New panic button ordinance will improve safety for Sacramento hotel housekeepers

Vice Mayor Eric Guerra

Members of the Sacramento City Council Tuesday voted to pass an ordinance requiring hotels or motels to provide a panic button to housekeepers and other employees who work in guest rooms and restrooms.

The button could be used to summon security personnel or other staff if the employee felt threatened.

“We need to not only be an inviting city for all the visitors who want to come to Sacramento, but we also need to ensure that our own workers and residents have protection for when those visitors may not act appropriately,” said Vice Mayor Eric Guerra, who championed the ordinance.

New York City, Chicago, Seattle and Miami Beach have already implemented policies requiring panic buttons.

This ordinance fills the gap left by Sacramento County’s SCC 1620 – a similar policy that covered hotels across Sacramento County but not those in the city limits.

Sacramento’s new ordinance applies to hotels with more than 25 rooms, about 60 facilities in all.