Faced with growing public anger over the wave of violence that has swept over Santa Cruz recently, city leaders laid out a five-point plan to cut down gang activity and increase residents’ sense of security. The proposed program focuses on three approaches: technical, legislative, and educational.
Faced with growing public anger over the wave of violence that has swept over Santa Cruz recently, city leaders laid out a five-point plan to cut down gang activity and increase residents’ sense of security. The proposed program focuses on three approaches: technical, legislative, and educational. The main technical proposal is the replacement of streetlights along Pacific Avenue at a cost of $80,000. Legislative strategies include the development of new rules to deal with “problem properties” that have become centers for illegal activity, and a review of zoning and permit rules for businesses serving alcohol. One suggestion is that licensing fees for these businesses be hiked and that the money go to law enforcement. Educational programs include police canvassing of neighborhoods with gang problems to teach local residents how they can stay safe, and investing $80,000 dollars in programs to keep young people away from crime and drugs. The city will give $50,000 for this, while the SCPD will contribute $30,000 of confiscated drug money to the Santa Cruz Teen Center.
At the same time, the police point out that despite a number of high profile cases, some violent crime has actually decreased in Santa Cruz since 2005. For example, there were 49 rapes in the city in 2005, but only 22 in 2008. Autotheft has also dropped considerably, as has burglary. On the other hand, the number of homicides remained the same, while robberies increased from 96 to 103 in that same time. Read More at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
