City Council addresses stemming
rising crime, options to be studied
September 11, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
A ballot initiative to beef up policing, converting the fire department to largely volunteer to funnel funds to the SPPD and programs for youth while reclaiming the community were discussed by the City Council Tuesday as possible solutions to rising crime, a trend throughout Ventura County.
Violent crime overall has increased 22 percent and burglaries are up 21 percent reported City Manager Jaime Fontes, and grand theft auto climbed by 11 percent. In the violent crime category rape has jumped dramatically in all jurisdictions since the FBI changed definition guidelines for reporting, a 160 percent increase in Santa Paula; aggravated assault is up nearly 43 percent, a number including a July party bus shooting that left five people injured.
Gang activity was also on the rise, according to the report.
Fontes’ report noted several factors contributing to the rising crime rate ranging from a lack of police officers (34 in 2010 down to 20 in 2013 now at 30) and gang specialists. Proposition 47 turned some nonviolent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors for those not already on probation or parole and “realignment” of state prisoners due to overcrowding that brought legislative action to reverse are also impacts.
Ronda McKaig of Citizens for a Santa Paula which led an unsuccessful campaign last year to pass a 1 percent tax increase to fund police and fire services as well as improve roads, called on the council to take action.
McKaig noted she was addressing the council as the member of an ad hoc committee appointed by the council that includes Mayor John Procter and Councilwoman Jenny Crosswhite.
A “unanimous objective of our committee,” was to reduce crime through youth programs and bettering the SPPD with adequate pay and staffing.
McKaig said the council must adopt a series of anti-crime ordinances such as the City of Hemet’s ROCS (Restoring our Community Strategy) model; enforcing existing ordinances and creating new ones for public safety and code enforcement staffed by volunteers trained by the city; reexamine a sales tax initiative of 1/2 cent to fund police services and youth programs to steer them away from crime; shift budget money to free up funding for police; bring together social services and youth programs with an event and improve the city’s website to include events, public services and youth programs.
“We request that you do some hard work,” McKaig said. “We have to show the citizens of this town that we’re doing something,” to stop crime.
McKaig said just that morning a neighbor told her a prowler had been on her property.
And, “The perception of people in town is that nothing significant is being done...when we changed the council,” with three new members in November, “we had a lot of hope,” as stemming crime was a campaign issue.
Plans must not just be studied but rather said McKaig the council will have to “start taking steps to show a reason to hope.”
During council discussion several ideas were broached ranging from the tax initiative — City Attorney John Cotti told the panel it could place a measure on the ballot either in April or November, depending on the type of tax — general or special — proposed. He also told the council of the pitfalls of various taxes.
One of the more controversial suggestions was made by Councilman Jim Tovias who again addressed replacing full time firefighters with volunteers. Tovias said the city could save $1 million by having only full time chiefs and captains; the savings could go to hiring experienced police officers.
Tovias read a list of violent crimes that have occurred in the city and said “an immediate solution” would be redirecting fire funding for experienced officers, as “We’ve got a problem here.”
Crosswhite questioned the status of the $900,000-plus federal SAFER grant that is paying the salaries of five firefighters and was told money would forfeited if the fire department restructured to largely volunteer.
Vice Mayor Martin Hernandez said to “create a strong city” there must be a 98 percent buy-in this time of the plan, whatever direction the council moves in; he also cautioned about marginalizing city employees.
The long term finances of the must be examined said Councilwoman Ginger Gherardi that noted a ballot issue cannot be rushed and the council had taken a two-month hiatus putting them that much farther behind.
Tovias asked Fontes for the details on a Request for Proposal for a study.
The RFP said Fontes would compare options ranging from a tax whether general, specific, sales or property, restructuring the fire department or even joining the Ventura County Fire Department. Contracting with Ventura County Sheriff’s Department would also be studied.
Such an RFP he noted is highly specialized especially when combined with knowledge of municipal budgeting; such a study Fontes added would cost more than $50,000 and would take at least 90 days to bid out and award.
