Double Stabbing on Westside
Street violence issues continue in Santa Barbara with a double stabbing of two brothers on West Micheltorena street around 2 AM Saturday morning.
Whether downtown or in our neighborhoods farther away from real attention, this is a problem we must tackle in 2008.
Whether downtown or in our neighborhoods farther away from real attention, this is a problem we must tackle in 2008.
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 1/13/2008 07:31:00 AM
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58 Comments:
No Argument!
Let's see. It's City Halls fault. Never mention drugs and the effects of the so-called wars.
Obviously it will be explained away because we don't have enough youth programs established on West Micheltorena Street after two o'clock in the morning. Maybe we could apply for a grant for one.
Time for a gang injuction. Contact your city council and get them to move on this issue. Dale Francisco is the right person at the right time - he campaigned on public safety and this is his moment to act on his promises and show up the do-nothing incumbents.
Public safety means not just controlling crimes from the victims perspectives, but it means just as importantly that the REST OF US CAN ALSO FEEL SAFE LIVING IN OUR OWN HOMES AND WALKING IN OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS AT ALL TIMES!
It is time for a city wide curfew -thanks to the inaction of the city council to prevent this bloody nonsense going on in our streets.
This city is now at war in the neighborhoods. Houses go for over a million dollars on this block of West Micheltorena.
Don't kid yourself this is happening in the "barrios" or the intentionally neglected low-income ghettosthe city loves to call affodable-by-blight housing.
It is now happening in up scale neighborhoods like 700 West Micheltorena near the Mesa.
Frank Hotchkiss got it right - if you want to be in a gang, you are not going to live in Santa Barbara. Our gangs attract out of town gangs. It is as simple as that. No more gangs here and the out of town drive-bys will stop.
As usual Travis beats everyone with his wonderful care for the whole community on this problem. Travis keep it up at council. One day they'll listen.
Gangs are the shock troops of the progressive Left used to threaten the bourgeoisie.
For example, Congresswoman Maxine Waters who referred to rioting gangs in 1992 Los Angeles as "our warriors" and danced the electric slide with Crips and Bloods. Or take Das Williams (Daily Sound Oct. 9 2007) Replying to Frank Hotchkiss' campaign plank for gangsters to get out of the gang or get out of Santa Barbara, he replied
"Williams said the Council should try to reach out to marginalized youth, adding that he would gladly watch as Hotchkiss told a hardened gangster to get out of Santa Barbara."
If Das Williams and the council are not willing to stand up to "hardened" gangsters who will?
The fact is Das Williams and Grant House look upon the gangs as their allies in achieving their vision of a just society.
"up scale neighborhoods like 700 West Micheltorena"
LAUGH OUT LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!!
Once again, the rampant ignorance of the comments is shown, and I do not mean neighborhood geography.
Injunctions are when gang violence hits unintended targets, as with guns. That is not happening here and no one is doing any "drive-bys".
However, many Bloga readers certainly would like to know how the Hotchkiss Plan really would work. Even if the definition of a "gang member" can be defined under law, just how does a City force undesired people to reside and spend time in some other jurisdiction?
Just what LEGAL ACTIONS were the City supposed to do here?
Upscale neighborhood? Have you ever been to the 700 block of W. Micheltorena?
10:12am, the reports I see say these weren't kids-- they were adults. That attempt at a political shot misses the mark.
11:15, no one can control whether you feel safe. For some people, fear is an addiction. Like outrage. And anger. And telling other people to do something instead of doing something yourself.
11:21am, those houses really go for over a million? When was that? But really, those houses are at Foodland. That is the West Side. Take a look around Cuca's. What do you see there? If that's upscale, then Salinas street should be called Montecito-adjacent.
Oh, and what kind of curfew are you going to have for adults?
And what drive-by? Drive-by stabbing? A drive-by involves a gun.
This sounds more like "Pull over. I know that fool. F__k that p___y!" and stabbing ensues. That doesn't make it any better. But it seems like thats as stupid as it gets.
People, please. Quit with the fear. Y'all sound like a bunch of cowards. No wonder some of the little a-holes feel like they've won.
Call it what it is without getting so emotional. Let's find solutions. Solutions never come when people lose control over their own emotions.
11:15, so what, exactly, do you expect Francisco to do? Patrol the streets?
I agree with a curfew but doubt the bar owners would. And with a shortage of police, how will it be patrolled, enforced? ...oh, yeah, it's up to new councilman Francisco.
There's clearly got to be police action, but if no one "rats" on the criminal out of fear or whatever, how can the police do anything?
I have already published here the Federal Statistics on violent crime in Santa Barbara. The blunt fact is that it is increasing dramatically.
It is irrevelent if it is happening in Eastside, Westside, Downtown or chic neighborhoods. No neighborhood should have regular stabbing incidents.
What about break-ins?
Something is up. It's clear. And somebody better figure out what to do.
No reason why Westside residents should have to put up with this crap. They should have just as much security as anyone else.
More bike patrols? More police?
Frank H. could have already done a bit of good since he lost the election last November. that is if he really cared. Politicians look to the week and their issues to garner a base. So what has he been doing? Nothing I presume. Hotchkiss and his like-minded has no plan and no clue. Regardless, the recent spurt in gang activity is happening nationwide with few exceptions. Something is in the air and it started at the top level with a corrupt executive level government leading us into a chaotic war. The word on the street is that the executive allowed 9.11 to happen to start a war for oil. The way to clear this up all this angst is for the Republicans to save the day and start impeachment proceedings. If not the electorate will do it for you!
There is growing sentiment this is only limited to gang on gang violence, and that they should just be left to deal with it amongst themselves. Kind of like bum fighting that graced our town a few years back.
And therefore there is nothing for anyone else to fear, as long as one is not in a gang or dealing drugs on gang territory.
This does seem to be a non-leathal right of passage within gang culture. Kind of like earning a Boy Scout merit badge.
There, now I feel so much better about all this violence now that I know it will not affect me.
But then, what about the woman who was also assaulted on the first block of West Micheltorena and State Street, that same night? Was that gang on gang violence as well ....... or will that affect me afterall?
I am so confused. I don't know whether to be frightened or not. Or it they have won, or not.
Oh, oh, oh ............
It is time for the good folk in Santa Barbara who hire illegals under the table to take care of their gardens, clean their houses and watch their kids, that these illegals have their own kids and young people do cause trouble.
Those continuing to hire exploitable illegal labor to save money need to realize the price they are asking the rest of the community to pay.
Gotcha, 6:47. Just a bunch of kids acting out. Now let's get back to business as usual. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
In 2008 I call for setting up gang "rumble zones." We can demarcate them with a blue line painted on the pavement.
The city council should implement an ENORMOUS tax on "second homes" in Santa Barbara County. You know, those $20 million trophy numbers people live in 6 weeks out of the year?
Use the revenue for more cops (and maybe pay teachers more).
Will someone explain to me why all the Travis Armstrong clones think that this is a problem because of action or incation by the City Council? Isn't the Police Force the first group one would think should be responsible?
It's clearly a very difficult problem here in Santa Barbara, but also in many, many cities across the country. It's kind of stupid to blame the City Council as though we have some unique situation here. The City Council does not micro-manage the Police.
What are the actions that you want the City Council to take? Have the Police requested funding or personnel for gang-related activity and been turned down by the Council? If we know how to stop gang activity, maybe we should let Los Angeles in on our plan.
Let's see how this set of responses is going.
1. No problem, the stabbing is on the Westside not in a rich neighborhood.
2. ChekUrself 9:49PM: It's Bush's fault. Impeach Bush and things will get better. Can this be far from the Council's: "The Iraq war did it?"
3. JohnSanRoque: It the police's fault. DUH!
4. "What me worry" responses. It's just normal gang fun. Council likes this response. "Give them basketball."
What a world.
That famous hair-do with the snazzy costumes Das Williams says: "We are down four cops."
So the answer must be a police SURGE, like in Baghdad. It just might work.
Is Das as good as Bush?
Made me sick to see all the bums and slackers hanging around the waterfront, when I saw all those hard working young and professional kids from the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier visit our town.
This city has its priorities all screwed up. We support and encourage the bums to stay and become our welcoming face to those kids on the ship.
Well, we just gave a huge raise to the police, and look... gang crime has gone up!
Looks to me like gang crime is correlated with police pay.
Why not try a big pay cut and see if the police work harder for us.
I coould not have happened. There is no mention of it in the News Press!
My take on the Travis clones is that the police boss is CC, if you carry that out, all the fault is on George Bush. Think of a bad prison warden, they want fighting and bickering. They create jobs and get control by policing, lock up, fear and punishment. The present CC doesn't own the police enough to make it third world, a ruling class with CC in their pocket runs the prison.
Travis clones want a new CC, therefore, to bash present CC works for them. The NP is for one purpose, to get what they want and build the town in their vision. It is not about journalism or a good business. They know what's best for everybody else and use check books for charity to show you how they care.
The crime we see is a small overflow. You can send workers away but the crime won't leave. Drug cartels and what the fed's do are hidden, we don't have a clue in SB. There is purpose in keeping information from the public. You can't solve problems you don't know. Focus on Britney or basil.
To be a Travis clone keep arguing over teens and gangs as if you are isolated in your upscale jail houses. The insignificant will ware down and submit or organize.
it's clear that it the illegals that are to blame for al this increase in gang violence.
STOP HIRING THEM AND MAYBE THEY WILL GO AWAY.
DON'T RENT TO THEM!
Please, it's time to get rid of the low life gangsters.
I say round all these little punks up all, put them in the Earl Warren Showground arena, and tell them to have at it. They can get rid of each other.
Sell tickets to the event.
From the Daily Sound, page 4:
Police said the attack on the two brothers was "most likely gang-related". ..."Several suspects jumped out and attacked the two men." They checked themselves into Cottage Hospital where they received treatment for non-life-threatening wounds, although one received a serious stab wound.
"...Authorities said they have no suspects, adding that the victims have been uncooperative with the police."
What, exactly, are the police, let alone the city council supposed to do when there is this kind of lack of cooperation.
Mr. Hotchkiss, Mr. Francisco, Ms. Giddens --- you all campaigned on this issue. What, exactly, each of you, would you do if you were on the council? Ooops, Mr. Francisco is there. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say tomorrow in his first council session.
City council is doing absolutely nothing significant about the gang violence problem.
Absolutely nothing significant!
and they don't even have a clue!
I have friends in the grocery business. I own land and could grow food, I'm lazy. I can walk and I could drive less. I can manage if prices double, triple. I can mow my own lawn. It would work for employers to let workers go and rehire full time at 35 an hour with medical. If workers can't get the papers to have a job, they will leave. Taxpayers won't need to pay for round ups. More kids would work when money is good, less time to fight. Give drug dealers longer sentences.
Tax oil, gas, booze, cigs, sugar, mansions, luxury and anyone over 350 thousand a year. Hire more police and teachers, give them better pay and affordable housing. Use hemp products for fuel. Let people grow a few plants. Herb and hash to be marketed for profit and tax. Tax the diamine out of it. Driving under influence huge fines and it is not for the young.
Give blue collar and white collar crimes longer sentences. That would create a better work force. Three strikes don't work. First offense needs to be there at least 5 years. Next time 10. Not parole but blue and white collar criminals teach skills for 2-4 years to the unskilled. They both show success or do hard labor.
The sailors have a dress code, it's like a union and more. Sailors are sharp. It was tragic what happened last Fiesta. You won't find sharp looking polite groups where schools are under funded, housing a problem, public dialogue is ugly or not at all. When it gets bad enough I'll move away. There is alot of work to do.
How many of you people have walked more than one mile of urban Santa Barbara at any time of day? We walk many miles daily in SB day and night. We do not drive.
We even walk the streets of DOWNTOWN SB WEEKENDS at 2AM sometimes, just to witness what really happens downtown at night.
It's not what you have been led to believe. It's great people watching and unbelieveably safe.
And we're retired folk.
Anyone want to join us for a walk? The rest of you can request to go on a CITIZEN RIDE ALONG with the police department, you scardey cats!!
You might even meet someone new.
Sincerely,
FRED & LAMONT SANFORD
Reply to: don jose, etc.
You have missed my point. I am not blaming the Police, but saying that it's a problem that no city seems to have been able to solve, as far as I know. Blaming the Police is unfair, but blaming the City Council is even more inappropriate.
The droning editorials in the News-Press blaming the City Council for inaction are what we've come to expect from Armstrong: accusations with no substance behind them and no recommendations. I'm waiting for the next gang attack to be blamed on Brian Barnwell and Camilla Cohee.
You people talkin' about more jail time, 'lock 'em up', and so forth: haven't you read: there's a state budget crisis and thousands of low-ranking criminals will be let out of jail early. Where do you think some of them will come?
Haven't you also heard: the SB County Jail is already over-flowing.
The solution is not/will not be lock more of 'em up, although that might help.
But what is the solution?
That is the question.It's up to the Council to give leadership which, so far (never give up!) has been lacking.
Maybe - just maybe - it's up to the parents and the schools and :::gasp::: ourselves.
And in the meantime, expect more gang/group activity since this city is growing and the pressure is on, heavy pressure from some of the good guilt-feeling home-owning people to add more housing and more housing means more people just as more freeways mean more traffic. More traffic = more accidents; more people = more crime.
Fred and Lamont are right.
We live and walk westside downtown as we have for years.
It's not what the hype is saying.
There are problems like anywhere.
What is new is the media reports more stabbings.
The Newspress skips local news.
They have an agenda they twist in the editorials.
Notice they print a letter from Mayor.
That's fair.
Too bad it was a set up.
Don't it look like they're unbias?
Too bad they use it for editor to yap.
They've done that before.
WATCH THEM DIRTY TRICKS.
I wish there was a blog for letters to the editor and the local news they skip.
All the letters to the editor the Newspress won't print.
18 year old stabbed on Kentia. The city needs higher minimum wage. End illegal occupations and nuclear weapons. USS Ronald Reagan nuclear powered aircraft carrier.
Yo Sanfords, ever the optimists...
Another stabbing Monday night on the Westside.
Take a toodle over there.
We need to do something drastic to rid this beautiful town of these low life little gang bangers.
In all seriousness we should consider passing a new city ordinance that makes the penalty castration for the first conviction of stabbing someone with a knife. not for killing them mind you but just for stabbing them!
That would get their attention as they would surely think twice before risking their 'family jewels"
So our response to a request for a WESTSIDE JAUNT is "ANYTIME... WE LOVE IT, BABY!!"
We won't belabor our intimate knowledge of Kentia and Modoc, or how that's on our route from home to downtown, west beach or the mesa.
We've even had the privilege of walking someone from Hollywood who said he had gotten "lost" when giving directions to a cab driver then put out at the corner of Portesuello and Modoc with no idea where he was back to the Hotel Santa Barbara downtown at 11PM one night during last Fiesta. By the way it takes about 40-45 minutes from there.
Why not avoid ignorantly using "gang" sloganeering and concentrate on providing meaningful opportunities for all kids? It's really that simple.
Fred & Lamont Sanford
Another stabbing and robbery on Modoc and Kentia at 9am Monday, on the Westside. And indeed, this was right next to the area of million dollar plus homes - the new Greenwell Acres.
Bye bye Westside and all those who live in BelAir Heights who drive down into this part of town everyday. This is spreading well beyond the poverty stricken downtown Westside.
Why aren't the homeowners there doing something about this?
Hey Fred and Lamont,
I saw you guys rollin down State Street with Julio and his goat. i thought fred was gonna have a heart attack. Trust me, ain't nobody gonna mess witchyo.
Folks,
There is only one way to rid our town of this scum and it is to arrest the parents and hold them responsible for their minor children.
Send the message loud and clear THAT THIS GANG BEHAVIOR IS SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE IN SANTA BARBARA. This is not Watts.
There is already a law on the books that says that parents are legally responsible for any crimes by their children under the age of 18.
So lets try enforcing it and see what happens.
I can tell you what will happen. That is the only thing that will wake up the parents and get them to TAKE CHARGE of their little PUNK gang-bangers !
So everybody write a letter to the editor and call your council person and call the police and tell then you want them to enforce this law.
Right now they are literally and figuratively getting away with murder!
The sooner the city gets a higher minimum wage the safer we'll be. Up the pay for agricultural work. Don't send the poor to fight war, train them for domestic disasters and as homeland nurses and doctors. That will bring good pride in community. You'll get more action from citizens free from thoughts of war and with a fair income. The Travis travesty has had time to work. How many replays will he do? He flunked. Higher fees and taxes on mansions is the way to go.
I’m proud of a country where people work longer hours and have fewer benefits. Remember we must sacrifice our sons for freedom. Send boys to Iraq when their grade levels drop or they graduate from school. If the prerequisite to get into college was 4 years of military service, you'd have more obedient teens.
The world experts, as The Terrorism Index, see today is one that continues to grow more threatening. Fully 91 percent say the world is becoming more dangerous for Americans and the United States, up 10 percentage points since February. Eighty-four percent do not believe the United States is winning the war on terror, an increase of 9 percentage points from six months ago. More than 80 percent expect a terrorist attack on the scale of 9/11 within a decade, a result that is more or less unchanged from one year ago.
Why would Santa Barbara be different?
why is everyone so lathered up?
there are no innocents caught in the crossfire.
it's ufc on the streets instead of the tube with willing participants.
will drive down housing prices; can you say affordable by design? while reducing population, isn't that what many of you are after?
That is "affordable by blight"; not affordable by design.
Unless of course you mean the city council's design to ignore blight and stop gentrification of the blighted areas in order to keep housing affordable in some parts of town; but not their own.
Parents to prison, is a nice sound bite. Employers who conspire to have employees fabricate under loath deserve prison time, too.
Build a prison in the city to house parents, employers and the homeless.
That wasn't us. We donated the Goat to the News Press' petting zoo after Julio got deported to Puerto Rico or the Bronx.
The WALK was not just TALK! We might just make a video and post it one of these days.
You big dummies sound like you're scared of your own shadows. Why not just cage off all of the entire State Street and call it State Street State Prison?
Hey Wendy, how about sending some BIRRIA TACOS over to Hillary!!
Love,
Fred & Lamont Sanford
Arrest gang members and intern them on San Miguel Island. Feed them with air drops. Let God sort them out.
Truly important article in this morning's Daily Sound, page 7, about the public-not-invited SB public officials meeting on Jan. 31, 9-11, at the Chase Palm Park Center.
Perhaps we the great (uninvited) unwashed should hang out there at 9AM, faces against the windows, watching our tax-payer paid government (and whoever else are the "community leaders") people snack on donuts and coffee as they muse about what to do to keep things quiet.
Shame on you, Marty, for thinking/saying, "They don't need the public. They need to put their heads together." ...What's happened to the old leftist community refrain, Together we will overcome!?
Y'all may well not "need the public", especially y'all that are termed out, but the public needs to participate.
Good for the DS for running this opinion piece. Thanks! It serves no longer term public interest for the people to be uninvited.
(Btw, somewhat curious: I wonder how many of those "community leaders" live on the lower west or east sides? Or even walk there regularly? Or even visit? If they did they'd see in many places the disrespect given to these neighborhoods. Maybe a start would be regular street/curbside trash (discarded food, bottles, cans, paper, kleenex, plastic bags, broken glass, dog poop) pickups — perhaps by these same "community leaders" — to show that the city cares. Littered areas just reinforce the sense that no one gives a damn....)
7:06 a.m.
I agree with your wonderful idea.
Great plan pat riot except McCaw gang wouldnt survive overnite.
11;18 a.m.
You got it wrong, buddy.
It is the News Press haters who would not survive!
It is a the news press haters who are few in number and who underestimate the huge support that the News Press has in his community.
For every one news press hater there are 10 News Press supporters ready and willing to take them on.
Where were the many Wendy supporters when the film Citizen McCaw requested supporters to speak up? Do you read other newspapers? Show us all the supporters? She does have supporters, they need to not be ashamed. Speak up in more publications and the next documentary. The 20 to 30 people (I embellished the numbers for you) must stop hiding. Do a film, write to more publications and sign your name. Scott and Travis lied to a judge. It's 1000s times easier to make it up on a blog. If you have anything to back up your words, leave a link
So far Wendy supporters are the people she buys, lawyers and some radical like Wendy thinkers. Your braggadocio is limp.
8:08 p.m.
It is you who are limp!
10:47 p.m.
Empty words, that's all?
Can of silly to put this here...but for completeness we should note another new terrible stabbing in San Barbara...
Have the Sanfords checked it out yet?
Travis is the stabbing expert! NOT MCCAW! I will never return to the pathetic people.
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