Elk Grove Police Add Extra Patrols at Movie Theater

Elk Grove authorities will keep an extra eye on the city's movie theater , an official said Friday.

Sgt. Paul Kent said officers discussed the Aurora, Colo., shooting rampage during their morning briefing, and asked patrol officers to be aware and drive through the parking lot of the theater on Big Horn Boulevard.

"[It's] no different than what we did after Virginia Tech," Kent said by phone.

He said he wasn't aware if the theater had hired any extra private security officers.

"As for staging or being at the theaters, it's private property," he said. "They haven't contacted us."

Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman Dep. Jason Ramos said that theater contracts with the department to provide two deputies on Friday and Saturday evenings.

"This is in addition to the private security company that they also employ," Ramos said in an email. "We have had this contract with them for years. Last week, in anticipation of the Batman movie premiere, they called us and asked if we would provide security for yesterday evening, as well. We did, and 2 deputies were out there last night."

A spokesman from Cinemark Theatres, which owns Century Theatres, has not returned a call from Elk Grove Patch at the time of this posting. That company is likely being swarmed with calls from media; a phone number listed online returns several reports of voice mail boxes that are too full to accept new messages.

Locally, Kent said the Elk Grove Police Department is . He urged residents to be vigilant and to not be afraid to speak up if they see something suspicious.

"It's no different than your neighborhood at 2 in the morning," he said. "[Residents] know their street better than what we know it."

In case of an emergency, residents can reach the Elk Grove Police Department by dialing 911 or 916-714-5111. The department's non-emergency phone number is 916-714-5115.

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