Righeimer and Gazsi on "Early Release" Crime
PART OF "REAL ORANGE" SEGMENT
In case you missed it, yesterday Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer and Police Chief Tom Gazsi were interviewed on PBS SoCal's "Real Orange" news program on the issue of the impact of so-called "AB 109" prisoner releases on local crime.
THE RECENT SWEEP
Reporters followed along as members of the CMPD and the Orange County Probation Department made sweeps throughout Costa Mesa recently and snatched up 7 probation violators and used that activity as the foundation of their news report last night.
VOICE OF OC REPORT
Our friends at the Voice of OC, which partners with PBS SoCal on local news issues, have reported on this issue today, HERE, in a piece that includes the video segment from the "Real Orange" broadcast last night.
DIFFERENT VIEWS
I think you'll find it interesting that Righeimer and Gazsi have different views on the impact the AB 109 prisoners in our community. Righeimer, the non-cop (although he is related to one) is sure that AB 109 is having a big impact on crime, and says so. Gazsi, the career police officer with more than three decades fighting crime in our area, takes a more measured approach. He's willing to wait until we have enough statistics to validate Righeimer's claim.
IT'S GOING TO GET WORSE
And, as reporter David Nazar states in the report, it's probably only going to get worse. In the meantime, the CMPD will continue to watch the early release population in our community closely and use its diminished resources to grab them up if they violate the terms of their releases.
DANGEROUS WORK
As a sidebar, lest you think these sweeps are routine, easy assignments for our law enforcement folks, earlier this week a member of the Los Angeles Police Department was shot in the face during a probation investigation, covered HERE by Fox 11 News in Los Angeles. These are the kind of situations our police officers potentially face every time they knock on a probationers door.
In case you missed it, yesterday Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer and Police Chief Tom Gazsi were interviewed on PBS SoCal's "Real Orange" news program on the issue of the impact of so-called "AB 109" prisoner releases on local crime.
Reporters followed along as members of the CMPD and the Orange County Probation Department made sweeps throughout Costa Mesa recently and snatched up 7 probation violators and used that activity as the foundation of their news report last night.
Our friends at the Voice of OC, which partners with PBS SoCal on local news issues, have reported on this issue today, HERE, in a piece that includes the video segment from the "Real Orange" broadcast last night.
I think you'll find it interesting that Righeimer and Gazsi have different views on the impact the AB 109 prisoners in our community. Righeimer, the non-cop (although he is related to one) is sure that AB 109 is having a big impact on crime, and says so. Gazsi, the career police officer with more than three decades fighting crime in our area, takes a more measured approach. He's willing to wait until we have enough statistics to validate Righeimer's claim.
And, as reporter David Nazar states in the report, it's probably only going to get worse. In the meantime, the CMPD will continue to watch the early release population in our community closely and use its diminished resources to grab them up if they violate the terms of their releases.
DANGEROUS WORK
As a sidebar, lest you think these sweeps are routine, easy assignments for our law enforcement folks, earlier this week a member of the Los Angeles Police Department was shot in the face during a probation investigation, covered HERE by Fox 11 News in Los Angeles. These are the kind of situations our police officers potentially face every time they knock on a probationers door.
Labels: AB 109, CMPD, Jim Righeimer, PBS SoCal, Real Orange, Tom Gazsi
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 6/28/2013 09:44:00 AM
17 Comments:
If you want to see some hard police work. Working with locals and out of area folks watch the police presentaion on the skate park. Check out the trends there. Talk about taking a knife to a gun fight. These park rangers are up to there eyeballs in unknowns. All the risk to keep the kids safe.
Police work is always steady, no knee jerk reactions. Politics is all about shoot ready aim.
That story's coming up next here.
We agree with the Chief that this issue, to quote the Chief, "is a concern".
As with any story covered by this blog, you really need to see what real media says to fully understand the issue.
Otherwise all you see is the angry man's opinion of the world. Unless that is your view. Then it is acceptable for the vocal minority.
They too wish to find fault.
Hmmmm,
Very interesting. I provide you with not one, but two views from the "real media" on this story and you criticize my coverage of it.
At the top of this page, as you well know, I tell you that this is MY view of the world and MY OPINION of events.
I want to know what Stavely thinks! LOL
The City of Cypress adopted Ordinance No.1132 as great tool to control their Sex Offender "Parolees" within their City's limits. If more cities had similar ordinances then SO populations could not be placed into the same State "contracted" motel upon their mandated release.
CM CC could easily adopt a similar SO ordinance to protect it's most vulnerable residents: homeless "motel children" against these specific parolees with inevitable "repeat offender" tendencies.
I understand that CEO Hatch & CMPD are working long & hard w/ the NITF CE Team to address and resolve many of the crime issues plaguing our challenged City, but sometimes you just don't have to reinvent the wheel...
Who cares if this has an impact on crime, because as we all know from the Mayor and junior Mayor, we don't have a crime problem in the City. Crime rates are always going down and this should just eliminate any and all remaining crime that was planning on starting up.
Wasn't this recent round-up of early release probationers funded by using overtime? Is that how this issue is going to be addressed going forward? If it is I hope I don't hear word one from the dais regarding escalating overtime costs.
As a CMPD Veteran (14 years plus) Patrol Officer, I believe crime is increasing in our city signifigantly more then our neighboring cities because our department has become a reactionary police department instead of a proactive police department.
This is what happens when staffing levels are at their lowest in years.. No longer do we have the proactive street team details. Vice? Does not exist so the prostitutes/pimps can work in almost ALL, yes ALL, motels and hotels with very little fear of being caught. I'll stop there. I think you get the jist of it.
Whether its our Mayor's fault or AB109, we as a city need to ACT NOW to fix the problem, so we can again be a proactive police department. We can play the blame game later, after our city is safe.
Dear Faithful. Open your contract and all this can be solved. Stop obstructing
Dear No complaining, all of your whine makes me sleepy.
@no complaining: A PD member makes a cogent argument without rhetoric or blaming and all you can do is make a snide "open your contract" comment? And you wonder why your ilk is so mistrusted and thought so lowly?
Contract will open soon enough, and then what? Things are already so bad the department is unraveling at the seams. The chief has alluded to it, staff has alluded to it. What's it going to take? Do you think this city actually has a fair shot at rebuilding a police department with onsey and twosey hires here and there. Officers are leaving at a rate greater than there is a capacity to replace them. It will take years; the better part of a decade to get the police department back into some semblance of true proactive policing. And then, only if your cronies can listen and show some political leadership. What they have displayed so far is following, not leading.
@ No complaining,
How very narrow minded you are. Obviously you do not realize how precarious our staffing levels are. Not to mention the current work environment.
Do you even realize or care an entire generation of well trained officers left when the pink slips were given out. No big deal to you now, but what happens when you cannot find enough quality qualified people to hire to fill in for all the retirees or people who leave for other agencies with better contracts. Do you remember how the last hiring process went? Probably not..
This is not the military. Officers can/have and will continue to leave for better benefits and a happier work environment any time they want to..
Do you realize there is only maybe a handful of officers in the 25-30 year old range. The average age now is closer to 40. So that means no new blood. In briefing, we often will joke about the junior man on the shift having over 10 years on.
Many are nursing injuries, afraid to say anything because they love this job and do not want to be forced to medically retire or they do not want to leave the department even more shorthanded while they take time to heal. Many seek medical treatment on their own time and dime to avoid filing a required workman's comp claim. I know this probably goes counter to your views, but I think it needs to be said.
I guess what you have to ask yourself Mr No Complaining is this, do you want the bottom of the barrel officer responding to your aid in a life threatening situation making split second real world decisions that can cost the city multimillion dollars if not handle correctly, not to mention your loved ones life? How are you going to handle the constant exodus of officer leaving after being trained for better paying jobs if they are not fairly compensated?
And, just so you know, I have and will continue to risk my life to serve and protect the citizens of Costa Mesa and the people who visit even if they have differing opinions or beliefs. I will not hold your narrow mindedness against you in your hour of need.
Faithful Servant,
Thank you for your hard work and dedication in keeping our city safe. I am grateful for you and all your fellow officers at our CMPD.
why are our well paid cops leaving? what is the real reason? is it unsafe to work here? Is Compton safer? Lack of promotion opportunities? Or do they just see they don't run the city anymore and there are other cities/residents to be had? I don't think it is the Chief. The council has only tried to represent taxpayers. How can that make one leave. You have to have thicker skin than that. Or are they just all little Stavely's, run and hide and a flameout letter as you go? Let's get some real MEN and WOMEN here. The pay/benefits are outstanding.
Faithful Servant, there are many of us who appreciate our police force very much. Thank you.
I don't know what it is going to take to get attention to these issues. Maybe a march on city hall? I'd lead the pack.
Like him or hate him....Stavely's letter was accurate.
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