“At 11:15 a.m., officers were sent to the area of West Edinger and South Van Ness avenues after reports of someone shooting out of a vehicle, said Santa Ana Police Cmdr. Stephen Colon,” according to the O.C. Register.
There was no one shot. But interestingly the shooting straddled two City Council wards (see the white X on the map above). Councilman Vince Sarmiento serves Ward 1. He is up for election in November after being appointed previously to finish the rest of Jose Solorio’s term. Solorio went to Sacramento last year to represent the 69th Assembly District. Ward 2 is represented by Councilwoman Michele Martinez.
Sarmiento states on his campaign website that the City of Santa Ana has experienced a decrease in crime (see graphic below). And yet cars are getting shot up in his ward.
I wonder how many cops responded to this shooting? Do shootings in Sarmiento’s ward merit the overreaction I saw in the City Place area yesterday? Will Sarmiento and Martinez now call on the city’s Public Safety Committee, comprised of Council Members Sal Tinajero and Claudia Alvarez (who are against funding a much-needed gang assessment) and David Benavides (who does support funding a gang assessment), to fund the gang assessment?
No one shot? No harm, no foul.
#1,
No. It just means they missed. Recently a thirty nine year old father was shot in the head while playing with his kids in his front yard. He got caught in a similar miss as gangbangers shot at each other on his street. Sometimes the misses kill bystanders.
Call me crazy, but #1 is being sarcastic.
The idea that someone could possibly be against a gang study in SA is completely beyond me. Earth to the City Council. It’s time.
SMS
Art:
Does that fact that there was a gun shot last night prove that crime is increasing?
There is already a subcommittee on the EPIC commission that is supposed to be doing an assessment, so why pay for one?
Move along and skip the paid study and spend the money on enforcement instead.
Why, in your mind, does it matter that the shooting “straddles” two wards? A gun shot is a gun shot no matter where it occurs, no?
And, where is your proof that crime is increasing? Care to share your statistics (and, I don’t mean post on OJ or antecdotal evidence)?
FYI- I don’t think anyone has said that crime has ceased to exist in Santa Ana.
A double shooting occurred last night at Michelle’s favorite watering hole…Original Mike’s. At the same time, SAPD was investigating another homicide in another part of this fine city. Who’s Council Ward are those shooting locations in Art. It must be some kind of conspiracy? SAPD fronliners knew this was going to happen, because the Chief terminated the overtime gang suppression teams several weeks ago.
“where is your proof that crime is increasing?”
The SAPD said so here:
http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/pd/documents/080214PressRelease.pdf
“recent increase in gang violence prompts probe of local gang”
“10 search warrants”
“two month investigation”
“approximately 100 officers participated in the early morning operation”
“12 subjects were arrested”
#6,
We will be letting our readers know which ward that gang violence erupts in henceforth. The Council Members need to be held accountable for the violence in their wards.
#7,
Sounds like ward 2, which is Michele Martinez’ ward. She needs to take on Sal and Claudia and demand that they support the gang assessment. Either that or she can do and say nothing and just wait for Lisa Bist to take her out in two years.
#8 That doesn’t mean crime is increasing. It means that the SAPD Gang Detail conducted a proactive gang suppression operation, as it does on a regular basis. This is business as usual for the police department. The same types of operations are happening throughout Orange County and by different special details from throughout the SAPD. Arrest warrants, search warrants, probation and parole sweeps are common. That’s why the SAPD has a Gang Detail, staffed by highly train experts in the field of gang enforcement, suppression, interrogation, interviewing, intelligence gathering, etc. There are ongoing conflicts between individual gangs and new conflicts that detectives learn about on a daily basis.
#5
‘Know thine enemy.’ How can they ramp up enforcement unless they do? Are the SA police psychics now too? It would justify some of their six figure salaries. Was it mentioned that the study is estimated to cost only $150,000? I figure that’s only a year’s pay for a cop and a half.
You guys keep going after Art whenever he publicizes seemingly random violence in the city, but how would you know that it’s not gang related? Are you psychic too?
Yes, the EPIC commission is SO effective. Really. I mean, if you’re right and the violence is random, then they’ve done their job, right?
SMS
The violence IS random. But it’s also carried out by the same deeply rooted gangs that have been active in Santa Ana for many years. The problem will never go away. It can only be suppressed by aggressive enforcement.
If a gun is fired in Central Santa Ana and not one elected official hears it; has a gun really been fired? Can we now talk about something important like Earth Day on Tuesday?
Santa Ana councilmembers serve in a modified Ward system. They get elected city wide. It doesn’t mater if you get shot on Benton Way or Brooks street. Shot is shot.
#8
“where is your proof that crime is increasing?”
“The SAPD said so here:”
And then you take us to the PDF. Where the SAPD says that there has been a “recent increase in gang violence”.
So the SAPD did NOT say “crime” was increasing in that press release.
#15
Yeah, because gang violence isn’t crime. Geez.
Of course all crime statistics are not going up since the majority of the city is made up of honest, hard-working, underprivileged people who don’t commit crimes and want a solution to the gang problem plaguing their streets. They just want to work their way out of the barrios without any added fear.
Of course, the two key words in that paragraph are ‘underprivileged’ and ‘barrios.’ Gangs are born out of poverty. If SA provided this much-needed study, more people would realize that and demand that the City Council and Mayor do more to help everyone in these neighborhoods, instead of just locking up the children of many of the aforementioned hard-working families.
Once again, the answer lies in a multi-faceted approach.
SMS
#16,
If gang violence isn’t crime, then your point just highlights the ridiculous of referring to that press release in the first place.
#17
It’s called sarcasm, and unlike some people here, I have a name.
SMS
What is this multi-faceted approach you’re talking about. It doesn’t take a study to realize that it’s a combination of prevention, intervention and suppression. Why pay for a study when similar one’s have taken place all over the country. If you know of a new approach, please let it be known. Studies have been conducted in LA, Boston, New York, Detroit, San Jose and Oakland. They all say the same thing.
Gangs have been actively recruiting young- elementary age kids- especially in areas like ward 2. Where to start a gang study in Santa Ana. Look at the crammed conditions in the schools. Only going to get worse if even more kids are warehoused in classrooms around this city for the better part of their day. The kids are stressed everywhere they go around here. No parks, barely any personal space in classrooms, and money that’s meant for them ends up mismanaged by education officials supposedly acting as “trustees” for their future. Santa Ana PD should be at the next school baord meeting arguing against more cuts. Where are city leaders at school board meetings? The careers of some of Santa Ana’s most repetitive gang offenders began with problems related to school.
#19
… because Santa Ana is not one of the cities you mentioned. In fact, per capita is probably has more gangs and more gang activity than many of those cities. Each city needs their own study because the specifics of the causes of the social ills that spawn gangs vary.
Sometimes it’s bad schools, sometimes weak enforcement, sometimes it’s lack of opportunity. Let’s find out what these neighborhoods need.
SMS
18,
Hmm, last week it was “satire”. Now I guess “sarcasm” is THIS week’s cop-out-du-jour.
And you also have a number.
Hey 22,
I guess attacking people anonymously is this week’s ‘cop-out-du-jour.’
Did you even read the full comment? Either you didn’t or you’re just being an antagonist. I’m saying that gang violence *is* crime, so even if overall crime numbers go down, violent, gang related crime is going up.
You lose. Now please go away.
SMS
#22,
Speaking of copouts, apparently the SAPD is trying to cover up last night’s shootings at Original Mikes. Thomas Gordon is going to stop by SAPD headquarters today to demand confirmation of this shooting. Apparently the media is not being given any information about it.
Original Mike’s is located in Michele Martinez’ ward. Martinez often visits this establishment, which I have been boycotting since it opened.
Martinez also used to work for the owner of this restaurant and bar, Mike Harrah. She also worked for a bakery and for a local mortgage company, Conquist America. It is my understanding that she quit that job recently and is now looking for work.
Art,
I spoke with SAPD and they already confirmed that there was indeed a double shooting at Original Mike’s very late last night.
I am on my way to SAPD HQ in the hopes of getting the press release or police report so that I am able to post accurate info.
I’ll keep you all posted.
What do you people expect of the City of Santa Ana that has over 350,000 souls? With its’ dense population, lack of parks, libraries and school children packed like sardines in bungalows.
It’s no wonder SAUSD has a 60% drop-out rate!
All these shootings only make the city seem more like a carnival shooting gallery. All the while the Mayor, City Council and City Manager are playing Whack-A-Mole.
The mayor and council continue spending all the City Budget on yuppie habitats on the periphery while the rest of the City morphs into a third world oblivion. These living conditions should strike a note of nostalgia with the Mayor and Councilmember Alvarez.
Last one out turn off the light.
The band or music is very loud at Org Mikes. I could hear it quite well from across the street at Rite Aide.
I guess most guest and employees wear ear plugs, maybe that is reason for not knowing if there was a shooting there.
Art,
It sounds like you think Gordon has some kind of super secret access to SAPD information or that his bullying tactics allow him to obtain information others don’t have access to. The ONLY information the public has access to at this point is the press release. It’s no secret, there WAS a shooting at Michelle Martinez’ watering hole and hangout..that is ORIGINAL MIKE’S. It’s no secret. If you or the press have difficulty obtaining information about police incidents, it’s because the person you’re asking doesn’t yet have the facts of the case or is not authorized to release such information. If any person wouldn’t get anything, it would be Thomas Gordon.