How often do you visit the next nearest town to your town?

[ronandannette]

There are one or more larger towns/small cities located in all four directions from our city - each within about 30 miles. I work in all of them so I'm actually in at least one of them practically every single weekday.

 

[tvguy]

@tvguy Maybe it is California thing but where I live a county is not a city. It is just a name for an area that has certain functions for a group of cities/towns such as a district attorney's office. Honestly I don't know what an incorporated city really is beyond an online term - not really used where I live. We don't have land near us that doesn't belong to a specific city though I think land on state highways may be different.

My city is small in terms of square miles and I live in walking distance to another city so crossing the city border is routine. Since all of the cities/towns nearby are fairly small i can go to several other cities within 10 minutes but many things I can also do within my own city. Today I had lunch two cities away so passed through the neighboring city but didn't do anything there. My city does have neighborhood names but those are not legal areas and we have just one zip code, one post office etc.

Maybe not everywhere, but not just a California. County is just as you describe, an area of multiple cities AND communities that .......as you example cites........ all use the same District Attorney and Jail. I live in a unincorporated community and all our government services come from the County and our laws are made by the County Board of Supervisors. We have seven incorporated cities within the county as well. Those seven cities have their own City Councils, Police Departments, Trash Departments and laws unique to their city.
Looking at the map of Sacramento County, with the individual cities marked, might help explain it better. https://www.saccounty.gov/Government/Documents/SacramentoCounty_Cities.pdf

 

[ncc1701]

Multiple times a week. Just going to 2 of my go to supermarkets or favorite restaurants takes me to one of the surrounding towns.
We live in the suburbs so one town blends right into the other.

 

[nene0182]

Pretty often. Our city is right in the border of ND and MN so we often cross back and forth between cities/states.

 

[bcla]

It really depends. I live in the suburbs where it's dozens of individual cities and unincorporated areas. It's easy to cross into them every day if going to work or just shopping. But then again these boundaries are often just an artificial construct. We have cities and towns with areas of maybe 3 to 5 square miles. In the burbs they often just blend into each other.

 

[AuntieMe3]

I'm close to the border of three towns(well two cities and one town), most of the shopping places I go to are in a different city/town but closer to me than those in my own city so almost everyday I go somewhere "out of town".

 

[bcla]

Maybe not everywhere, but not just a California. County is just as you describe, an area of multiple cities AND communities that .......as you example cites........ all use the same District Attorney and Jail. I live in a unincorporated community and all our government services come from the County and our laws are made by the County Board of Supervisors. We have seven incorporated cities within the county as well. Those seven cities have their own City Councils, Police Departments, Trash Departments and laws unique to their city.
Looking at the map of Sacramento County, with the individual cities marked, might help explain it better. https://www.saccounty.gov/Government/Documents/SacramentoCounty_Cities.pdf

There are a few outliers. There are special services districts for police, fire, and parks. They're unincorporated areas like Kensington and Broadmoor that have their own police departments. There are lots of special fire districts. I remember walking around Tahoe and seeing the Fallen Leaf Fire Dept. Garbage is really odd too as so many cities and special districts contract that out. In my area there are some companies that contract with companies that exclusively serve that city or area, but some just contract with Waste Management.

Fire services are often very different. I've seen some cities that contract with the county for fire services, as well as special districts as I mentioned earlier. And some even contract with Cal Fire - especially in parts of Sonoma and Napa Counties.

 

[tvguy]

There are a few outliers. There are special services districts for police, fire, and parks. They're unincorporated areas like Kensington and Broadmoor that have their own police departments. There are lots of special fire districts. I remember walking around Tahoe and seeing the Fallen Leaf Fire Dept. Garbage is really odd too as so many cities and special districts contract that out. In my area there are some companies that contract with companies that exclusively serve that city or area, but some just contract with Waste Management.

Fire services are often very different. I've seen some cities that contract with the county for fire services, as well as special districts as I mentioned earlier. And some even contract with Cal Fire - especially in parts of Sonoma and Napa Counties.

In Sacramento County it has been interesting as cities incorporate and form their own police departments. But fire departments went the other way. What at one time were 18 different fire districts consolidated into one, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire.

 

[5kidsmommy]

I live in an inner ring suburb right next to a decently sized city, and connected to another suburb. I'm about a quarter mile from the other suburb and about 2 miles from the city. Yep, I constantly visit the next cities over, like every day I leave my house.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I live right on a border where three cities meet. If I turn right leaving my neighborhood, I stay in the city I live in. If I go straight through the intersection I’m in a different city. Turning left from the neighborhood puts me in a third city.

 

[bcla]

In Sacramento County it has been interesting as cities incorporate and form their own police departments. But fire departments went the other way. What at one time were 18 different fire districts consolidated into one, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire.

Cities contract out to counties is often kind of weird. I was recently in Concord, California and was walking around when I saw a county fire department station. I've heard of them, but closer to my area there's a mish-mash of unincorporated areas that get served by the department. They might have just one fire station that serves these small areas that are fairly far apart. The community I mentioned previously (Kensington) has its own fire protection district, and they contract out to another city's (El Cerrito) fire department. They're nominally their own fire department (says it right on the vehicles) but I've met them at events where their business cards indicated they were part of the city's fire department. And when I've talked to them, they say they operate as a single fire department.

Some places are really odd. There's the Central Marin Police Authority, which was a merger of the police departments of three cities, along with some of their jurisdiction in parts of an unincorporated area. There was already a merged police department before. I suppose that gets them the critical mass to handle larger emergencies that might not be possible with something like a 10-15 officer police force.

I suppose you've seen the thing where the county sheriff is contracted to operate what's nominally a city police department with its own uniforms and vehicles. Like Dublin in Alameda County or American Canyon in Napa County. I thought that Rancho Cordova has a similar arrangement. Not sure why they do that compared to just having the city served by deputies in their standard uniforms.

 

[tvguy]

I suppose you've seen the thing where the county sheriff is contracted to operate what's nominally a city police department with its own uniforms and vehicles. Like Dublin in Alameda County or American Canyon in Napa County. I thought that Rancho Cordova has a similar arrangement. Not sure why they do that compared to just having the city served by deputies in their standard uniforms.

Yes, Rancho Cordova Police Department has administrators, but the officers are all Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs. I think they plan some day to be an independent department as the city grows and the tax base grows enough to support the department.
Citrus Heights and Elk Grove did the same thing when they because cities, until they could get the money to form their own Departments.
All three cities, however still rely on the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department for some services.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

How often do you visit the next nearest town to your town?​

We live between about 4 or 5 other towns. We're in one or another of them at least once or twice a week. Best (cost) gas station in one town, sometimes in a different one. Doctor in different town. Dentist in another one. Big box store (once a week) in town #5.

 

[sasywtch]

Much the same here. We have communities and some incorporated cities with their own City Councils, Police Departments, Garbage Department, right next to each other but with their own names, but they are all in Sacramento County..

I'm in one of those little cities. I can be in 4 towns in 5 minutes and a different county in 3 minutes

 

[sasywtch]

I suppose you've seen the thing where the county sheriff is contracted to operate what's nominally a city police department with its own uniforms and vehicles. Like Dublin in Alameda County or American Canyon in Napa County. I thought that Rancho Cordova has a similar arrangement. Not sure why they do that compared to just having the city served by deputies in their standard uniforms.

I can tell you why working as a report writer for the Sac County Sheriff's in the 90's right about the time RC went to their own city and then a few years later, Citrus Heights. For example: Rio Linda, Elverta, North Highlands, Antelope and a little part of Citrus Heights (before cityhood) were all one district. It's a large area to cover and no, there are not 2 cars or even 1 car for each location. So if cars are at a scene in Antelope and one is needed in Rio Linda, it could take awhile. On a ridealong one time, we were in this area and were called as a last resort over to Town and Country which was another district. When you have your own police department, you have the ability to control the amount of cars available for your particular area. Little tidbit, city police departments (Sac City, Citrus Heights) do not pay CHP to patrol their areas for vehicle violations. Sacramento Sheriff does. The sheriff deputies do not spend time for tag violations, speeding, traffic etc (unless it's obvious like someone dumb enough to run a stop sign in front of them or doing 30 mph over the limit). They leave that stuff to the CHP. However, the deputies in the cities such as Sac City, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Roseville do work traffic violations. Not to say a CHP may be driving through and see something but generally they are not assigned to the city areas and as I said, if the sheriff sees something, they will pull you over. In the non city areas that the sheriff's dept pays CHP. the CHP will take over the accident report.

 

[here757]

Daily… I live near Virginia Beach

 

[bcla]

I can tell you why working as a report writer for the Sac County Sheriff's in the 90's right about the time RC went to their own city and then a few years later, Citrus Heights. For example: Rio Linda, Elverta, North Highlands, Antelope and a little part of Citrus Heights (before cityhood) were all one district. It's a large area to cover and no, there are not 2 cars or even 1 car for each location. So if cars are at a scene in Antelope and one is needed in Rio Linda, it could take awhile. On a ridealong one time, we were in this area and were called as a last resort over to Town and Country which was another district. When you have your own police department, you have the ability to control the amount of cars available for your particular area. Little tidbit, city police departments (Sac City, Citrus Heights) do not pay CHP to patrol their areas for vehicle violations. Sacramento Sheriff does. The sheriff deputies do not spend time for tag violations, speeding, traffic etc (unless it's obvious like someone dumb enough to run a stop sign in front of them or doing 30 mph over the limit). They leave that stuff to the CHP. However, the deputies in the cities such as Sac City, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Roseville do work traffic violations. Not to say a CHP may be driving through and see something but generally they are not assigned to the city areas and as I said, if the sheriff sees something, they will pull you over. In the non city areas that the sheriff's dept pays CHP. the CHP will take over the accident report.

I’ve seen CHP doing traffic in unincorporated areas around my area. Not the one with the special police district though.

I have seen a sheriff’s deputy’s ticket for a tag violation, but that was a special case. It was at a BART station parking lot, and they were special duty police attached to a bus agency that services the station. I thought that their primary duties were to respond to incidents and ride along on buses, and to shoo away drivers illegally waiting at bus stops. It can get weird. I’ve seen drivers waiting at bus stops where a deputy gave a warning to leave but a driver just wouldn’t leave.

 

[bcla]

Yes, Rancho Cordova Police Department has administrators, but the officers are all Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs. I think they plan some day to be an independent department as the city grows and the tax base grows enough to support the department.
Citrus Heights and Elk Grove did the same thing when they because cities, until they could get the money to form their own Departments.
All three cities, however still rely on the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department for some services.

The unincorporated communities around here are spread out but get services from maybe one sheriff station and a few county fire stations. You should see it around here. Little places like Bayview, Tara Hills, El Sobrante, Crockett, Rodeo, North Richmond, and East Richmond Heights. There was talk about annexation of the latter with a nearby city. These places are spread out.

 

[tvguy]

I can tell you why working as a report writer for the Sac County Sheriff's in the 90's right about the time RC went to their own city and then a few years later, Citrus Heights. For example: Rio Linda, Elverta, North Highlands, Antelope and a little part of Citrus Heights (before cityhood) were all one district. It's a large area to cover and no, there are not 2 cars or even 1 car for each location. So if cars are at a scene in Antelope and one is needed in Rio Linda, it could take awhile. On a ridealong one time, we were in this area and were called as a last resort over to Town and Country which was another district. When you have your own police department, you have the ability to control the amount of cars available for your particular area. Little tidbit, city police departments (Sac City, Citrus Heights) do not pay CHP to patrol their areas for vehicle violations. Sacramento Sheriff does. The sheriff deputies do not spend time for tag violations, speeding, traffic etc (unless it's obvious like someone dumb enough to run a stop sign in front of them or doing 30 mph over the limit). They leave that stuff to the CHP. However, the deputies in the cities such as Sac City, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Roseville do work traffic violations. Not to say a CHP may be driving through and see something but generally they are not assigned to the city areas and as I said, if the sheriff sees something, they will pull you over. In the non city areas that the sheriff's dept pays CHP. the CHP will take over the accident report.

Ah, didn't know you worked for SSD. I'm thinking about joining the VIP program which I understand involves writing a lot of over the phone reports.
In my industry, we had some much turnover that new people we hired from outside the area had trouble understanding law enforcement here worked. They didn't understand why Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Orangevale, North Highlands etc didn't have their own police departments and why CHP did traffic enforcement in those communities but not in the City of Sacramento or Folsom. And way back in the 1980s it was even more confusing because those communities DID have their own Fire Departments, until all the consolidations which brought us Sacramento County Fire, American River Fire and then they all finally consolidated into Sacramento Metropolitan Fire.
Staffing is a huge issue, especially overnight. I remember covering a warehouse fire at 2 am in West Sacramento, BEFORE it was a city. Fire department was calling for CHP to do traffic control, and it took forever for CHP to get there because there was just one unit on duty in Yolo County, and he was 70 miles away in Rumsey.
You might know where that warehouse was, it burned to the ground and years later they built Raley Field/Sutter Health Park on that plot of land.