Responding to a recent escalation in gang violence in the Newlove area of Santa Maria, city and law enforcement officials planned to turn a monthly community meeting scheduled for Sept. 23 into a public forum on crime prevention and mitigation.
Over the last month and a half, the area has been the site of several crimes that police later determined to be gang-related, including a homicide committed in the 300 block of West Newlove.
Prior to the forum, Cpl. Jesus Valle of the Santa Maria Police Department said the recent increase in crime is attributable to a mix of factors.
“It’s a growing population, so you’re going to see growing problems,” said Valle, whose beat includes the Newlove area.
It could also be that more people are reporting the crimes, he added.
“It’s difficult to say. It’s probably a combination of both,” he said. “But historically, there has always been a high volume of police calls coming from that area, whether for alcohol or noise violations, or gang violence.”
The most important tool for combating these crimes, Valle said, is making sure people feel safe enough to report them.
“Usually, with gang crimes, people are hesitant to report the crime out of fear of retaliation,” he said. “But that apprehension is what gangs want people to feel.”
The purpose of the meeting—and future meetings—is to ensure Santa Marians that “police can do their job” and protect citizens, Valle said.
“The sooner the crime is reported and the more details we get, the quicker and more effective the response,” he said.
People can report crimes either by calling 911 or the police department at 928-3781, Ext. 277.
“If they think it’s an emergency that warrants calling 911, they should call,” Valle explained. “Otherwise, non-emergency calls can be made to the department.”
The next community meeting is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 28 at the Edwards Community Building, 809 Panther Drive, in Santa Maria.
For more information, visit the city’s website, ci.santa-maria.ca.us, and click on “police services.”
This article appears in Sep 24 – Oct 1, 2009.