Santa Cruz city leaders unveil plans to address crime

Until the Laurel end of Pacific Avenue is COMPLETELY cleaned up-particularly right next to a brand spanking new palace of a police station fit for royalty, it'll end up just becoming a war of words & empty gestures.
When you've got a liquor store, Taco Bell, am-pm mini mart,etc. in that immediate area open at all weird hours of the night, a city more concerned with sanctuary city status, keeping themselves 'weird' & spending money on nuclear-free zone placards, I hate to say it but the inevitable result is a town & its citizens that are needlessly exposed to increasing violence. It'll be interesting to see what the end result of all this will be.

Meetings? No more meetings. As a Pac Ave business owner, I would prefer several cameras. I would prefer we were not so blind to the oblivious joke of a statement this is....we will "begin"???
"Bilingual police officers will begin canvassing neighborhoods with gang problems as part of the city's invigorated effort to crack down on crime"

Ever heard the saying, "day late and dollar short"?

As ususal, the local citizens pay the price: increased prices on alcohol, parking, water, garbage, sewer. Let's just increase the local sale's tax to 20%, that should do it!

How about raise the alcohol tax to pay for cameras that WORK!

Yawn. Is this the best the mental midgets on the City Council can do? A few lights? Meetings where nothing will happen? Canvassing neighborhoods is good, if the goal is to round up criminals and generally make their lives miserable. But until I see aggressive enforcement to really make a difference, it's all just smoke and mirrors.

Ever heard the saying, "day late and dollar short"?

Yes, I have heard that one and I want my dollar back!

What are we thinking?
There is certainly good reason for a community/city like Watsonville to be a sanctuary city. Their economy openly depends on and needs the massive numbers of undocumented labor and people for the main business and activity that they have chosen for their community. What's our rationale here?(and don't tell me "tourism")
What are the results?
Why would any rational person illegally in this country, whether a criminal otherwise or not, go anywhere else?

NO, Mayor, you may not have any more of the law abiding, tax generating citizens hard earned money to pay for the idiots.

You have clearly shown that you are not capable of spending our money in a smart way. You may, however, feel free to take money from programs that provide nothing for this community. You may, for example, stop paying for people to be drunks in our town....no free meals for them! This will help to pay for the cameras, street lights, ect.

1. Increase foot patrols and bike patrols in the downtown neighborhoods
2. Establish and enforce a curfew for under 18-year-olds, 10pm weekdays and midnight weekends
3. Strengthen and enforce anti-graffiti laws, fine the parents of juvenile offenders
4.Enforce anti-noise laws
5.Enforce modified automobile laws (tinted windows)
6.Enforce anti-loitering laws
7. Pass new anti-gang laws
8. End Sanctuary
9.Increase parole and probation checks for all known gang members in Santa Cruz.

Oh, good. They finally heard us. But an increased alcohol tax? I assume they mean on restaurants and bars?(Or do they mean all liquor?) I really don't understand how this helps the city. Sure we need more revenue, but we should be getting it from increased fines on those who break the law by overindulging, not from law abiding, tax paying citizens who want to enjoy an occasional night out but might stay home if it gets any more expensive. And can we afford to lose winter "over the hill" business to less expensive locales? Otherwise I am pleased to hear about the new plans to finally deal with the gang problems.

Punishment for "bangers"

1. Let's install more public toilets in the downtown area. You bangers, not "ready" for big prison, can clean the toliet after each use and opologize to the citizen using it (for being a banger), in full public display. They can wear a pink jumpsuit to whittle away at the machismo

2. Automatic curfew for bangers.....must be inside after dark or be arressted.

3. Known to be a "banger"? You may not have a license to drive. You may not receive ANY social service at all. You will pay a yearly fee to pay for the extra police service.

I have many more.

This is all they have come up with?

Jeremy, youre kidding me, Toes Over, Keanu, Jane Asher, Super64, High Street, UCSCgrad, The Words Santuary City, DoingBizAsDaBuff alo, Why are we a sanctuary, Downtown Retiree, slightly salty, expensive lettuce:

Why don't you all attend the City Council meeting, show your faces, and let your elected officials know what you think? No problem in the world is going to be solved in the blogosphere.

your kidding me wrote:

Yes, we must impose some more taxes on alchohol. A few idiots raise our taxes in this manner all of the time. Why should this week be any different? How about an "idiot" tax for habitual drunks, gangers, petty theft and so on? If you are consistently arressted, you pay the idiot tax....or you can not live here. Why do liberals automatically reach into my pocket when I am not causing the problem? Why should I pay more for my drink while these "idiots" pay nothing?
Get a clue

How about a blame it on liberals tax? Republicans say they don't raise taxes, but then go ahead and vote to add fee's to everything on a local level while still claiming they don't want to raise taxes.Look at Bush and the Republican congress and senate from just a short time ago.They cut taxes and then went on a spending spree.Now,our deficit is high and all of a sudden it's Obama"s fault.2 lame wars and a unprecedented finacial melt down while telling the world our way is so good, and we still believe that crap. It's time for real change people.

Good lord...of course SC has bilingual cops as well as detectives. Many patrol Beach Flats and keep tabs on gang members.
Several were present the night of the community meeting at SCHS.
Look, it's time for citizens of SC to take back their neighborhoods and not depend on someone else entirely to get rid of gang members. IF YOU SEE any suspicious activity- even loitering- call the cops. They'll check it out. Bangers don't like to be bothered by cops and maybe if they get hasseled enough they'll move on. If they know they are being watched and reported they'll move on. We should start walking our neighborhoods and making OUR presence felt. Get your neighbors together. Go for a walk. Make YOUR presence KNOWN! Send a message that this is YOUR neighborhod and you have ZERO tolerance for gang activity.

My "face" is not needed at the council meetings. My effort will be in two areas:

Electing new council members that will do the job. Nothing I can say will sway the current group.....ever. This council is a lost cause.

Council seats by district is my other effort. When there is a city council to "listen" it will be worth my time to do something other than vent.

Wow!!! I'm pretty surprised at the amount of racism in our community....And your telling me that gangs, murder and rape are the big problem??? Based on all the posts from the past few weeks I would say that racism is the biggest problem in our community. One thing your all forgetting is that your son's and daughter's are the first ones in line to get the drugs being sold on the streets...Oh, that's right! Your white kids wouldn't do that or dare associate with a gang member! I think it's time you opened your eyes since the problem solving starts with your kids. I know that I talk to my kid about many many things. By the way, I'm white. Oh wait, I'm actually Portuguese, Irish, Native America and a mish mash of whatever else so lump me in wherever you will...

sockmonkey wrote:

Good lord...of course SC has bilingual cops as well as detectives. Many patrol Beach Flats and keep tabs on gang members.
Several were present the night of the community meeting at SCHS.
Look, it's time for citizens of SC to take back their neighborhoods and not depend on someone else entirely to get rid of gang members. IF YOU SEE any suspicious activity- even loitering- call the cops. They'll check it out. Bangers don't like to be bothered by cops and maybe if they get hasseled enough they'll move on. If they know they are being watched and reported they'll move on. We should start walking our neighborhoods and making OUR presence felt. Get your neighbors together. Go for a walk. Make YOUR presence KNOWN! Send a message that this is YOUR neighborhod and you have ZERO tolerance for gang activity.

Agreed, and something I already do. I wish more people would do it....

Increase alcohol tax? No

Increase spray paint can tax? Yes

No tagging no gang territory.