Santa Cruz city councilman and former mayor, Don LaneJoining me in-studio today on KSCO Presents was longtime Santa Cruz civic leader and homeless advocate, Don Lane. We discussed his background, politics in Santa Cruz, homelessness, drug use, crime, and ways forward for the community.
During the interview today I present violent crime and property crime statistics. The can be download in the links below:
CaliforniaViolentCrime1985-2010 California Property Crime 1985-2010
You can listen to the interview online or mp3 download on The Ethan Bearman Show Podcast site.
Hi Ethan,
So at last your email address… (wink). A couple of things too think about: California went on a “put everybody in prison or jail thing” a number of years ago, it overfills the prisons and jails and suddenly fearing prison roits, etc… it releases all “low level” felons using the new AB 109 bill – these individuals are released in large numbers all throughout the state, and where do a lot of these individuals eventually arrive Santa Cruz – and they typically have a history of drug and alcohol abuse. And now Santa Cruz is rethinking what should be done with low level criminals. Do we put them back in prison???
Many of these individuals ride the bus into Santa Cruz, the “metro caravan” is a primary method of transportation in for many of these people.
Do you want us too stop feeding people?
thanks
andy
Andy,
I don’t think we stop feeding people. You nailed it on the head with the “metro caravan” comment. How do we focus on taking care of our own and rollup the welcome mat which seems to be attracting people from other areas to utilize our area’s generous homeless programs?
-Ethan
Hi,
First of all I know you care, and that is what is needed here. The staff at the shelter are exceptional people who work hand in hand with the Santa Cruz PD (who have always acted with professional consideration) and First Alarm – many times it is the staff person that is the first ones there too handle some very bad behavior. We will always be the first to deal with the social fallout of society. The citizens of Santa Cruz need to come up with a plan to deal with this – KSCO can help facilitate a local response to change things. So…
Can we arrest and confine, prosecute, and banish those undesirables???
Is there a strategy to make Santa Cruz a place not too come to if your a criminal???
Ethan there are a lot of people who honestly need help and will accept it. Hey I’m working with a hospice patient now… can you imagine dying alone and homeless. This individual stopped drinking years ago, but still is paying the price. What may be an interesting aside is that because of Hep. C, alcohol, and drugs one of the new age epidemics is liver disease which many times is terminal, its something to be really a part of this persons death. I was shocked to see what homelessness is really like Ethan – I had money and have an education. Looking to get back too work. Please take care.
andy
In order to best serve the community, including the homeless community we need to identify all of those who use strategic goverment services; federal, state, and local. All persons identified as using/needing homeless services would be required to have an account and account number. This account would allow services as determined needed. Emergency temporary cards could be issued for 5 days. However access to any identified service will be stricly regulated. Eventually, if not initially, there would be an RFI chip placed under the skin of everyone identified as homeless thereby freeing users of the system from cards. Of course those individuals determined to be undesirable will not be issued access to goverment systems, or will be removed from the system. The system would identify and analyse tracking information. Finger printing would also be required.