By Eric Heinz
What was borne from a suggestion via a study on crime, commissioned by the city, the San Clemente Public Safety Task Force conducted its first meeting on Friday, July 7.
The task force, comprised of members of the public, city staff, City Council members and the chief of Police Services, discussed possible solutions to crime in San Clemente.
The task force is designed to assess crime statistics in order to provide suggestions to the City Council and Police Services.
Matrix Consulting Group, which conducted a study of crime in the city, reported months ago that, out of a sample of about 500 people, many people think crime is increasing in San Clemente.
Contrarily, crime statistics have stayed fairly consistent, Matrix officials reported, and that most of the crimes are related to property.
Petty theft is one crime that has risen since last year.
The most important crime issues the task force wanted to address included the homeless population, visibility of officers and communication with the public via Police Services.
Lt. Mike Peters, Chief of San Clemente Police Services, said his department is trying to staff as many officers as possible, some of whom are still in training or part-time officers.
As far as the homeless population, Peters explained the regional issue will need regional solutions and that the problems are not unique to San Clemente.
Task force members stopped short of talking about sober living homes and behavioral health treatment facilities, as the city is under current litigation with an emergency/homeless shelter organization as well as other behavioral health treatment facilities.
Peters said the department is starting to compile monthly crime statistics, as was requested by the City Council. The next Public Safety Task Force Meeting is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 18, at the San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville.
The San Clemente homeless are not helpless they are a very well formed solid click and tthey have a leader and Dana point homeless are not allowed on etc. And, the homeless in San Clemente are going to be under investigation by the USMC FOR ARSON IN THE CHRISTIANITOS 750 ACRE FIRE…THEY ARE CRIMINALS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH
If this task force was put together so that the officers and the community have a forum to discuss public safety, this just might be a waste of time for the participating residence and a waste of tax payers money going towards our police officers who attend. To explain my comment. There is an anonymous tip line that has been in place for quite sometime where the community can communicate with officers in regards to crime and other things in which we hope they will acknowledge and respond. Fat chance of this happening. It has been reported through this tip line that an established business in the heart of downtown San Clemente has employed not only an addict but also is a dealer in our community and im not referring to cannibis. This is knowlede that most of the staff and owner are well aware of but continue to let it happen. This dealer deals sometimes while he is at work in the alley behind the business. They deal even to people who have no monetary means to buy drugs but the dealer will except items which most likely are stolen from the residence here. Clear and precise info was provided through this tip line, where all that was left for the officers to do is follow the leads. Its been months and still its allowed to continue. Maybe the department finds traffic violations or citations to people with ladders in the back of their trucks more of a priority. While this popular place the people of are community might frequently spend their money at, surely have no idea that they are helping pay the salary of this individual whom might be excepting your stolen items as a payment for drugs. Its also well known that a high ranking officer frequents this place and is a close friend of the owner.
So to think we are putting a task force together where there scratching there heads on how to better handle public safety, this activity is allowed to continue.
If you are so certain this is happening, name the establishment.
100%, i have shared the establishments name and other pertinent information with the Orange County Sheriff’s department through the tip line. Sharing this information with the public at this time could provide a headsup to those who are participating in this activity and could jeopardize what i hope will be an investigation leading to arrests. If at some point this doesnt get addressed, i have no problem in exposing this business to the public