advocated bringing back Tingle as city manager, including former councilwoman Jayna Karpinski-Costa.
“Everybody loves Tingle and knows he was the best thing to ever happen to Citrus Heights,” she told The Sentinel on Saturday. “He’s more than qualified (and could) return us to a debt-free city with a big, healthy reserve. He could fix anything.”
Contacted by phone Saturday, Tingle sounded caught off guard and told The Sentinel he hadn’t considered returning to a position with the city.
“I’ve not given that any thought, I’m just enjoying my retirement,” he said. When asked specifically if he would consider returning for an interim city manager position, he said “probably not.”
Councilman Tim Schaefer, contacted for comment by The Sentinel on Saturday, declined to comment on Boyd’s retirement announcement or potential replacements, saying he was “not legally allowed to discuss terms or payment until there is not a city manager,” which won’t happen until Boyd formally retires Tuesday.
The City Council will meet Thursday, May 13, at 7 p.m. via Zoom to consider an interim hire. Comments up to 250 words can be submitted in advance to cityclerk@citrusheights.net.
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Citrus Heights City Manager Chris Boyd, left, has had several contentious discussions with Councilman Tim Schaefer, right, during budget meetings.
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Sentinel staff report–
The Citrus Heights City Council met Thursday evening for a special budget study session, which included a contentious exchange between several council members and the city manager.
Following staff review of accomplishments over the prior fiscal year, City Manager Chris Boyd called out Councilman Tim Schaefer by name during the meeting, asking him to clarify critical statements Schaefer had made during meetings in January and February.
Schaefer had accused the city manager of presenting inconsistent and “misleading” figures relating to the budget, and also had said proposed budget cuts appeared “reprisatory” towards residents who voted against the city’s Measure M sales tax proposal. But the councilman’s tone was markedly different in responding to Boyd on Thursday, saying he “stand(s) corrected” on a past claim that several budget figures presented were “almost completely different.” He also commended staff efforts to balance the budget as “making the best of a bad situation.”
Boyd continued to press Schaefer for answers until Councilman Bret Daniels stepped in to say the manager should “stop this highly improper dialogue” with Schaefer during a public meeting. Mayor Steve Miller said he agreed the council should move on, and the budget presentation continued without further controversy.
The mayor later issued a clarifying statement to The Sentinel, saying his comment in agreement with Daniels to “stop the improper dialogue” was directed at Schaefer and not the city manager. Miller said he fully supported the city manager’s public questioning of Schaefer, and accused Schaefer of making “multiple false accusations of inaccurate financial reporting” in the past.
“As Mayor of the City of Citrus Heights, I will not stand for the continued disparagement of our City Manager and hardworking staff,” Miller said. “I ask Councilmember Schaefer to cease his reckless and false allegations so that we can focus on the critical task at hand of continued fiscal prudence.”
The Sentinel gave Schaefer an opportunity to respond to Miller’s statement, to which Schaefer said it sounded like the mayor “might be trying to talk his way out of” comments made during the meeting. Schaefer also called Boyd’s questioning “prosecution style dialogue,” and said as a council member he has an obligation to ask clarifying questions about the budget.
What’s in the budget? Interim Administrative Services Director Bill Zenoni presented budget plans to the council, calling it a “hold the line” budget, with the city in a tight financial position.
The two-year budget is slated for approval at the City Council’s April 22 meeting, and currently calls for a $3 million reduction in the Police Department’s budget, cutting it from $22.5 million to $19.5 million for the next fiscal year. Zenoni said the reduction largely comes from leaving 34 positions vacant, including 26 positions in the Police Department, in order to balance the budget.
An additional $540,000 for the Police Department would come the following fiscal year, when an estimated $6.4 million will be received in property taxes for the first time in the city’s history. The city has had a 25-year agreement with the County of Sacramento to forfeit its property tax revenue to the county, as a condition of becoming a city in 1997.
Zenoni said as a result of the property tax revenue, the city’s general fund reserves are projected to increase by roughly $3.7 million in 2023. Sales tax revenues are also projected to recover, increasing from $11 million to more than $13 million annually beginning with the next fiscal year.
Notably, Zenoni said the budget calls for repaying the full balance of the city’s line of credit by 2024, with a $2 million payment in 2023 and the remaining balance paid off the following year. He said the city also will not need to tap into the line of credit to meet operating costs over the next two years.
The budget also allocates full or partial funding for a list of deferred expenses, including building maintenance, vehicle replacement and other costs Zenoni said the city hasn’t set aside funds for in prior years. The only item to be left without any funding from the general fund is roads
The list includes seven deferred expenses, which have been the focus of contention between Councilman Schaefer and the city manager. Schaefer has said various costs on the list have changed in different presentations, while the mayor and city manager’s office have said changes are due to the “evolving” budget process, with costs being categorized differently or shifted to different budget years.
Editor’s note: Schaefer’s prior comments from Jan. 28 can be viewed online here, beginning at the 1-hour mark. His comments from Feb. 11 can be viewed here, beginning at the 19 minute mark. The dialogue between council members and the city manager from the April 8 meeting can be viewed here, beginning around the 57-minute mark.
Zenoni said next year’s budget faces a $77,000 shortfall, while the 2022-23 budget will see a nearly $3.7 million surplus. He said surplus revenues will go to increasing the city’s dwindling reserves, which were at $2.1 million at the start of the current fiscal year. Zenoni said reserves must be increased in order to meet cash flow needs, noting the city regularly has to front costs before revenues are received.
Council comments regarding the budget figures presented on Thursday were minimal. Vice Mayor Porsche Middleton credited staff with helping make the budget be “not as terrible” as initially projected, and Schaefer reiterated his appreciation for staff work.
No mention of temporary pay cuts was made during the presentation or council comments, although Schaefer and Daniels have both floated the idea in the past.
Asked why more funding isn’t proposed to be allocated to police or roads, both of which have been top resident priorities listed in city surveys, Miller told The Sentinel on Saturday that increasing reserves for cash flow must take priority and will take several years to get to a healthy level.
He also said maintaining city streets would need a minimum of $7.4 million annually, with partial funding being inadequate to meet the city’s infrastructure needs. He said the council “will continue to explore possible alternate sources of funding for this major capital requirement.”
Miller said further questions and adjustments to the proposed budget will likely be made over the next two weeks, prior to the budget’s final approval. The mayor also said he was pleased the budget doesn’t call for any staff layoffs, with cuts only made through attrition.
Councilman Bret Daniels later told The Sentinel he opposed the proposed cuts and called the meeting a “waste of time,” due to the budget not accounting for federal funding coming to the city from the American Rescue Plan.
How much federal funding will Citrus Heights get? The City of Citrus Heights is slated to receive an estimated $15.9 million from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed by congress this year. According to a presentation to the council by Congressman Ami Bera following the budget meeting Thursday night, the city will receive 50% of that money by May 11, and the rest within 12 months.
The city plans to pass a two-year budget on April 22 which does not account for federal funding. The city manager’s office said the budget will then be revised later this summer once COVID relief money has been received and more is known about what restrictions are put on the funds.
The city’s general fund budget for the next fiscal year currently includes revenue projections of just under $39 million, not including any federal relief funds.
Bera said the city will largely have discretion where to put the money, but specific guidelines have still not been released at the federal level. He listed several eligible uses like hazard pay increases of up to $13 per hour for essential city employees, replacement of revenue lost due to the pandemic, costs associated with responding to the pandemic, and investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.
Funding pensions with the money are a specifically prohibited use, the congressman said.
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The Citrus Heights city council has selected Police Chief Christopher Boyd as the new city manager, replacing Henry Tingle who announced his retirement earlier this year.
“I am pleased to announce that our city council unanimously voted to offer the position of city manager to our now police chief, Chris Boyd, and he has accepted,” Mayor Jeannie Bruins said after a 15-minute closed session vote during a July 14 city council meeting.
In a short speech following the announcement, Boyd said he was “humbled by [the] appointment” and the council’s confidence in his leadership.
“It’s been a tremendous 10 years of being the police chief and I love this city,” said Boyd, who will take his official seat as manager on Oct. 1 of this year. “We’ve been able to accomplish so much and I really look forward to the next decade and beyond.”
The 49-year-old police chief credited his team of officers and staff for helping him run the police department over the past 10 years and also credited outgoing City Manager Henry Tingle for “all his support and mentorship and leadership.”
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In a news release about Boyd’s appointment, Mayor Bruins said the city “really couldn’t ask for a more ideal candidate.” She said Boyd is well-versed on issues facing the city and “understands the community and local challenges.”
“His experience affords him a vantage point many city managers do not have,” said Bruins. “We are confident the City of Citrus Heights will continue to be in very good hands.”
Boyd has served as chief of police for the Citrus Heights Police Department since its formation in 2006. He also served a one-year term as president of Cal Chiefs, a statewide association representing more than 300 police chiefs across California.
Earlier this year, the council selected Boyd to act in the capacity of the current city manager, following Tingle’s announcement of his plans to retire. Tingle’s official retirement date has been set for Sept. 30 of this year, but he has been increasingly absent from city meetings.
Tingle, 60, was appointed city manager in 1999 and has been praised by city and community leaders for his strong fiscal responsibility and keeping the city out of debt. His office also took a lead role in securing the new Dignity Health Medical Office Building and City Hall Project on Fountain Square Drive, which Tingle called “by far the largest project in the history of the City.”
Reached by phone Friday, Boyd said Tingle has been “legendary” as manager, calling him “the greatest thing for Citrus Heights than probably anybody.”
Boyd said his experience serving as police chief has helped him build connections and relationships that he believes are essential to being a successful city manager. He also said the police department, as the largest department in the city, “touches all areas of the city,” with involvement in community relations, public safety, permits, and code enforcement.
According to the City website, the manager serves at the pleasure of the majority of the council and his office is responsible for “planning, supervising, and coordinating the City’s operations.” All department heads and key managers in the City report to the city manager.
Boyd said his first task as city manager will be to select a new police chief, a decision he hopes to make before October.
Chief Boyd currently lives in Granite Bay with his wife and two sons. According to the City’s website, he also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology from the University of Idaho, and a Master of Public Administration degree from the College of Notre Dame.
File photo. Citrus Heights police officers block off a portion of Auburn Boulevard to investigate a vehicle versus pedestrian collision in November, 2015. Police said the woman was crossing outside of a sidewalk. //CHSentinel
After a deadly spike in roadway deaths in the city last year, Citrus Heights police have announced plans to concentrate enforcement efforts on violations related to pedestrian and bike safety “in the coming weeks.”
“Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas where bike and pedestrian violations are occurring, including locations where traffic collisions occur, in an effort to lower deaths and injuries,” the department said in a news release last week. The statement also said police investigated a total of 156 injury or fatal collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists in Citrus Heights over the past three years, mapping out locations of crashes occurring in the last two years.
Although police reported zero fatalities on Citrus Heights streets in 2014, a total of six roadway deaths occurred in 2015. Four of the deaths involved pedestrians, while one involved a motorcycle and the other resulted from a vehicle hitting a tree.
Pedestrians were determined to have been at fault in all four pedestrian deaths last year, according to a statement from Police Chief Christopher Boyd at a council meeting last month. As previously reported on The Sentinel, alcohol was also involved in at least half the fatal collisions.
As part of the stepped up enforcement effort, police said action “will be taken for observed violations when pedestrians cross the street illegally, or fail to yield to drivers who have the right of way.” The cost of a jaywalking fine in Sacramento County is currently $194, according to Ed Smith, a Sacramento personal injury lawyer.
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Police also said special attention would be focused on drivers failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, as well as for speeding, illegal turns, disregarding stop signs, and “any other dangerous violation.” Bike riders will also be issued citations if they “fail to follow the same traffic laws that apply to motorists.”
The department advises bike riders to always wear helmets and said pedestrians should only cross streets in marked crosswalks, or at corners. Bicyclists under 18 are required to wear a helmet by law.
Police said funding for the local enforcement effort comes from a California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) grant, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Updated Feb. 27, 11:22 a.m.–
Local news briefs this week cover latest water use figures, several police and fire reports, and an update from the Feb. 25 city council meeting.
Citrus Heights Water District reports 35% overall conservation CHWD reported a 35 percent cumulative water savings from June 2015 through last month, according to figures released in a state report this week. Local water savings exceed the statewide average of 24.8 percent by more than 10 percent, and also exceeds the District’s state-mandated conservation goal of 32 percent. Conservation figures are based on a comparison with 2013 water use.
Although overall savings are high, water use during January indicated a low-point in conservation efforts, with users only conserving 10.8 percent compared with January 2013.
Fire at Citrus Heights apartment complex displaces residents; causes $275,000 damage A Sunday-night apartment fire near Greenback Lane and Auburn Boulevard displaced several residents and caused an estimated $275,000 of damage, according to a CBS 13 news report. Firefighters responded to the apartment on Shadow Lane after receiving a call around 10:15 p.m. No one was injured in the fire, but residents in several nearby units were reportedly displaced due to smoke and water damage.
Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Ellis later told The Sentinel the cause of the blaze was determined to be combustibles stored inside a water heater located on the back deck. He said water heater areas should never be used for storage of other items and advised residents to have a readily accessible fire extinguisher in their home.
City council appoints new History & Arts commissioner During a Feb. 25 council meeting, city council members unanimously approved the appointment of Christine Stein for a vacancy on the Citrus Heights History and Arts Commission. The appointment was made by Councilman Mel Turner and ratified by the council, after Commissioner Jacqueline Robinson resigned in January.
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The seven-member Commission works to promote cultural arts in Citrus Heights as well as assisting “in the preservation and enhancement of historical buildings and artifacts,” according to the City’s website.
Police Chief reports 14% holiday crime drop for 2015 In a Feb. 25 report to city council members, Police Chief Christopher Boyd said 2015 holiday season crime in Citrus Heights dropped by 14 percent in comparison to 2014. An objective to reduce crime between November and December was listed in the City’s latest six-month strategic planning goals.
Chief Boyd also reported other crime statistics, including an overall drop in crime of 29 percent since the formation of the City's police department nearly 10 years ago. (See full story next week).
Police: Bicyclist hit by car on Antelope Rd suffers serious injuries
A man in his mid-20's was struck by a vehicle and seriously injured while crossing Antelope Road at Zenith Drive on his bicycle Wednesday night, according to a police news release. An on-scene investigation caused the roadway to be closed for around eight hours, but police said officers were unable to locate any witnesses or surveillance video.
Police said the 63-year-old driver involved had stopped his vehicle immediately and was cooperative with the investigation. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact CHPD's Traffic Unit at (916) 727-5500.
Citrus Heights Police Chief Christopher Boyd highlighted details from a study on body cameras last week. (File photo, CHSentinel)
Updated Aug. 20, 8:58 a.m.–
Body-worn cameras on police officers could likely become a future reality in Citrus Heights, Police Chief Christopher Boyd told somewhat-wary city council members in a presentation last week that summarized pros and cons his department had identified in a council-requested study on the issue.
“I do think this is likely in our future,” the police chief said regarding body cameras, indicating it’s the direction law enforcement is moving toward. “I think there’s a lot of good reasons to have the technology, but I think there’s a lot that needs to evolve in the technology itself.”
Citing general benefits found during his department’s study, Chief Boyd told council members various agencies have reported improved accountability, performance and police behavior after introducing body-worn cameras, with other benefits including better evidence-gathering and the possibility to prevent or resolve “frivolous complaints” against officers. But the chief said the study also found camera benefits differ from department to department, largely depending on the level of trust between the community and police.
Addressing several concerns about the technology, Boyd highlighted privacy issues involved in entering a private home with a camera rolling, the possibility of witnesses being unwilling to cooperate on camera, and the potential for “massive releasing” of video records under California’s Public Records Act. He estimated that requests for public records of the video footage would be “enormous,” and said additional staff time and costs would be involved to “review, redact and scrub” the records of any non-releasable portions prior to release.
The chief also told council members body-worn cameras could send a signal to officers that there’s a lack of trust within the department, but said “most all” of his officers would “embrace” the technology, if implemented. He said the Citrus Heights Police Department (CHPD) tested out various body cameras for several months in studying the issue, but currently have none in use.
City Attorney Ruthann Zeigler also added her perspective during Boyd’s presentation, telling council members there’s “a tremendous number of unanswered questions” about the use of body cameras — referencing privacy issues, public records requests, and concerns about recording minors.
Boyd said new local policies to handle these concerns could be crafted, but cautioned that cities could end up with “very little local control,” pending the outcome of body camera legislation currently in the California legislature that could end up dictating such policy at the state level.
“I think we have an interest to wait and to watch and see how police might ultimately be regulated under new laws enacted with this kind of technology,” Boyd told the council. “It might be in our interest to make sure we know, before we own technology subject to regulation – what that regulation might be.”
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Boyd said estimated costs involved would include $64,000 to purchase cameras for 80 officers, $250,000 for related staff and IT technician costs, and an annual cloud-storage cost of about $100,000. For an alternative cost of about $300,000 every five years, Boyd said the City could purchase its own servers to host the estimated 300 terabytes of data needed to store and backup video footage. The chief said actual costs were difficult for his department to estimate, citing unknowns like how much staff time would be involved in responding to public records requests, how long videos would be required to be stored, and under what conditions body cameras would need to be recording video.
Council members react:
Although no action was planned or taken on the body camera issue following the police chief’s August 13 council meeting report, all five city council members expressed their reservation over implementing the technology in Citrus Heights, citing concerns like cost and questioning if the cameras are really necessary.
“In Citrus Heights we really don’t have the problems they have in Baltimore or Ferguson,” Mayor Sue Frost said during the meeting. “I don’t ever get complaints about how our police act in our community – I get compliments.”
“I’m not a fan of body cameras at this point,” said Councilman Mel Turner, commenting that the push for body cameras seems to be a reactionary approach to what’s going on in other parts of the country. “I like to take the proactive approach, which is to make sure we hire the right officers in the first place, so we don’t have to have these problems.”
“If you’re having a problem, I would be all for it,” said Councilman Jeff Slowey. “But knowing – at least today – that we’re in a good place with our police department, I personally would be a little hesitant to jump out and spend that kind of money.”
Council members had previously requested the police department study the costs and ramifications of body-worn cameras following national discussion on the topic over the past year, according to Mayor Frost. She said no action related to implementing cameras is anticipated in the near future.
Citrus Heights Police Chief Christopher Boyd stands in front of several of CHPD’s new Police Interceptor SUVs.
Citrus Heights Police Chief Christopher Boyd recently finished a one-year term as president of an association representing 334 police chiefs across California, calling it an honor and major highlight of his career — as well as a challenge.
“Just getting into my term, we were really thrown with some national issues that we had to quickly adjust to,” said Boyd, referencing Ferguson, criticism of police use-of-force, and what he called “police-community trust” issues. Additionally, Boyd said the California Police Chiefs Association had to respond to state legislation brought forward relating to these national issues.
While still maintaining his position as Citrus Heights police chief, Boyd said he quickly re-focused the state-level association by forming workgroups related to national issues like police militarization, body-worn cameras, privacy, and community trust. He said the workgroups are still in the process of developing “best practices and procedures,” with results expected this summer.
With a paid staff and an office downtown, the non-profit Cal Chiefs association was founded in 1966 to serve as “the voice of and resource of choice” for municipal police chiefs across the state.
Calling legislation “a big, if not the bulk” of what Cal Chiefs addresses, Boyd said one of his term’s accomplishments was to hire another full-time lobbyist — bringing the association’s total up to two lobbyists.
“We’re either battling bad legislation that we believe would hurt our ability to protect the public, or we’re carrying forward legislation that we think will help us do our jobs better,” Boyd said of Cal Chiefs’ main task.
The 48-year old police chief also said a key accomplishment was developing relationships in the Capitol with leaders like Governor Jerry Brown, who he said has been “good for law enforcement.” Boyd said he was honored to have a close connection with the governor, describing it as a “cell phone relationship” – although he said Brown “doesn’t text.”
He credited such relationship-building as a factor in why Governor Brown vetoed all three bills Cal Chiefs requested a veto on last year, including AB 1327, which would have imposed restrictions on future law enforcement use of drones in both private and public places without a warrant, according to Boyd.
Reflecting on his term, the chief said he’s “probably most proud” of helping “secure” $40 million in the state budget to aid police departments in handling probationers released under a 2011 “prisoner realignment” law – which he said increased the number of “supervised status” prisoners on the streets by about 10 percent in Citrus Heights, and around the state. Boyd said there’s now “well-over a thousand” felons on “supervised status” in Citrus Heights, with the funds secured being vital to help local police keep an eye on those they consider most likely to re-offend.
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Cal Chiefs also played a heavy role in opposing last year’s Proposition 47, an initiative which reduced penalties for certain nonviolent drug and property crimes.
Boyd called the proposition “bad for public safety,” and although unable to persuade the majority of California voters to oppose the proposition, Citrus Heights city council members unanimously passed a resolution against Prop 47, at the chief’s request.
Since passing the presidential torch on to Chula Vista Police Chief David Bejarano at the end of last month, Boyd said Cal Chiefs is currently sponsoring legislation including a marijuana regulation bill authored by local Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), and SB 262 regarding drone use.
Recalling the time commitment required to serve as president of the state-level chiefs association over the past year, Boyd said he couldn’t have done it without a trusting community, a supportive city council and manager, and a police department “who really stepped up” to run day-to-day operations while he was away.
“You really have to have all those things to do this well — and I did,” said the Citrus Heights chief. “And I feel blessed for that.”
Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones plunged into the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Sunday, posting a video on Facebook with a challenge to several area police chiefs, including Chief Christopher Boyd of the Citrus Heights Police Department.
Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones posted an “Ice Bucket Challenge” on his Facebook page to several area police chiefs, Sunday.
“Could you have poured that any slower?” the sheriff is seen in the video asking his deputies behind him, who took nearly five seconds to pour about 20 gallons of ice water on their boss.
A spokesperson for CHPD said that Chief Boyd already did an Ice Bucket Challenge several weeks ago, and was unsure if the Chief planned to respond to the Sheriff’s latest challenge.
The ALS fundraiser has taken the country by storm, inspiring new potential for non-profit fundraisers to cash in for future events.
Although enjoying overwhelming popularity and bringing over $70 million in new donations to the ALS Association, participants don’t always end up donating to the ALSA.
Sheriff Jones pictured in his Facebook video, accepting the Ice Bucket Challenge.
While Sheriff Jones chose to add a donation to the Officer Down Memorial Page in addition to ALSA, some groups like the Family Research Council have recommended donations instead go to the Mayo Clinic or the Adult Stem Cell Technology Center, alleging that ALSA funds have gone to support embryonic stem cell research.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also called “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. ALSA’s mission is to lead the fight to cure and treat the disease, while offering care to those currently suffering from it.
*Editor’s note: Stay tuned for updates on Citrus Heights officials taking part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
