CRIME PREVENTION

Recently the Union-Tribune reported that crime is down in San Diego. That's great news and we should all say thank you the next time we see a San Diego police officer. For too long they have been forced to protect our streets with perilously thin staff levels, and they've done a great job.

There is an untold story here, however, and it is the story of crime in District 3. Unfortunately, crime is going up in our neighborhoods, especially violent crimes. Last year from January through November, District 3 had the highest rate of violent crime per population of any district in the City. Nine murders, 52 rapes, 425 robberies and 601 aggravated assaults combine for a total of 1,087 violent crimes in District 3 during that time period. It is no wonder, then, that people in our neighborhoods are telling me, "We don't feel safe."

The neighborhoods of District 3 deserve the same level of safety we enjoy in the rest of the City. That is why I have made public safety one of my top three priorities since the very beginning of my campaign. As your city councilmember I will fight to:

Bring back our community relations officers. Crime fighting starts with crime prevention, and these officers have the skills to help us in both areas. They know our neighborhoods and our people. History has shown us that our communities are safer when community relations officers are protecting our neighborhoods! I will fight to restore these officers in the police department's budget, especially in areas that are experiencing an upswing in crime.

Tailor our crime prevention efforts to our neighborhoods. I serve as a resident panelist on the Mid City Prostitution Impact Panel that works to deter criminal activity in City Heights. This is a special concern in my community and solving it requires a cooperative effort with the citizens and business owners of the community. I will extend this approach to fighting crimes to other neighborhoods with special concerns.

Ensure that police resources are allocated where crime is highest. Since crime is going up in District 3 when it is going down in most other areas of the city, the City Council needs to work with the police department to ensure that resources are allocated according to criminal activity.

Continue the recovery process in our Police Department. We must not be lulled into believing that a one year raise will solve our attrition problems in the department. We must continue to provide incentives for our police officers to stay in San Diego. It makes sense from a safety standpoint and also from a financial standpoint, since police officers require about $100,000 of training. We can't continue to spend our tax dollars training police officers for other cities!

San Diego has some of the best police officers in the country. If I am elected as your City Councilmember, I pledge to work with them to make District 3 safe for our families.

LEARN MORE ABOUT KEEPING YOUR FAMILY SAFE.

Subscribe to Neighborhood e-Watch. This program of the San Diego Police Department allows you to monitor crime in your neighborhood. Click here to subscribe.

Get information on crime prevention, neighborhood watch and other programs to help keep your community safe.

Stay Safe!