Community Plan to Reduce Crime

By Joel R. Panzer

If elected, I will promote a plan to engage city residents with expanded recreational and library programs focused on our youth, with a long term vision of reducing crime. In addition, I would support revamped patrol and enforcement operations.

Many of our youth have parents that must work, sometimes two jobs, to afford to live here. This leave our kids home alone after school until parents arrive home. Peer pressures and lack of adult supervision and role models can lead to crime and/or gang affiliation - a leading cause of violent crime and criminal activity in Salinas.

My approach in addressing this complex matter is two-fold:

1) I propose creating an Athletic Director level position, similar to that found in College/University settings, to develop and expand recreational opportunites and year-round league programs. This position would also include a development director element to research outside funding and partnerships with local employers and foundations to make this work.

Expanded recreation programming will help our youth develop good social skills (teamwork, discipline) enhance self-esteem and, perhaps, increase individual athletic and competitive skills that could result in scholarships. This approach may, in the long run, steer youth away from crime and gang involvement and provide an atmoshphere for faimly members to support their children's activities. It seems to me that, while this idea will not eliminate crime, if we can steer at risk kids away from crime and gangs, this community approach would be less costly than funds being spent on enforcement, prosecution and incarceration.

2) With respect to patrol and enforcement, I beleive our city must be tougher on crime. I would ask the City Council to change the the job review and hiring/termination of the Police Chief that is currently done by the City Manager and have this position report directly to the Coincil. I would also promote enhanced enforcement operations such as traffic stops for expired vehicle license plates, foot patrols in heavily populated areas, including downtown and the Alisal, promote a City residency requirement for newly hired police staff and promote building a patrol sub-station(s) in a strategically selected location near our current high crime area(s). I would support expanding patrol operations, within the ability of the City's budget to support staffing increases. Once again, there are no easy solutions to crime, but the presence of officers and more opportunities to confront possible criminal activity is warranted, given Salinas' national reputation for gang activity.

3) I would support the hiring of a Head Librarian with a demonstrated background in both activities programming and fundraising. Even with the passage of Measure V, our libraries essentially remain shut down. In the long term, this has hurt our library and our citizens. We can not sit back and relax: Measure V will expire in ten short years and we need a competent individual with a long term vision that can see our library programs being successful in 12 years or 15 years from now. Expanded programming, particularly in the afternoons, will benefit this City's children and provide a positive outlet for their energy and creativity.