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Welcome to the City of Rancho Cordova's news page. Read current and archived news, and access media contacts and press announcements.

Officer Jose De La Cruz Retires from 22-Year Career

Post Date:01/06/2023 3:09 PM

Jose De La Cruz 1 Rancho Cordova Police Department (RCPD) Officer and Police Activities League (PAL) Executive Director Jose De La Cruz retired from a 22-year law enforcement career with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.

Jose grew up in Sacramento and started playing baseball when he was seven. He went semi pro, earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, and thought of being a school counselor or baseball coach. However, he sought a different career when he met his future wife.

Jose worked for the Sacramento County Probation Juvenile Hall, before being promoted to Probation Officer and partnering with the Sheriff’s Office on school-related issues. He decided to try for the Sheriff’s Office Academy and became a Deputy in 2000.

After working at the Main Jail for 18 months, Jose joined RCPD’s team and never left. He served the City of Rancho Cordova as a Patrol Officer, School Resource Officer and Problem Oriented Policing Officer.

In 2014, Jose began managing the nonprofit Rancho Cordova PAL to support local youth. He has focused on growing relationships with the community, mentoring youth, building free programs and hosting community events. PAL now serves more than 4,500 youth each year.

Jose is proudest of PAL’s Junior Giants League, a free baseball and softball program for youth. The league is one of 13 nationwide to be awarded the highest Diamond status, and Jose was inducted into the Junior Giants Hall of Fame.

Another milestone for Jose was the opening of the Rancho Cordova Youth Center, a project he was instrumental in bringing to fruition. He had dreamed of a place to solidify PAL programs and build relationships with youth, the city and police department.

“If you make an investment early on in youth, they will hold onto those values and experiences when they become adults,” said Jose. “My goal was that one day, children will talk about growing up in PAL and how PAL changed their lives. My legacy is not that they remember the who, but the opportunity they had.”

In his retirement, Jose plans to volunteer with Rancho Cordova PAL to continue being involved in the Youth Center and changing the lives of youth.

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Press Announcements

Media Contacts

Maria Chacon Kniestedt
Communications & Public Affairs Director
916.851.8791
916.200.6181 (cell)
mkniestedt@cityofranchocordova.org

Samantha Mott
Senior Communications Officer
916.851.8796
916.579.0671 (Cell)
smott@cityofranchocordova.org

Danielle Hale
Communications Officer
916.851.8792
916.809.0465 (cell)
dhale@cityofranchocordova.org

Lauren Burke
Communications Officer
916.851.8723
916.247.2587 (Cell)
lburke@cityofranchocordova.org

City of Rancho Cordova Opens $8.4M Youth Center

On November 3, 2022, the City of Rancho Cordova opened the Rancho Cordova Youth Center, the first youth center in the community. The Youth Center will provide a welcoming, central and safe environment for year-round youth programs, build relationships with local youth, and show local youth how much the community cares about their success and future in Rancho Cordova.

City of Rancho Cordova Breaks Ground on Citywide, Ultra-High-Speed Gigabit Broadband Network

On February 28, 2022, the City of Rancho Cordova, SiFi Networks and GigabitNow announced the launch of Rancho Cordova FiberCity®, a revolutionary infrastructure project to bring a fast, affordable, and reliable all-fiber internet network to every home, business, and institution in Rancho Cordova.

For more information, please contact Danielle Hale at 916.809.0465 or dhale@cityofranchocordova.org.

Mather Veterans Village Dedication Event

On October 12, 2021, Mercy Housing California, Nation’s Finest, the City of Rancho Cordova and the County of Sacramento celebrated the completion of all three phases of Mather Veterans Village, the first permanent supportive housing development for homeless and disabled veterans in the Sacramento region.

These documents are password protected. Please contact Danielle Hale at 916.809.0465 for access.

Crime Drops in Rancho Cordova by 61%

The City of Rancho Cordova is proud to announce that violent crime and property crime combined has decreased by 61% from 2004-2019 when adjusted for population. Since the city incorporated and established the Rancho Cordova Police Department 18 years ago, the city has implemented creative and proactive policing programs that have led to this significant drop.

Media Advisory about Crime Drop in Rancho Cordova
Fact Sheet on Programs
Speaker Bios from Crime Drop Announcement
B-Roll, Photos and Crime Statistics (This is password protected. Please contact Ashley Downton at 916.542.3875 for access.)
News Release: Crime Drops in Rancho Cordova by 61%

Rancho Cordova Breaks Ground on Rio Del Oro Development

Elliott Homes, Inc. and the City of Rancho Cordova are breaking ground on Rio Del Oro, the largest development in the city’s history. Rio Del Oro spans 3,800 acres in Rancho Cordova and could fit Downtown Sacramento in its footprint. The development will feature thousands of new homes, over 7.6 million square feet of commercial, professional and industrial space, one of the largest parks in the region at 130 acres, and the city’s next high school.

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