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Confronting north county gangs – finally

September 1, 2011

Lisa Solomon

By DANIEL BLACKBURN

Following years of publicly understating, even concealing, criminal gang activity and influence in the north county, a depleted Paso Robles police department now will be working with multiple law enforcement agencies to address what officials call “a surge of violence” by local and outside gang activity.

Paso Robles Police Chief Lisa Solomon and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson will announce on Friday formation of a program dubbed “Safe Streets,” described as a “series of operations to identify, contact, and arrest gang members, and to impact drug-related crimes in the entire north county area.”

Solomon said “a recent rash of violent crime” in Paso Robles prompted what she described in a joint statement as “the need for a comprehensive plan” to address a growing problem with gang-related criminal activities.

Most recent of these incidents was Aug. 24, when at least one person was shot in an alleged drug deal gone bad in the northern section of Paso Robles. Local police have not mentioned gangs, nor attributed the shooting to gang members, in information released to the media to date.

Sources have told CalCoastNews, however, that several members of a Five Cities gang drove to Paso Robles, apparently to sell drugs in the north city, and the attack occurred as a result of that activity. Witnesses reported seeing a late-model white Chevrolet SUV leaving the scene that police said might be involved.

Numerous gang problems occur each year at public gatherings such as the Mid-State Fair – both inside and outside the venue – but are rarely acknowledged by authorities or reported by the local media.

In his written statement regarding “Safe Streets,” Parkinson insisted he does “not intend to allow this kind of activity in the north county. We will bring together all resources at my disposal and introduce additional law enforcement partners, including the FBI, California Highway Patrol, Monterey County Sheriff’s Department, Probation & Parole, as well as enhancing our local gang task force.”

Leveraging law enforcement capabilities will allow officials to “treat in a regional way the entire north county” with an operation that will remain intact indefinitely, the officials said.

The Paso Robles Police Department has been decimated over the past few years; city officials hoped to have 46 sworn officers by 2008, but today there are only 27. Within the department there now is no D.A.R.E. program; no motorcycle officers (with two new BMW cycles sitting idle); no traffic unit; no gang unit; and no narcotics team. Only two detectives remain.


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The truth about the drug trade:


Drug Trade – Fletcher Prouty


The drug trade – US spends billions of dollars to have an impenetrable Air Defense system. Col. Prouty was one of the founders of Air Defense Command so he knows exactly what its business is and how it works.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ear75Mo02uU&feature=related


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I’m going to repost this for all the people who didn’t like my comments about the approach to handling gang activity in their community. I think this is very important and it will ultimately effect the lives of people in your community, whether or not they are actually violent gang members, contributing members of society, or people in the wrong place at the wrong time. Instead of letting your fear of the evil Mexican gangs result in people telling you lies and profiting from that, listen to what I have to suggest as a REAL solution that is JUST and TOUGH. Think before you respond about what freedom and security REALLY mean the best way to achieve it without having the two conflict.


– I suggest letting people who are guilty of black market crimes, that do not involve a property crime, violent crime, or other crime which had a victim who was negativel impacted, to go free, you will need the room for this. Greatly extend the sentences for murder, rape, molestation, and other heinous crimes, to take away the TV and other such amenities in prison and make them do hard labor for the ENTIRE term of their sentences, NO PAROLE!!! NO gang “enhancements.”: You serve the time for the crime you committed and its severity, regardless of who you are and who you know.


-THIEVES must compensate their victims, no exceptions. Make it something cooperative and reasonable so it will actually happen, unlike the nonsense that happens now.


– Eliminate the need to have a permit to carry concealed handguns OR make them available to anyone who wants one that can demonstrate proficiency and for which you cannot prove insanity.


-Eliminate the giant federal welfare structure altogether and move it down to the local level, where communities can make their own rules and set their own expectations for such things. if the people in that community decide to do it at all, that is. Then we wouldn’t have to worry so much about people mooching off the system, creating large blocks of disenfrancised people and their kids who won’t know any better. Anyone who criticizes illegals is a bit of a selfish jerk.. If your family was your priority and you were in the same position, you would do the same thing and do WHATEVER you had to in order to improve their lot in life.


Gang enhancements simply target ONE kind of gang.. the Mexican street gang. These gangs FEULED by prohibition, just like gangs were in the 1930s, they were just different ethnicities.. Irish, Italian, Jewish…. This kind of constant harassment of communities leads to the destruction of families and the ability of people to BECOME consistent, contributing members of society. Don’t prosecute people for what they MIGHT DO, prosecute them for what they ACTUALLY do.


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If you marked down my comment about the Nazi mentality, why? Because you didn’t like what I said, or because I was wrong? If you think I am incorrect, then please explain why. I have a degree in European history, so please come prepared with some kind of facts.


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It seems to me that now that we’ve broken through the liberal vs conservative cliche viewpoints, no one can actually articulate their argument, they just have a “gut feeling” about all those gang bangers. That’s disheartening.


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It is more important to identify the gang structures in your community, know the members, know the alliances, know what activities they are involved in. It is important that the citizens understand who and what they are dealing with. I agree with what “jumping in” has to say about a police force that the citizens can trust. “PasoParent 5” has points worth listening to. Perhaps every citizen should start showing up for every meeting of the City Council and demand that a competent Police Department be made a priority. If the people of Paso will get involved, we can have a town that is safe again. They say Rudy Gulliani made NYC a safe city by taking it back block by block. Strong leadership is the key.


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Sorry MKANEY for the ad hominem. Shouldn’t have happened, but I was sitting in my middle class digs enjoying an adult beverage and just reacted to the familiar dumping on “white boys” and “Upper Middle Class.” I have been in Paso off and on for 50 years; went to Paso High and have seen and kept track a little of the transformation of the North County. My argument is violence was not part of the past of Paso Robles for the most part. There have always been drugs in Paso, but not shootings. To blame the current culture of Paso on “rednecks” and “white kids” is a bit obtuse, or out of left field. So, all the killings in Mexico can be blamed on Americans smoking pot. MKANEY you have to draw the line somewhere. Do you want the cops busting everyone in town for smoking pot. I’m not advocating for legalization or whatever, but shooting people and turning our city into a wild west town is not the answer. Something has to be done. What do you suggest? Maybe we need new leadership with some lateral thinking and guts-less politically correct.


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I suggest letting people who are guilty of black market crimes, that do not involve a property crime, violent crime, or other crime which had a victim who was negativel impacted, to go free, and to greatly extend the sentences for murder, rape, molestation, and other heinous crimes, to take away the TV and other such amenities in prison and make them do hard labor for the ENTIRE term of their sentences, NO PAROLE!!! NO gang “enhancements.”: You serve the time for the crime you committed and its severity, regardless of who you are and who you know.


I also would like to see the elimination of the need to have a permit to carry concealed handguns.


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Bring in the National Guard to North Spring Street and drag out every illegal immigrant, drug user and gang member and send them to forced labor. Raze the rat holes and build some nice city parks and office buildings.


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These subhuman vermin gang members needs to be sent to hard labor camps in Alaska for 30-40 years. That way when they come out of prison they will be too old and broken to go back into gangs. Unfortunately, our nation coddles these parasites instead of protecting the innocent.


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This is exactly the kind of mentality that the Nazis had.. That is NOT a cliche unfair representation, either. This is EXACTLY what they thought, how they divided people up into groups of good and bad, and then set about cleansing society. Then there are the people who think SORT of like you, but are more well meaning. Those are the ones that are easily manipulated into following or at least not resisting. You reap what you sow.


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Elimination rhetoric has been a part of California history from the beginning and I know there was a chapter of Silver Shirts in the North County.


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The bottom line to this problem is government housing and the riff raff that it attracts. It is time to drug test everyone on section-8 housing and on welfare just like many of us who are paying the bill have to do. This would get rid of the users and losers without a shot being fired.


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How about just eliminating the giant federal welfare structure altogether and moving it down to the local level, if the people in that community decide to it at all, that is. Then we wouldn’t have to worry so much about immigrants who are doing the same thing anyone who criticizes them would do if they were in the same position, trying to make a better life for their family (most of them)/


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http://www.cityrating.com/crime-statistics/california/paso-robles.html


Look at the numbers folks.. It looks like violent crime, despite what the first paragraph (obviously written by tax feeding police) increased around 2002 and then remained fairly steady for the rest of the decade. YOUR PERCEPTIONS ARE BEING FED TO YOU.


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The first step for LE is to do an honest self evaluation of their departments and their staff. I have never been arrested, I don’t do drugs, I’m not a recoverying anything, I lived on the central coast longer than most. I was brought up to respect LE and to look to them for assistance. I no longer feel this way. I do not trust them, I would call anyone before I would call LE. They have gone over the edge with their authority and corrupt practices, bending truth. They are told to lie and are paid to lie. In Stephn Covey’s book “The 8th habit of Effectiveness” he discusses the reduction of crime rate. He points out that it started with “the police building a line of trust, of authentic open communication.” Stating the police must have high moral authority, not formal authority. The front line officers must have good moral character and it is the police chiefs job to hire these individuals. The reason people don’t report crime IS NOT because they are afraid of gang bangers, it is because they want NOTHING to do with the police department.

When is the last time you pulled up next to a police vehicle and the officer actually smiled or waved at you. Attitude, character and morals cannot be created with a budget.


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