This new column will focus on news from the city of Santa Ana and will reference newspaper and online sources. The name of the column hearkens back to a local newspaper that used to report on community news years ago. It was eventually replaced by the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce’s propaganda paper, CityLine.
Today’s OC Register reported yet another shooting. Here’s what the paper reported, “At 8 p.m., the boy was walking with four companions in front of an apartment complex in the 1600 block of King Street when two males approached the group and started firing a handgun, Santa Ana police Cpl. Jose Gonzalez said.”
How many shootings have we had now in Santa Ana this year? I’ve lost track, but I know the numbers are mounting. It might be time for a troop surge in Santa Ana!
I’m told that there are less than a dozen gang enforcement officers in the city. Imagine that, these cops are outnumbered 10-1 by Dave Ream’s middle managers.
In related news, the L.A. Times is reporting that Latino Health Access has proposed limiting the number of liquor licenses in the city’s poorest neighborhoods. So what do our council members have to say about this?
As one would expect, Councilman David Benavides doesn’t think that’d be a good idea. He told the Times that, “he questioned whether a moratorium was necessary.”
On the other hand, “Councilman Sal Tinajero said he hoped the council would be able to approve the moratorium.”
I agree with Sal. Liquor is way too easy to get in Santa Ana – and it does make violent people even more violent. It figures that Benavides would not understand such a simple equation.
The next few items come from various press releases I have received via email:
The Graffiti Task Force in collaboration with the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) invites all students grades 4th through 12th to get geared up and participate in the design of a new anti-graffiti logo and branding line (logo and slogan). The Artwork Logo Contest began April the 23rd and will end this Friday, May the 18th.
The SAUSD students
Does not the family of Councilman Vincent Sarmiento own the prostitute,drug and violence plagued liquor drinking establishment Festival Hall?
Good point #1. I’d imagine that a vote on that would be a conflict of interest for him.
Know we know who wears the pants in the Benavides household.Emily plays B-Ball while campaign promise breaker David babysits Pulido’s kids.
http://www.santaanainsight.com/Term%20Limits%20Web.wmv
Poster 3,
Good point! Why isn’t Benapuppet playing? Is he afraid to get his puppet strings tangles up?
Candlelight Vigils Against the Shootings
Sunday, May 20, 2007
7:30 P.M.
Bristol St. South of Mc Fadden Ave
Santa Ana
Vigil Coordinated By:
Chicanos Unidos
and
Nuestra Santa Ana
For information contact
Pazncomunidad@Yahoo.com
Bring Candles or a Flashlight
With all the activities and events listed here, it looks like anyone in Santa Ana who would be interested in a crimeless, drugless, violenceless set of activities has plenty to choose from. The problem, it seems, is not about lack of alternatives!! It is about personal choices.
Didn’t I see those three guys in Mel Gibson’s movie Apocolypto?
Gangbangers don’t attend vigils. Santa Ana must get extremely aggressive in weeding out gang members. It should coordinate with the ATF/FBI/US Attorneys office to create a Richmond, VA type program similar to Project Exile. Immediately turn over all illegal immigrant gang members arrested for minor crimes to ICE and get them deported and then make even the most minor weapon charge a major federal felony. Santa Ana needs to get very serious about gangs. No more politically correct crap – just go after them hard and fast. The shooting on Artesia, where gang bangers opened fire on an SUV from bicycles at 6:45pm in a neighborhood of nice single family homes is an abomination. Be real, folks – only severe and ruthless enforcement will work.
Keep dreaming Rob!
With socialists in power the Santa Ana is finished…. and that is a good part.
I think Rob is on the right track.
New city legislation with teeth could help stop the jr. gangbangers before they graduate to full blown killers.
Curfews, stricter weapon laws, prohibition and enforcement of grafitti tool possession, aggregating offenses, increased penalties and conspiracy charges for gang offenses, and gang injunctions are tools used in other communities serious about taking back their streets.
Solving the gang problem begins with enforcement, but it must also have realistic components of diversion and education for those involved.
Town hall meetings, streetcorner vigils, and huge committees might make some feel better, but they don’t solve the core issues.
Starting new programs with no funding doesn’t help either. Some of Martinez’s new events are raping the budgets of parks and rec and other department resources and taking away from existing and established events and programs, and taking from the kids who need it most.
Let’s start now with aggressive enforcement, and then farther down the line maybe we’ll start to see money coming in for programs. Who knows, maybe it will even come because of the councilmembers’ trip to DC.
The vigils are not feel-good events.
The police enforce the law–that is their job. They cannot prevent at-risk children from gradually becoming sucked into gang life–that is the job of a caring community, elected officials and ordinary citizens alike.
Here is one community’s way of dealing with this issue:
http://www.csgv.ca/index.php
Click on CSGV Initiatives & Vision Statement.
#10 and #8 .Agressive enforcement?I do not think there is a more severe example of this than within the prison system and yet the gang problem continues there to even a higher degree than in the streets.All Academics and Law Enforcement leaders agree that suppression alone does not work in resolving the gang issue.#10 you mention diversion and education along with law enforcement as additional solution tools.You are correct, these and other tools need to be identified and used to correct the problem.In oder to identify possible solutions the origins of the problem need to be indentified first . This can only be done by getting the confidence of that community so to open a dialog necessary to identify why the problem exists.Michelle’s NON city funded programs are one way of accomplishing a communication with the community. The Early Prevention and Intervention Commission(EPIC) she was instremental in forming is addressing the issue as recommended by Academics and Law Enforcement – Suppression along with prevention and intervention.This commission will incorporate and organize the existing events and programs you mention in order to maximize their effectiveness.You should learn more of this project and become part of the solution.
Any of you out there who are getting tired of stalker Sean and his obsession with Tim Rush now would be the time to contact his boss.
Mr. Stephen Yavorsky
United Title Company
1301 Dove Street, Suite 300
Newport Beach, Ca 92660