The Sacramento County chapter is working to protect and advance civil liberties and civil rights in Sacramento County.

This chapter meets monthly through video conference.

Chapters are the ACLU's eyes and ears in our home communities. We extend the ACLU's reach throughout Northern California and keep lawmakers on their toes by working tirelessly to advance countless civil liberties goals using a variety of tactics.

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English or Spanish hotline: (415) 621-2488
(Monday to Friday, 10am-12 noon & 1pm-3pm)

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Please contact: aclusac.inquiry@gmail.com

Service Area:

Sacramento County

Learn More About Your Sacramento Chapter

Hear from your Chapter Chair

Allen (He/him)

We asked: Share your proudest moment as an ACLU NorCal volunteer?

Allen shared: Speaking in front of a crowd of thousands at the capitol about the impeachment of Donald Trump: the call and response was electric! Also, I started making comment in 2017 during the off-agenda comment period about the need for community-based sheriff oversight board with subpoena power. In 2021, after a very long process, it finally passed. Something that I played a small part in, having worked on it for so many years but it finally happened.

We followed up: What keeps you engaged and hopeful as it relates to volunteering with the ACLU of Northern California?

Allen expressed: Interactions with staff over the years. I'm really proud of the work that the affiliate is doing and the many ways that I’ve been able to contribute, to be part of this great group of people doing amazing work. I’m [also] in a unique position where I'm on the affiliate Board now, that may be part of why I’ve been able to stay engaged. In these roles, I’ve been able to see the bigger picture of things. Sometimes my role isn’t that large but it’s a way to uplift a larger project and get to see the whole picture and its impact.

We wrapped up with: If there would be an influx of volunteers, what role would they play, what would they be engaged in?

Allen emphasized that: I could see people relationship-building with other organizations or attending monthly meetings on housing issues and immigrants’ rights. We also really need people to show up and provide public comment to City Council or the Board of Supervisors.

Local Advocacy in the Sacramento area

Reimagining Community Safety - Sacramento County: This joint report from ACLU NorCal staff and Catalyst California (formerly Advancement Project California) highlights strategies Sacramento County leaders should make to improve community safety and reduce systemic racial inequity in the criminal legal system. Chapter leaders contributed to the report by providing community voices and stories that informed some of the narrative and recommendations. 

This report urges Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office to create a policy to end pretextual stops, the Sacramento County DA to stop filing charges stemming from pretextual stops, and the Board of Supervisors to invest in communities to improve safety. Read the summary here. 

Police Decertification: In 2021, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), the Kenneth Ross, Jr. Police Decertification Act of 2021. Chapter leaders helped in the process of passing SB 2, which established a statewide system to decertify or suspend officers who have committed serious misconduct. If you've had a negative or abusive interaction with a police officer, we encourage you to use the new law to report the situation. Learn more about the process here.