CM PRESS # 852

STATE WARNS COSTA MESA ABOUT FAIRGROUNDS
At the present time, Costa Mesa is tilting at windmills. If the City wants to keep the fairgrounds as fairgrounds, then it better buy it. LINK
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LATEST COSTA MESA GANG NEWS

According to a report received this past week from the CMPD, there are 7 active street gangs in Costa Mesa. The largest gang has 71 members and the smallest 19. In total, there are 267 active gang members in Costa Mesa in these 7 gangs.

These numbers appear to be almost the same as the CMPD reported in 2007 in a report to the City Council. However, in the earlier report the active gang members number was given as approximately 300. We're not sure from reading the new report and the old report whether this indicates a net loss of 33 gang members or whether both numbers are just approximations.

From other sources, we understand that all seven gangs are Latino gangs, and while there may be a few non-Latino individuals mixed in, these gangs follow the Latino gang pattern of being turf oriented.More about the significance of this further on.

Here are the numbers we received from the CMPD:

Enforcement 2006/ 2007/ 2008
Activity

Felony Arrest 133/ 150/ 176

Misdemeanor 150/ 166/ 200
Arrests
Total Arrests 283/ 316/ 376

Gang Contacts 787/ 1193/ 2141

STEP
Notices
Issued 62/ 89/ 236

Firearms
Seized 18/ 3/ 2


CM PRESS ANALYSIS: Since the number of gangs and the number of gang members appear to have remained constant over the reporting years, but the number of Gang Contacts and STEP Notices Issued have gone much higher, it appears that the CMPD under its new leadership is working harder to rid Costa Mesa of gangs.

There was no explanation given as to why there was a drop in Firearms Seized, but if we have a chance we'll ask the CMPD.

Now, if the City Council would just help the CMPD by removing or thinning out the slums, we're sure we'd see a big drop in gang activity and gang related crime.

MORE ON "TURF ORIENTED" and STANTON

"Turf oriented" means that the gangs NEED their slum neighborhoods to exist as much as outlaw motorcycle gangs need their motorcycles to exist. Remove the slums and the gangs fade away.

See our article in CM PRESS # 851 or HERE about how the City of Stanton is doing EXACTLY what the CM PRESS has been saying that Costa Mesa should do in this regard, i.e. it is thinning out the slums in that city and putting in green areas and parking.

And, Stanton is also doing it EXACTLY as the CM PRESS has recommended Costa Mesa do it, by not using redevelopment or eminent domain to buy up slum units.

The reason a City such as Stanton or Costa Mesa should not use redevelopment or eminent domain to buy up slum units is because, by law, the City that does this will have to replace the slum units with at least double the number of low income units that is has removed. Thus, a City trying to rid itself of high crime areas, but using redevelopment and eminent domain, often just builds in more high crime areas for the future.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.