I have never seen anything as blatant as the gangs of criminals roaming the small town streets here, robing, stealing, and intimidating law abiding citizens, believing they have absolute impunity, but I do not blame law enforcement for their existence. Good moral character begins with good parenting, and sadly many just do not get that here. Scum parents raise scum children. That apple does not fall far from the tree. So these kids start early with drug and alcohol use, while stealing to support their escape into inebriation. In an intoxicated state, the disrespect for law abiding citizen’s safety and property becomes just a matter of course.

Last night on J Street, near the intersection of 9th, and just after sunset, I observed a gang of ten punks all late teens and early twenties squaring off for a all too familiar brawl seen out on J Street from my window. They were all just standing in the middle of J Street drinking alcohol and brazenly passing a pipe back and forth. One was on a bicycle, and someone gave him a samurai sword, which he slid into his backpack, in such a position as to draw that sword instantaneously. I called it in, and CCPD was here in about two minutes. That was a very rapid response to an area where the homeowners and renters are of low to moderate income but high crime rates, not Pebble Beach Drive, if you get my drift. Another time when a crazy woman was trying to break down our door to enter, while shouting “I am going to kill you!”; it took 25 minutes for CCPD to arrive, and she was long since gone. We do not have enough officers to cover all calls with rapid response, and the thugs know it.

What do we do to acquire more revenue to go solely for law enforcement patrol officers? I would like to see walking beat officers in problem areas like the area of 9th and J Street. They could just park their patrol cars nearby and in sight, walk around a bit, meet the good neighbors, and see these thugs better than just driving by. How many times have you known of criminal activity such as a drug house, or theft ring operating in your neighborhood, and would love to be able to point it out in confidence to the cops? In the interim, everyone has to stand up to these criminals, like I do, and tell them we are watching them. Yeah, you may hear about my having been stabbed or shot in the Triplicate, but I refuse to back off. Who is with me? Lets take back our streets! There is strength in numbers.

John Wood

Crescent City, Ca.