5 Stabbed in Old Sacramento — Now Streets Are Closing Every Weekend

By Lance The PI | Sacramento Crime News

Sacramento Police are shutting down the streets of Old Sacramento to vehicle traffic every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night, starting this weekend — a direct response to a late-night stabbing that left five people injured and months of mounting violence in the district after dark.

What’s Changing in Old Sacramento

Beginning this weekend, the Sacramento Police Department will restrict vehicle access into the Old Sacramento Waterfront every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night beginning at 10 p.m. Motorists will still be able to reach 2nd Street from Capitol Mall and I Street, but vehicle access beyond that point into the historic district will be closed off for the night.

The plan, developed in partnership with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, comes after a stabbing incident that injured five people and a broader pattern of late-night violence that’s put the historic waterfront district under scrutiny. Police are calling the nightly restriction a “cooling period” — a tactic designed to increase officer visibility and response time during the district’s busiest and most volatile hours.

What Stays Open

Pedestrians will continue to have full access to every open business in Old Sacramento throughout the closures. Vehicles already parked inside the restricted zone will be able to exit at any time — no one gets trapped in the district once the closures begin. Both the Old Sacramento Parking Garage and the Tower Bridge Garage will remain open and fully accessible for the entire duration of the plan, and visitors are being encouraged to use them.

Sacramento Police spokesperson Allison Smith said the department wants to send a dual message: that Old Sacramento remains a safe destination, and that criminal activity in the district won’t be tolerated. The city’s existing juvenile curfew — barring anyone under 18 from public spaces after 10 p.m. without a parent or guardian — will also be strictly enforced alongside the new traffic measures.

Why It Matters

Old Sacramento is one of the city’s biggest tourist draws, and recent late-night violence has forced the city and local businesses to rethink how the district operates after dark. Downtown Sacramento Partnership leadership has pointed out that most of the recent incidents have occurred in the early morning hours, long after businesses have closed for the night — which is exactly the window this new plan targets. Police say they’ll continue evaluating conditions on the ground and adjusting staffing and enforcement as needed in the weeks ahead.

For more on public safety changes across the city, see our coverage of Sacramento public safety news, and check out our Sacramento Most Wanted series for ongoing fugitive coverage in partnership with Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers.