HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 01141992 - S.5 w..ws....��:4.....__.__...
TO: BOARD OF SUPE RVISORS •
Contra
FROM: Supervisor Tom Torlakson Costa
January 14, 1992 C01
GATE:
REQUEST COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S STAFF TO PREPARE A R PORT ON
SUBJECT: CRIME AND SOCIAL, PROBLEMS IN THE WEST PITTSBURG COMMUNITY AND
RECOMMEND MITIGATION MEASURES
SPECIFIC REQUEST(5) OR RECOMMENDATIONS) S BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMiONDOD ACTION: Direct the County Administrator to
report on crime andj�social problems in West Pittsburg and develop
mitigation measures similar to what is being developed for the North
Richmond community and work with Supervisor Torlakson and the West
Pittsburg MunicipaliAdvisory Council as they further develop an Action
Plan to address these problems.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: I have over the past year submitted
two reports on the crime problems facing West Pittsburg. While
several of' the recommendations have already been implemented, and
while further progress is being made by the Willowbrook Task Force
which has been meeting monthly since October, much more help is needed.
I am aware of the problems facing the North Richmond area and the
efforts of Supervisor Tom Powers to work with the community. I
support these efforts and understand the severity of the crime
afflicting North Richmond.
The West „Pittsburg community is struggling with similar
severe problems of "crime: Many residents have been working hard to
improve their neighborhoods through neighborhood watch programs and
pride projects . There is a need for a much stronger partnership with
the county to address the ongoing problems of drugs, prostitution and
other crimes in the area. This has been a focus of recent articles in
the Contra Costa Times . The community leaders are appealing to the
county for assistance in developing strategy to address these
problems, including the following:
e forming a special tax area for the Willowbrook project to
provide funds for additional sheriff patrol;
r, identifying means to fund the construction of a fence
around the Willowbrook complex including the lighting and landscaping
district, a maintenance district or other assessment districts;
* submitting an application to the FBI requesting that some
agents be assigned to our area under a new program recently announced
on the war against,+; drug;
examining beat boundaries with consideration of
adjustment to respond to high call volumes.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT& YES SIGNATURE:
��........�....�.� .ter �
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
8IGNATURE(S)
ACTION OF BOARD ON January 14, 1992 AP1'ROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
._ X UNANIMOUS (ASSENT ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS 15 A TRUE
AYES: NOESI AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CCI County Administrator. "" = BD January 14, 1992
AT CST
Phil Batchelor.Clerk of Me'U d Of
Sup6rvt�otssadtbunt�rAdt�Iil�tah'f[
I,
12A—Contra Costa Times Thursday, Ja uary 91 1992
BACK .
Ti rWWOn McNally
WEST PITTSBURG residents Stan and Rena Wruble say their Delta Glen neighborhood, like many
others in the community, is not a bastion of crime. Rena serves as president of the West Pittsburg
Municipal Advisory C Uncil and Stan is a former MAC president
land east of Antioch, said Lt. Al
Snell. 0 NEWS CONFERENCE
The sheriffs special enforcement
unit, the J-Team, lits its time be. Supervisor Tom Torlakson of Antioch will hold a news conlerence at 11:15
tween West Pittsburg and North today at River Yew Middle School, 205 Pacifica Ave. In Wast,Pittsburg, to talk
Richmond, Gackowski said. it tar. about 'Positive projects taking place In the community.
gets high-crime areas and works on
special assignments, such as drug Stan, in the Delta Glen housing de- "In the'last five years, I've sold
busts or prostitution sweeps. velopment Like others,the Wrubles over 50 homes in West Pittsburg,
"The fact is, there isl(no money said West Pittsburg is misunder. and the people who are moving
. that would lead us to increase stood by the rest of the County. here are excellent," said Baldwin,-
our patrol strength," Gackowski "People do look at us 4the Wild who has Wed in the Lynbrook sub.
said. "Over the last three`years,the West,"said Stan Wruble, A—former mon five years,
patrol division has been reduced by MAC president "My perception is Formed four years ago,the West
14 positions. So we're working that we're suffering from old prejw- Piftburg Pride Committee conducts
smarter and trying to&amore with dices, old folklore and uneonven- Community cleanups twice a year
less." ll , tional wisdom that West Pittsburg is" and recently held a contest for the
West Pittsburg leaders and resi. a wild and woolly town full of Pte- homes fixed in various neighbor•
dents say many positive projects are titution and country bumpkins and hoods.The committee also sponsors
taking place in the Community. rednecks and ne'erdo-wells, youth activities, including essay
'The community is working hard "But that just isn't the can.This ocniests.
to dean up the problemkeas,"said community is made up of workitrg . "There's nothing we can do
Rena Wruble, resident of West people and
P pec professional people who about people aeWng dnrgs on the
Pittsburg's Municipal J', dvisory have chosen to live in West Pitts- street 8's the kdds and the next
Council,which makes row' mmenda- burg because there is affordable generation. we have to worry
tions to the county Board of Super- housing." . . about"said James Minor,a 12-year
visors. "We're working 1�with resi- Robert Baldwin,who manages e resident. "We educate time kids
dents of the Willowbrook housing real estate office in Concord and is and we can make it a better com-
project, for example,to Sive neigh- bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ munily.
borhood watch r ps, and we're of Lstter-day Saints m West Pitts- "I see West Pittsburg as a fron-
trying to bring all of iWest Pittsburg burg,said average housing prices in tier because everybody is going to
closer together as a community. West Pittsburg are approximately want to lige here.AA we need to do
Wruble lives with her`` husband, 20 percent lower than in Concord. Is dean up our mess."
s
41
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WS
Pit
a. area, no cesspool",
by Ann Wozencraft Marys Avenue 50 years. 'There are
Sten writer a lot of fine people out here.'We're
WEST PITTSBURG— Residents all very proud of our community."
upset with a published report this In an article in Monday's Times,
week on crime problems in West a sergeant in the sheriffs Delta sub. ,
Pittsburg say the town's image has station referred to West Piftsburg as
been damaged. a"cesspool,"a characterization that
"People should come over the 'touched a raw nerve with residents.
hill to see the beautiful homes'in. "It's-become a cesspool out
our community and see how we've hem,"sheriffs Sgt. Hal Rogers was i
changed," said Evelyn Davenport, quoted as saying to.a runes report.
who has lived in the area more than er who accompanied him on patrol. f
50 years and serves on the West "There are drug deals and robberies
Pittsburg Pride Committee and Re- and violence every night."
development Board. "They'll see Sheriffs officials were quick to
that not every place is a crime area. point out this week that the word {
All they know now is our reputa- and the depiction of„violent crime
tion.,, refers to selected areas.
"I've never been afraid,” said
Gloria Magleby, who has lived on Please see IMAGE,back page
rC
imagvw
411
It a very o f homes
ae commu- '
FROM PAGE to Wiry.The
of e prices homes are�afford-
"The term 'cesspool' was a re- able,the housing developments are
mark in reference to very specific nice, the schools are good, we're ,
problem areas in West Pittsburg, near a mall, and BART will be here tp
which is the eastern section of Wit- in about five years."
low Pass Road," said Capt John Crime statistics released
Gackowski, patrol division com- Wednesday show West Pittsburg
mander. "It does not refer to the has more drug-related crimes,pros-
community as a whole." tttution and robberies'than any oth-
"If a person looks out over the or unincorporated Contra Costa
Delta from one of (the) quiet resi= community handled by.the Sheriffs
dentia) areas,they,see agreat envi- Department, with the exception of
ronment and a nioe place to live,' North Richmond.
said Assistant Sheriff Warren Rupf. "Most of the violent mimes,,drug
If you stand on the corner of Wil- trafficking and prostitution are bap-
low Pass Road and look down North pening in the Willow Pass Road
Broadway,you sea:a cesspool." area east of Bailey Road„which for
The residents say they are aware years has been referred to as the old
crime-ridden areas exist in their BBella Vista section,” Gackowski + '
community of 17„000, but empha- Said.'That is where we concentrate
size thtre are many crime-free the Majority of our patrol efforts be-
neighborhoods filled whir honest, cause it is a high-crime area."
hard-working citizens. The Sberurs Department pro.
"The people committing the vides police services for
crimes aa tin minority compared mately 150,000 r in�
re un-
to the vast tin
of people who incorporated areas of the county
live hem,"said Lynnette Dison,who and for another 100,000 people who
has lived there-15year's. "No one reside within the contract cities or
would dispute that there is crime in special districts,GaltawWd said.
West Pittsburg, but its in isolated At the Delta substation,two one+
areas. We're working hard to im-
prove our community and to clean and three more units trot
up the problem cress. '�
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