Front Page  »  

Drug concerns lead to temporary closure of Mission Plaza

September 3, 2011

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

The City of San Luis Obispo placed a 24-hour ban on loitering in Mission Plaza from 4 p.m. Thursday to 4 p.m. Friday in attempt to curb criminal activity.

Also prohibiting loitering by “the globe” along the creek between Chorro and Nipomo streets, the police action came as a response to continuous drug and alcohol use, as well as methamphetamine sales in the designated areas, according to San Luis Obispo police lieutenant Keith Storton.

“An element that hangs out there causes a lot of problems and complaints,” Storton said.

Despite recent arrests and the temporary loitering ban, Storton said the “element” would probably return to its regular activity in the Mission Plaza area.

“A lot of what police do are temporary solutions to long term problems,” Storton said. “At least it stops people from selling drugs and using alcohol in that particular time.

The 24-hour prohibition, which happened to coincide with Farmers’ Market, did not only prevent drug users and dealers from congregating in Mission Plaza. One family was ordered by police to move while eating dinner in the plaza during Farmers’.

Although the police department orchestrated the temporary loitering ban, the official orders came from Director of Parks and Recreation Shelly Stanwyck, in accordance with municipal code.

Despite the recent increase in gang activity in the county, gangs are not thought to be involved in the drug sales along the creek and in Mission Plaza.


Loading...
Subjects:         
Related:


23 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

I accidentally found myself passing through Mission Plaza yesterday… some “event” was ending. The Plaza was primarily full of non-student aged, seemingly well-to-do people. Most every one seemed to have a beer glass in their hands. Yep, another one of those drinking-based events in the plaza. Can you think of a better place to sell drugs than to a bunch of drunk white people?


0

I haven’t been down there in a long time, I’ve stayed away because of the homeless, the beggers, the druggies, the unconscious, the you-name-its, that took over the Mission years ago. The drug dealers will just move to a new spot and the buyers will find them, no problem. You can go to any of the entrances to the Elfin Forest in Los Osos and find the pusher in the Toyota Tacoma, he’s there most evenings after the Sheriffs go home.


0

O.K., today you can’t use the Plaza because the police can’t control meth dealers there. Monday, we won’t be able to use the beach because of meth dealers there. Tuesday we won’t be able to walk the streets of SLO because of meth dealers there. Wednesday we won’t be able to use any of the public parks because of meth dealers there. Why doesn’t the SLO pd put an undercover in the crowd at the Mission and bust these meth dealers. I am sure they can as they have some loser cop that can fake back pain to a doctor and entrap legit medical marijuana providers that hurt no one.


0

So I find this all very strange. I could not find any other information on it. It does not appear to have been formally announced. It was not in the Tribune, and so far I have been unable to locate any discussion of it in the minutes of any city council meeting.


This does indeed appear to be a police state maneuver, if it took place without any appropriate approval by elected officials, and it ought to be cut short before they get confused and think this kind of activity is ok.


0

I want to know who these people are we see every summer who hang out in the mission plaza. Are they locals? I have this feeling they are from LA or something.


0

For those who have lived here on the central coast for a long time, we have seen a change from the safe and sane days. Because of the liberal PC mandates the police have stepped down from the “no pan handling. no begging, no loitering” days, combined with the open borders allowing the flood of ILLEGALS to come here and the very nice weather, the central coast has become a haven for riffraff and homeless beggars.

Sure the economy is in the tank, but if you check Craigslist there are loads of jobs to be had and work is there” IF” you want to do it. Life on the street has become a far cry from the days of hobos and tramps, traveling to find any work possible. My grandmother used to have people stop at her window and ask if they could do odd jobs for a mea, she always took them in and got work done. then they moved on.

Today it has become a lifestyle choice and many are too lazy to work. They would rather beg for our money at the entrance to the big box stores…


0

This has NOTHING to do with “illegals.”


0

They already removed the great flagpole thing from behind the art center ( pedestrian control -citizen control )creeping police state paranoia of our fellow citizens, us them WTF are we doing to our selves? this is destroying the fabric of our town.


0

When did that happen?


0

PDF


0

Are you KIDDING ME? Next time, let us know in advance, so I can get the ACLU on standby and go down to get arrested. It’ll be a cold day in hell before let police tell me I can’t stand around the Mission in the town I was born and raised in for something that is not a serious immediate threat. This is NOT THE WAY people, learn some damn history.


0

Paso/SLO, doesn’t matter. Stop focusing on this town or that and just stand up and do not tolerate this scum anywhere. I’ve seen cops in Atascadero and Arroyo Grande have to babysit known criminals in their downtown parks as well. SLO now = Santa Cruz ( a city that actually purchased and handed out bus tickets to send their homeless to SLO)


0

With all the focus on crime in Paso Robles, you must remember that San Luis Obispo also has it’s fair share of problems. Sometimes those than finger point are closer to the same problem than they realize.


0
1 2