I recently compared Santa Ana’s crime statistics to Anaheim’s crime statistics and Red County blog editor Matt “Jubal” Cunningham had a cow. He stated that the two cities were dissimilar. However, a story in today’s L.A. Times underscored the similarities between the two neighboring cities.
“A man was killed and a 15-year-old boy seriously wounded when five suspected gang members started shooting at a graduation party in Anaheim, authorities said Saturday,” according to the L.A. Times.
I guess there is a difference. There aren’t that many graduation parties in Santa Ana, not with almost 60% of Santa Ana Unified School District students failing to graduate. Most either drop out or fail to pass the high school exit exam.
According to the L.A. Times article, the shooter at the graduation party was in a group of five uninvited males. They fled after the shooting and have not been found. Probably headed back to Santa Ana – or Los Angeles.
The victim of the attack was only 21 years old. How very tragic. Apparently he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was not a gang member. But he certainly was a victim of gang violence.
Clearly the gang problem in Orange County has escaped the borders of the county seat, Santa Ana. When will the local elected officials of Orange County realize that the problem is now a countywide issue? It is about time for a countywide anti-gang task force. This problem needs to be addressed NOW before Orange County becomes another L.A. County. While the owner of the Angels baseball team might like that, most of us won’t be happy of our county ends up as gang-ridden as L.A. County.
Our new O.C. Sheriff, Sandra Hutchens, ought to make this anti-gang task force a priority. Her department already serves much of the county. She is in a good position to coordinate with other police departments to stop this problem.
The flip side of this issue is that education is a major problem in many parts of the county, particularly in Santa Ana. When kids drop out or fail to graduate, many of them end up in gangs. We need to solve our education issues if we want to stop the gangs. The sad thing is that the worst school district in Orange County, in Santa Ana, is not likely to get any better in November. Most of the announced candidates for the SAUSD school board are bereft of education, experience and/or common sense.
The people of Orange County can ignore the problems in their county seat up to a point. Sooner or later Santa Ana’s crime and gang problems will spread to the rest of the county. Folks may not wake up to the problem in time. Anaheim certainly is headed for major problems, even with all their Disney tax revenue. Despite Cunningham’s protestations, there are indeed many poor people in Anaheim and too many of them appear to be caught up in gang lifestyles.
Despite Cunningham’s protestations, there are indeed many poor people in Anaheim…
Just one problem with that statement, Art: I never said it.
You really need to work on that “being factual” thing.
Matt/Jubal,
Oh I remember what you wrote. You tried to blame Santa Ana’s problems on the Mexicans. However our problems stem from poverty not from race. Most immigrants BTW come here to WORK. You don’t see them begging – they just want to work.
Oh I remember what you wrote.
That’s about as close to “I was wrong” as will ever hear out of you, Art.
You tried to blame Santa Ana’s problems on the Mexicans.
Sorry! Try again. I didn’t do that either.
Art, the primary time for gang recruitment is after school when there is little to no adult supervision or constructive activities. For most there is little to do but “hang out with friends”. After class school programs are generally restricted to the best athletes, musicians and performing arts kids. There is very little opportunities for the general population of kids to form positive relationships with responsible adults to serve as role models and mentors. I confronted this problem for several years trying to coach in a youth soccer league. Most adults get off work well after four, and come October it’s dark by 5. There are few enough available fields for youth sports, let alone lighted fields which we need for most adults’ work schedules. It’s very, very difficult for the average willing adult to help in guiding youth. The will is there in the community, but the keys to making it possible rest with the city’s leaders, who seem to have little interest in our youth, as you have pointed out repeatedly, Art. Recall in the ’60’s song “summertime blues”: “I’d like to help you, son, but you’re too young to vote.” So, instead, we’ll get gangs, street violence, and graffiti. Law enforcement can only suppress it, not cure it. Curing it will take civic leadership dedicated to youth.
I completely agree with SAHS Teacher’s point. I think I need to point out that gang activity and recruitment starts as early as 6th grade; “when kids drop out or fail to graduate, many of them end up in gangs” is false because most of those students have already been exposed to and involved with gangs since their pre-teen years- kids don’t fall into gangs because they didn’t graduate, they didn’t graduate because of a lack of available mentorship. There needs to be more comprehensive programs early on to keep students on track through the critical junior-high time period so that they are more likely to participate in the after school programs in high school.