Shooting investigation. Homicide investigation. Firearms seized. Homicide investigation. Homicide arrest. Felony hit and run arrest. Two homicide investigations. Gang-related shootings.
The list continues as you scroll through recent posts on the Lompoc Police Department bulletins page, which announces the department’s activities and investigations.
Violent crime is tangled throughout Lompoc’s history, and city officials, grassroots organizations, and the county government are now working toward solutions to protect communities and prevent crime involvement—but collaboration between them remains up in the air, according to advocates.
“I think the good news is that [crime’s] actually trending down [this year],” Lompoc Mayor Jenelle Osborne said. “It doesn’t seem like that because it feels like more is going on. What we are seeing—unfortunately—is consistency.”
Although 2022 crime rates aren’t available yet, in 2021, the city saw five homicides, 29 rapes, and 760 assaults, which is an increase from 2020’s rates of four homicides, 25 rapes, and 753 assaults. Crime rates for 2019 included seven homicides, 26 rapes, and 721 assaults, she said.
Lompoc’s violent crime history began when there was a rise in gang activity and drug smuggling in the 1990s, Osborne explained, which resulted in the formation of a gang enforcement detective team and drug enforcement task force. These additions reduced gang and other criminal activity until the 2008 economic recession.
“The fallouts and downturn of the economy—it reached us in 2010—was the same time you saw law enforcement had a difficult time hiring and retaining people. By the time we hit a lack of funding and reduction in the staff, and the inability to maintain our task force … it [created] the perfect storm for drug- and gun-related crimes,” she said.
The 2019-21 crime rates coincide with annual budget cuts dating back to the recession, which reduced the number of police officers in the city. The Lompoc Police Department had 38 officers in 2019 and 39 in 2020. In comparison, the department currently has 45 officers, she said, which is still fewer than the community needs.
Osborne said the low number of officers in Lompoc increased response times, caused the department to send responding officers only to the “most violent of crimes,” and limited proactive measures like investigative teams.
Through sales tax and cannabis tax measures as well as American Rescue Plan dollars, city officials want to create a more proactive response by increasing the public safety budget to more than $41 million in the 2021-23 fiscal year, a $4.1 million increase from 2019-21’s
$37 million. The Police Department will receive more than $13 million of that, allowing the department to hire more people and also give it a much-needed equipment update, Osborne said.
“It’s a growing process, and our growing process is being able to hire and recruit. We’re thrilled we’re able to send enough cadets through the academy and [get] them up to speed in our community. We’ve implemented changes in structural staffing with two lieutenants positions that can help with training and oversight,” she said.
At the county level, 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann is also looking at addressing the violent crime within Lompoc. Hartmann said she’s been meeting with city officials and nonprofit organizations to get a better understanding of how the city works and what resources are available to prevent violence—specifically for youths in the community.
“It’s a priority that many community members highlighted early on in our discussions. We were at the [Lompoc] YMCA, for example, and a bullet came through their window when a young person was walking by. It’s something that was really top of mind for a lot of people in Lompoc,” Hartmann said.
To support preventative measures, Hartmann and 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino introduced a budget item to split $100,000 between North and South County agencies combating youth violence, she said.
“My hope for next year is to continue a line budget item. If you can get a line item in the budget, you don’t have to battle for it every year. It becomes an assumption on the next budget, but I’ll go year by year if I have to,” Hartmann said. “We are committed, we are in for the long-term. I think the foundation community is very eager to invest in North County and improve the quality of life and sense of safety and security.”
Aside from some financial support, she said she hopes the county can act as a bridge to connect resources to provide the best intervention programs to keep youth off violent paths.
Starting with young people is one of the strongest ways to prevent future violent crime from happening, according to a 2020 study conducted by public policy, criminology, law, public health, and social science researchers at the City University of New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice Research and Evaluation Center..
“Young people, especially young males, account for a disproportionate amount of community violence. Any effort to reduce violence must involve a special focus on youth,” the study stated.
Strategies that add structure—like jobs, extracurriculars, tutoring, and behavioral intervention—have been shown to decrease their involvement in crime, it continued.
After-school programs with the YMCA and social-emotional learning opportunities are in place to help students in the Lompoc Unified School District, along with social workers and counselors to give any further, guided assistance, District Coordinator of People’s Support Services Paul Bommersbach said.
“For our students to learn in class every day, they need to be able to focus. Right now, there’s a lot of hurdles and roadblocks with many families, and by collaborating not only with Lompoc Unified staff, but with other resources in the community, we can hopefully alleviate and assist these students to be able to focus on academics in the class,” Bommersbach said.
The district also formed a youth violence coalition with community nonprofits, churches, and city officials to better provide student resources. However, the coalition hasn’t been able to get together since the pandemic. Bommersbach said they hope to meet as COVID-19 restrictions lift.
“It’s not just the Police Department, it’s not just the school district, and it’s not just community leaders that need to be proactive to decrease youth violence. Everybody needs to be a part of the solution. We just want to make sure Lompoc Unified is taking part in that discussion,” Bommersbach said.
Collaboration might be a tricky puzzle to put together, said JP Herreda, executive director for the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP), a nonprofit organization that helps individuals exit a life of violence.
Herrada’s work began in South County—specifically working with students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District to teach conflict management skills, gain personal insight, and provide resources to create a more positive environment, according to AVP’s website. Herrada said he looked to expand to Lompoc in December 2021 but ran into difficulties.
“With the violence comes a lot of money. The more crime that happens, a lot of money comes into law enforcement [and programs]. Everybody makes money off of it,” Herrada said.
Herrada said he reached out to a lot of community organizations and found that they wanted to be the “tip of the spear,” in order to get the work’s credit, rather than being willing to take a step back to make room for others to lead.
“We’re all desperately needed in this community, we just have to get past our own egos to come together and say, ‘This is what we are going to do.’ I want us all to realize we are all holding an important piece of the puzzle,” Herrada said. “Every organization is valuable; it’s just about where you are needed at the table. It’s about where you fit to make the best sense and get the best outcomes.”
Reach Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor at [email protected].
Correction: In a previous version of this story, the Sun incorrectly identified the university that the John Jay College Research and Evaluation Center is connected with. It's a stand alone college that's part of the City University of New York. The Sun regrets the error.
