FOLSOM — Folsom Police Chief Adam Green delivered a comprehensive, data-rich and deeply reflective address Wednesday to a packed room of business leaders, elected officials and residents, offering an expansive look at the realities of policing in Folsom and a clear, forward-looking vision for how the department will evolve alongside a rapidly growing city.
Speaking at the Folsom Focus Luncheon hosted by Choose Folsom, Green blended leadership philosophy, operational data, business-focused prevention strategies and a strong emphasis on community collaboration into a unified message centered on trust and service.
Green, who joined the Folsom Police Department in 2025 following a competitive selection process, previously spent 24 years with the Sacramento Police Department, where he rose through the ranks to deputy chief and oversaw multiple major divisions, including patrol, investigations and specialized operations. Now just months into his tenure in Folsom, Green said his early focus has centered on understanding the department from within — meeting one-on-one with employees, evaluating operations and working to establish stability following recent leadership transitions. His transition into the role marked a new chapter for the department, as well as a renewed emphasis on service, accountability and community engagement.
“If the community doesn’t trust us, they won’t call us, and if they don’t call us, we can’t serve them,” Green said, setting the tone early in his remarks. He explained that trust is not a philosophical goal, but a practical requirement — one that directly affects whether crimes are reported, whether information is shared and ultimately how effectively the department can respond.
He connected that principle directly to Folsom’s broader success.
“You don’t become the number one community without leadership that shows up — and businesses that invest in it,” Green said. “Public safety, economic vitality and quality of life all depend on each other.”
Stability, leadership and the realities inside the department
Green acknowledged that his arrival in Folsom followed a period of leadership transition, a dynamic that can create uncertainty within any organization and quietly shift focus away from daily operations.
“When someone starts talking about leaving, people stop focusing on the work and start wondering who the next chief will be,” he said. “My goal this year is to create stability in the organization and bring predictability back to the people doing the work.”
Rather than immediately focusing outward, Green said his first several months have been intentionally directed inward, conducting one-on-one meetings with nearly every employee in the department. Those conversations, he said, were critical to understanding both the strengths and challenges within the organization while building trust across all levels.
“Building trust inside the organization is just as important as building trust outside of it,” Green said. “Our employees deserve stability. They deserve clarity. And when they have that, it translates into better service for the community.”
That approach reflects a leadership philosophy centered on investment in people.
“Leadership isn’t a title. It’s an investment in people,” he said. “I’m the product of people who took the time to invest in me, and I owe the same to the next generation.”
He emphasized that leadership must provide direction during times of change.
“When change creates uncertainty, leadership must create clarity,” Green said.
He also acknowledged the reality of stepping into a new department and earning trust.
“It may surprise you, but a guy coming from Sacramento into Folsom might be looked at with a little skepticism,” he said, noting that trust must be built through consistency and action over time.
That internal focus, Green explained, is especially important given the scale of demand placed on the department every day.
In 2025, the Folsom Police Department handled nearly 65,000 total calls for service, including more than 22,000 emergency 911 calls. That translates to an average of roughly 105 calls for service per day — a steady and unrelenting workload that spans patrol, investigations, traffic enforcement and specialized assignments.
Folsom Police Department by the numbers (2025)
Total calls for service: 65,000+
Emergency 911 calls: 22,000+
Average calls per day: 105
Total department staffing: 112.5 positions
Sworn officers: 79
Traffic unit staffing: 1 sergeant, 3 officers
Those demands are managed by a department operating with 112.5 total positions, including 79 sworn officers.
Green framed those numbers not as a limitation, but as context for the level of performance expected.
“When someone calls 911, we go,” he said. “That expectation doesn’t change.”
The reality, he noted, is that the department consistently delivers a high level of service despite a relatively lean staffing model — a balance that requires coordination, efficiency and strong internal culture.
One of the key factors supporting that effort is Folsom’s CAPS (Citizens Assisting Public Safety) program, a volunteer-based initiative that supplements both police and fire operations. The program allows trained community volunteers to assist with a wide range of non-emergency duties, freeing sworn personnel to focus on higher-priority calls while expanding the department’s presence throughout the city.
“I’m not sure there are many cities in our state that have volunteer programs as strong as Folsom’s,” Green said.
For Green, however, the numbers and programs only tell part of the story.
“When I asked employees what they were most proud of, almost every single one of them said the level of service they provide,” he said. “When people are proud of what they do, they do it better.”
Service, professionalism and the pride that defines Folsom
While statistics illustrated the workload, Green repeatedly returned to what he described as the most important aspect of policing — people.
“What we do isn’t just about crime — it’s about people,” he said. “Victims. Witnesses. Families.”
He explained that even when officers perform their duties correctly, the way they interact with the public ultimately defines the experience.
“We can do everything right procedurally, but if we treat someone poorly while doing it, that’s what they’ll remember,” Green said.
That philosophy shapes expectations across the department.
“We are in a service profession — and we should never forget that,” he said. “Our job is to serve you. Everything else flows from that mission.”
He reinforced that message repeatedly, emphasizing that service and professionalism are not optional.
“Service and professionalism are not buzzwords. They are expectations,” Green said. “The way we provide service matters just as much as the service itself.”
He added that the relationship between the community and its police department is influenced by even the smallest interactions.
“Serving a community that says ‘thank you’ matters more than people realize,” Green said. “If you want to support public safety, sometimes it starts with something as simple as that.”
That connection between service and community is reinforced by what Green described as one of Folsom’s most defining characteristics — a deeply rooted sense of pride.
“There are few places where you can feel community pride the moment you arrive,” he said. “Folsom is one of them.”
He described that pride as extending across all sectors of the community.
“The strength of Folsom isn’t just in city hall — it’s in its businesses, nonprofits, volunteers and residents working together,” Green said.
“Community isn’t owned by one organization,” he added. “It’s orchestrated by all of us.”
That collaboration, he said, is what allows Folsom to maintain its identity even as it grows and evolves.
“The sense of pride in this community is rare,” Green said. “Preserving that pride as we grow is one of our greatest responsibilities.”
Preparing for growth without losing identity
As Folsom continues to expand, Green said one of the department’s most critical responsibilities will be ensuring that public safety evolves at the same pace.
“A growing city demands growing leadership,” he said. “We have to make sure our service grows alongside the community.”
He noted that increased development brings higher call volumes, more traffic and additional strain on resources, all of which must be anticipated and addressed proactively.
Traffic enforcement remains one of the most common concerns raised by residents. The department’s current traffic unit — staffed by one sergeant and three officers — reflects an area that may require expansion as the city continues to grow.
Technology will also play a role in addressing those challenges, though Green emphasized that it must be implemented thoughtfully and maintained properly.
“Technology is an asset only if it’s maintained and used intentionally,” he said.
A direct message to the business community: prevention starts before crime
Addressing business leaders directly, Green shifted into a detailed discussion on crime prevention, emphasizing that many incidents can be avoided long before law enforcement is needed.
“Crime prevention starts before a crime ever occurs — often with lighting, landscaping and strong partnerships,” he said.
Drawing from Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles, Green encouraged businesses to take a proactive approach to securing their properties. He outlined a range of measures, including maintaining modern surveillance systems with at least 30 days of video retention, ensuring proper lighting across parking areas, trimming landscaping to eliminate concealment zones, securing exterior utilities and access points and controlling restroom access.
“These are simple steps, but they make a significant difference in reducing opportunity,” he said.
He emphasized that prevention is not just about individual businesses, but about collective awareness.
“Protecting your business also means protecting your neighbor’s,” Green said.
Referencing a recent issue involving counterfeit currency circulating in the region, he explained how communication between businesses can stop patterns before they spread.
“When one business sees suspicious activity, the next call should be to their neighbor — not just to the police,” he said.
That message, he emphasized, reflects a broader truth about public safety in Folsom.
“Public safety is not a single-department responsibility — it’s a citywide collaboration,” Green said.
A closing message grounded in service and purpose
As his remarks concluded, Green returned to a message that reflected both his leadership philosophy and his view of the community he now serves.
“Our why is Folsom — its businesses, families, retirees, students and leaders,” he said.
“If you want to support public safety, start with a simple ‘thank you,’” he added. “It goes further than you think.”
He paused briefly before concluding, reinforcing that even small actions can have lasting impact.
“Small footprints create lasting change,” Green said.
It was a closing that reflected a vision rooted in stability, strengthened by collaboration and shaped by a community that continues to take pride in the place it calls home.
Before Green took the stage: HART highlights prevention-focused impact
Prior to Green’s address, attendees heard from Liz Eckenstedt of Heart of Folsom, who provided an update on the organization’s work addressing homelessness through prevention-focused programs.
“We are the ounce of prevention — the hand up, not the handout,” Eckenstedt said.
She detailed progress on the organization’s Student Village project, which will provide transitional housing for female students attending Folsom Lake College. According to Eckenstedt, three housing units have already been funded, with a fourth currently underway ahead of a planned fall opening.
“We don’t own this vision. We convene it,” she said. “Lasting impact happens when a community builds something together.”
Her remarks reinforced the collaborative nature of the event and echoed the broader theme of the luncheon — that lasting impact in Folsom is built through shared effort across public safety, nonprofits, businesses and residents.
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