NOTES BY NORSE
The sweep of the lies both in the Sentinel article and in the Task Force’s title is impressive. Dutifully echoed by Sentinel reporter, even by psuedo-liberals and misguided radicals who try to jump on the “Public Safety” bandwagon, the Task Force is not about Public Safety, but about Public Prejudice–directed almost exclusively at those outside–by necessity or choice and those who come from outside.
“Public Safety” was redefined as “conduct pleasing to arch-conservatives and homeless-haters” from the beginning. Who stacked the group–no homeless or homeless advocates included–though “homeless crime” was clearly the main topic from the getgo.
Things that a privileged housed middle class person consider a “nuisance” is now blasted as a “crime” and “public safety” issue. Deceptive packaging to slip through the poison pill—long championed by those whose priority is property values, gentrification downtown, and a gated community mentality.
By “crime”, the Task Force really means “unsightly behavior by poor people” as well as “drug
prohibition behavior” that has nothing to do with real violence and crime. Hence no research or investigation into rape, assault, white collar crime, and the record of the SCPD and Sheriff in dealing with these issues.
It’s all part of the business/gentry agenda to remove the visible poor and homeless from public areas, and preferably from town entirely. Something similar was done with blacks, Japanese, Chinese, Oakies, …hey, even the Irish, way back when. You criminalize them by defining their survival behavior as “crimes”
(i.e. sleeping at night). You then create penalties. Presto–new crimes! And a new crime wave requiring more police, security guards, rangers, hosts, and jail cells!.
You gasp at the new “crime” statistics thatthen result. Guided by the homeless-ophobic hand of Deputy-Chief Steve Clark. You terrify the community with a manufactured “needle menace”. Then you deepen, strengthen, and legitimize the police state methods being use downtown, along the levee, in the Pogonip, in the parks, and elsewhere as your “solution”.
Ah, yes, then you frighten the phony liberals into killing needle exchange—which heightens illness in the community. You pass more abusive laws that criminalize most street performances, vending, and other progressive street activity downtown. You run to the courts to scream & lie to get 17 days of false imprisonment for Ken Maffei, the flower man falsely accused of stealing posies from the Baker-Butler memorial, when he had a receipt for their purchase in his pocket (See http://www.santacruzsentinel.
.
You ignore systematic and regular homeless abuse masquerading as “Clean-up’s” (See http://www.indybay.org/
Then have Policepoodle Shanna McCord fluff up the coverage by helpfully ignoring real crime and giving phony credibility to this institutionalized hate group.
Take one look at the abusive recommendations they’re making to unwelcome poor & homeless people in Santa Cruz (See http://www.cityofsantacruz.
You’ll see endorsement of the worse myths of the Drug Prohibition War (more cops, harsher penalties, less services re-criminalization of marijuana). You’ll see proposed attacks on homeless health, well-being, dignity, and life (no services for those with sitting next to a building tickets, $ to destroy homeless survival camps, cut-backs on basic services like meals).
All the while, ad rags like the Santa Cruz Weekly feature hate-stoker Analicia Cube on their covers as pinup girl and local hero. Her critics on Community TV are shut down by new right-wing programming imperatives, justified as “budget adjustments”.
It’s going to be a cold winter under the regency of Rack-em-and-Roust-em Robinson—the next likely Mayor. Mayor Bryant, Lane, Posner, and the whole City Council cannot escape responsibility for this abomination. Take Back Santa Cruz has certainly taken back the agenda with its thinly-disguised Class War program. It’s up to the rest of us to Bring Back Santa Cruz.
Deliberations begin for Santa Cruz’s public safety group
SANTA CRUZ — After several months of studying crime and many quality of life problems, the Public Safety Citizen Task Force got down to business Wednesday with solutions for the City Council to consider.
Task force members said the goal of their draft report is to reduce crime, recidivism and anti-social behaviors seen citywide.
Prevention, education, connection and strategic enforcement are at the heart of the recommendations that were laid out at a meeting led by county Treasurer Fred Keeley, who is not a task force member but is guiding the group through the policy process.
“The task force believes Santa Cruz should no longer tolerate individuals who routinely victimize the community and recommends a re-branding campaign to combat the perception that Santa Cruz is an easy place to commit crime without consequence,” the draft found.
The group scrutinized a draft report, spending four hours combing through words and phrases and debating deletions and additions.
The main prevention initiatives included increased drug treatment funding, expansion of youth programming, truancy enforcement, environmental design and “re-branding” Santa Cruz’s image as a place soft on crime.
Emphasis would be placed along the San Lorenzo River corridor, Harvey West Park, downtown and the Main Beach area because that is where “the vast majority of criminal and nuisance behaviors” take place, the report found.
The group recommends an education campaign to warn parents and children on the dangers of substance abuse because Santa Cruz has “an extremely high rate of substance-related criminal activity and dearth of early education,” the report read.
In addition, more cohesive neighborhoods would help deter crime, task force members said, though they acknowledge that residents can be reluctant to work together.
“Opportunities for action must be made available to neighborhood organizations through funding, collaboration and management assistance,” according to the report.
The task force, which was created earlier this year by Mayor Hilary Bryant in response to a public perception of rising violent crime, has been meeting every other week since May.
The group was designed to allow a community-based solution to ongoing issues such as discarded syringes being found in parks and beaches.
Until Wednesday, the task force has been visited by a panel of experts in the areas of crime, criminal justice, homelessness, social services, drugs and gangs to educate the group.
Speakers have included City Attorney John Barisone, Monica Martinez of the Homeless Services Center, District Attorney Bob Lee, Judge John Salazar, Judge Ari Symons and representatives from the county Health Services Agency.