Bob Story, of the Sunnyside Daily Sun News "Gets It"! He understands that leadership plays a key role in having an effective police force. The following opinion column was published on Friday, August 7, 2009 by the Daily Sun News. We agree with his suggestions, and are re-posting them here.
Story Time
'State of emergency'
By Bob Story
Yakima City Councilwoman Sonia Rodriguez, earlier this week, likened all the recent shootings and gang violence in Yakima as a "state of emergency." She called on city leaders to free up additional funding to combat the problem.
Rodriguez is right on with her description of what transpires on an almost daily basis. It really is a "state of emergency."
Unfortunately for those of us in the Lower Yakima Valley, the problem of gunfire and gang violence isn't restricted to just the city of Yakima. It's happening here at the same alarming rate.
Whatever is being done to bring a halt to all these shootings is not working. We look to our police departments to curb the violence, but it's clearly apparent their efforts are for naught.
I have two suggestions.
First off, it seems to me our police officers are burdened with far too many cases of motorists driving around without liability insurance or operator's licenses. Too much time is being spent on these infractions, not leaving time for our policemen to take on the weightier issues. My suggestion is to get these motorists off the streets so our cops don't have to spend their time dealing with them. This can be accomplished by enforcing municipal code 10.04.080, which allows the police to impound the vehicles of those arrested for not having a driver's license or liability insurance.
Impounding these vehicles shouldn't be an option to our police. It should be a mandatory policy, set down by either the police chief or the city council. Adopting a "zero tolerance" for this type of behavior, I believe, would soon rid our streets of these illegal drivers, and in the process free up time for our police officers to address all the violence that is occurring.
More would be needed, though, so secondly, we need to address the gang violence head-on. I believe we need a special unit of law enforcement officers that does nothing but search out these criminals, working the streets day in and day out in an effort to get these criminals arrested and out of our community and into prison.
But, that would take money. Rodriguez is calling on the city of Yakima to free up money from its general reserve fund to combat this problem. Sunnyside's reserves aren't large enough to fund such a gang task force. I believe, however, that if local residents were asked to approve a special law and justice levy, guaranteed that the extra tax money would only be spent on forming an anti-gang task force with officers trained to take on these types of violent criminals, the community would overwhelmingly support such an endeavor.
It's easy to come up with reasons why these suggestions wouldn't work. I believe it's more prudent to find ways to make them work.
Something needs to be done! Because we aren't getting these criminals off the street at a quick enough pace, it's time to try something different.
Rodriguez is right on when she says we are in a "state of emergency."
"STATE OF EMERGENCY"
And Proposed Solutions From The Daily Sun News
First Published By Friends of Sunnyside in August 2009 With the Permission of the Daily Sun News
DECLARE WAR ON CRIME
To solve a problem you first have to admit you have a problem.
The Daily Sun News admitted it last summer with an editorial stressing that Sunnyside had the same crime problem as Yakima.
The voters agreed, electing two new council members who promised to be tough on crime.
But, the foot dragging at City Council continued. When a proposal to hire a sniffer dog came before the council recently, one of the incumbent council members, Theresa Hancock, suggested delaying the purchase even though it could be paid for out of special drug fighting funds at no additional cost to the taxpayers in Sunnyside.
This is the same council member who voted to cut police officers and then denied it in her campaign literature. She won by only 64 votes over an unknown freshman candidate.
The war on crime must start at the top. Council should be asking why aren't we buying two or three dogs? Then, when the two or three police officers on duty have to confront 18 gang members at a late night party and shooting, the odds would look better with two or three snarling German Shepherds leading the way. This actually happened on Valentine's Day weekend. Minus the dogs, of course.
Once City Council stops the endless infighting and personal power politics; and declares war on crime, two more legs are required to keep this stool upright.
The most important leg on the stool are citizens who will act. Pick up the phone. Dial 509-836-6200 or 911. The police can not be everywhere all the time. They need your help.
A police dispatcher recently credited citizens with two sets of arrests at Parkland Homes.
"They called and stayed on the line with me until police arrived," said the dispatcher. She advises calling 509-836-6200 because it is a direct line to dispatch.
Police advise: "Don't let the bad guys know you are watching and calling, but keep them under observation until we get there. If they run or hide, we want to know where and also we need the best description possible."
Sunnyside citizens must do more in all neighborhoods to organize block watch groups. Certain neighborhoods are to be congratulated on their on-going neighborhood watch efforts, while areas where block watch has died out are now being plagued by criminals.
The third leg on the stool has to be the city administration and the police department.
It must start with a Rudy Giuliani type crime buster as City Manager. Crime is the only priority in Sunnyside.
Therefore, the new City Manager must be a proven crime fighter. No bleeding-heart-liberal-touchy-feely-they-are-people-too, just-a-little-misguided, type manager.
Zero tolerance is the key.
If Guiliani can clean up New York City, cleaning up Sunnyside should be a walk in the park. That is, if the City Council and citizens get on board.
So here's a suggestion: Why not interview a police chief along with other candidates for City Manager?
A police chief is in the crime fighting business. He or she is a proven administrator in perhaps the largest department in their city. They should be able to run them all. There is plenty of precedent for this. The San Diego Mayor is the former police chief. Voters like a police officer at the top.
Police chiefs usually have superb people skills. They could heal the rifts at City Hall and stop the current infighting which has cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills.
The new council, adminstration, police force, and citizens of Sunnyside have to have one united goal--make this city such a hostile place for criminals that they go elsewhere. It is time we take back our liberty and our property from the gangs and drug trade.
The Daily Sun News admitted it last summer with an editorial stressing that Sunnyside had the same crime problem as Yakima.
The voters agreed, electing two new council members who promised to be tough on crime.
But, the foot dragging at City Council continued. When a proposal to hire a sniffer dog came before the council recently, one of the incumbent council members, Theresa Hancock, suggested delaying the purchase even though it could be paid for out of special drug fighting funds at no additional cost to the taxpayers in Sunnyside.
This is the same council member who voted to cut police officers and then denied it in her campaign literature. She won by only 64 votes over an unknown freshman candidate.
The war on crime must start at the top. Council should be asking why aren't we buying two or three dogs? Then, when the two or three police officers on duty have to confront 18 gang members at a late night party and shooting, the odds would look better with two or three snarling German Shepherds leading the way. This actually happened on Valentine's Day weekend. Minus the dogs, of course.
Once City Council stops the endless infighting and personal power politics; and declares war on crime, two more legs are required to keep this stool upright.
The most important leg on the stool are citizens who will act. Pick up the phone. Dial 509-836-6200 or 911. The police can not be everywhere all the time. They need your help.
A police dispatcher recently credited citizens with two sets of arrests at Parkland Homes.
"They called and stayed on the line with me until police arrived," said the dispatcher. She advises calling 509-836-6200 because it is a direct line to dispatch.
Police advise: "Don't let the bad guys know you are watching and calling, but keep them under observation until we get there. If they run or hide, we want to know where and also we need the best description possible."
Sunnyside citizens must do more in all neighborhoods to organize block watch groups. Certain neighborhoods are to be congratulated on their on-going neighborhood watch efforts, while areas where block watch has died out are now being plagued by criminals.
The third leg on the stool has to be the city administration and the police department.
It must start with a Rudy Giuliani type crime buster as City Manager. Crime is the only priority in Sunnyside.
Therefore, the new City Manager must be a proven crime fighter. No bleeding-heart-liberal-touchy-feely-they-are-people-too, just-a-little-misguided, type manager.
Zero tolerance is the key.
If Guiliani can clean up New York City, cleaning up Sunnyside should be a walk in the park. That is, if the City Council and citizens get on board.
So here's a suggestion: Why not interview a police chief along with other candidates for City Manager?
A police chief is in the crime fighting business. He or she is a proven administrator in perhaps the largest department in their city. They should be able to run them all. There is plenty of precedent for this. The San Diego Mayor is the former police chief. Voters like a police officer at the top.
Police chiefs usually have superb people skills. They could heal the rifts at City Hall and stop the current infighting which has cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills.
The new council, adminstration, police force, and citizens of Sunnyside have to have one united goal--make this city such a hostile place for criminals that they go elsewhere. It is time we take back our liberty and our property from the gangs and drug trade.
Friends of Sunnyside, February 16, 2010:
City Under Siege
Sunnyside is a city under siege by criminals.
Certain politicians and their supporters are in denial. These are the same people who gutted the police force in recent years.
But the police and citizens from all walks of life know the truth, because their lives and liberty are sadly affected by this crime wave.
Consider the following three examples which cut across the spectrum of Sunnyside society:
THE RETIRED SCHOOL TEACHER
Call her Florence. She lives on "The Hill". Yes, even up there crime is out of control and criminals rent houses.
One day recently, Florence went to the doctor. Her criminal neighbors must have had her under observation. They broke into the house and scooped up valuables. Then, they vandalized the house to the extent of $30,000 of damage.
The only good news is they made the mistake of slashing a teddy bear and releasing the tiny plastic micro balloons that stuff it. Some of the thousands of micro balloons got stuck in their socks. When the police arrived at the criminals house, the micro balloons were still in their socks.
THE YOUNG SINGLE MOTHER
Call her Glenda. She works until 7 P.M. every night. Her mother looks after her baby.
One evening the hard-working mother returned to her mobile home to find the door kicked in and valuables gone.
"I can not afford the loss of my stuff, some of which I am still paying for," says Glenda, "but now I am afraid to go home after work so I am living with my mother. I have lost my home."
A little bit of good news for Glenda: Within days the police, acting on tips from neighbors, caught two sets of burglars in the same neighborhood. She is also receiving free powerful outdoor lighting, and the fence to a nearby city park, which had been cut, is being closed up with barbed wire.
THE VETERAN POLICE OFFICER
Call him Jim Rivard. When asked why he retired; this third-ranking officer on the Sunnyside force replied: "Because I got tired of going to work and wondering if I was coming home in a box."
This was before the four police officers in the Seattle area were slaughtered.
Veteran police officers know their job has gotten more dangerous. The Yakima Valley is on the drug highway stretching from Canada to Mexico. The psycho bad guys don't hesitate to shoot and officer, or anyone else they don't like are no longer exclusive to the big cities like east L.A., or Oakland. As the Seattle killings showed, many of these criminals are being dumped into the state of Washington because of loopholes in the probation law.
Jim Rivard knew all about the drug highway. The first time I met him, he was involved in a search of a mobile home suspected of harboring a gun smuggling operation to Mexico. This is part of the two-way trade---American guns for Mexican or Canadian drugs.
The smuggler was the boyfriend of the woman who lived in the mobile home. She spoke no English, but her pre-teen son said: "She is afraid he is going to kill her because he will think she told the police about the guns."
Within minutes, Jim Rivard had the woman and her children in a safe house and they stayed there until the smuggler was arrested. Jim Rivard's quick action might have saved those lives.
Certain politicians and their supporters are in denial. These are the same people who gutted the police force in recent years.
But the police and citizens from all walks of life know the truth, because their lives and liberty are sadly affected by this crime wave.
Consider the following three examples which cut across the spectrum of Sunnyside society:
THE RETIRED SCHOOL TEACHER
Call her Florence. She lives on "The Hill". Yes, even up there crime is out of control and criminals rent houses.
One day recently, Florence went to the doctor. Her criminal neighbors must have had her under observation. They broke into the house and scooped up valuables. Then, they vandalized the house to the extent of $30,000 of damage.
The only good news is they made the mistake of slashing a teddy bear and releasing the tiny plastic micro balloons that stuff it. Some of the thousands of micro balloons got stuck in their socks. When the police arrived at the criminals house, the micro balloons were still in their socks.
THE YOUNG SINGLE MOTHER
Call her Glenda. She works until 7 P.M. every night. Her mother looks after her baby.
One evening the hard-working mother returned to her mobile home to find the door kicked in and valuables gone.
"I can not afford the loss of my stuff, some of which I am still paying for," says Glenda, "but now I am afraid to go home after work so I am living with my mother. I have lost my home."
A little bit of good news for Glenda: Within days the police, acting on tips from neighbors, caught two sets of burglars in the same neighborhood. She is also receiving free powerful outdoor lighting, and the fence to a nearby city park, which had been cut, is being closed up with barbed wire.
THE VETERAN POLICE OFFICER
Call him Jim Rivard. When asked why he retired; this third-ranking officer on the Sunnyside force replied: "Because I got tired of going to work and wondering if I was coming home in a box."
This was before the four police officers in the Seattle area were slaughtered.
Veteran police officers know their job has gotten more dangerous. The Yakima Valley is on the drug highway stretching from Canada to Mexico. The psycho bad guys don't hesitate to shoot and officer, or anyone else they don't like are no longer exclusive to the big cities like east L.A., or Oakland. As the Seattle killings showed, many of these criminals are being dumped into the state of Washington because of loopholes in the probation law.
Jim Rivard knew all about the drug highway. The first time I met him, he was involved in a search of a mobile home suspected of harboring a gun smuggling operation to Mexico. This is part of the two-way trade---American guns for Mexican or Canadian drugs.
The smuggler was the boyfriend of the woman who lived in the mobile home. She spoke no English, but her pre-teen son said: "She is afraid he is going to kill her because he will think she told the police about the guns."
Within minutes, Jim Rivard had the woman and her children in a safe house and they stayed there until the smuggler was arrested. Jim Rivard's quick action might have saved those lives.
CRIME, GANGS, BURGLARIES, VANDALISM, GUN VIOLENCE, DRUGS, HOME INVASIONS, AUTO THEFT, DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, PROWLERS, BANK ROBBERIES, ASSAULTS, FRAUD, DRIVE-BY'S, OUTSTANDING WARRANTS, AND MORE....
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
PLEASE READ ON...
OUR CITY UNDER SIEGE
SHERIFF JOE...
By Wayne Overland
February 20, 2010
In the winter, I live in the town of Carefree, Arizona. We are carefree because of one man. Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Because of the famed (or infamous if you are a bleeding heart liberal) Sheriff Joe, we have a saying in Carefree: “They won't steal money off the street.”
What a contrast to Sunnyside, where I have operated a business for 20 years, and lived four different times for various periods up to several years.
The most recent Sunnyside crime wave has left residents in all areas fearful that not only will they steal money off the streets, but kid's toys out of the front yard, costly television sets out of the living room, and anything left in a parked and locked car.
The gangs and drug criminals are stealing our sleep as gun shots echo through the night in various neighborhoods. They have also stolen our peace of mind and our liberty as we are fearful to even go to the grocery store at night.
Yet Sunnyside and Carefree are very similar in many ways. Both have cheerful names. Both are small desert cities. Both are in heavily Hispanic areas. That's right. Carefree is a suburb of Phoenix. What is more Hispanic than Phoenix?
Why do people in Carefree not bother to lock their cars and houses? And why do locked doors do no good in Sunnyside?
The difference is Sheriff Joe.
He is an elected official who presides over a vast county strung out around Phoenix-Scotsdale, including many small cities like Carefree where Sheriff Joe provides the policing.
Because Sheriff Joe answers only to the voters (re-elected continuously with 65% of the votes) he is able to practice zero tolerance policing without interference from politicians. When they try to interfere he sues them.
We have another saying in Carefree: “Don't spit on the street or you'll do time in the tent prison.”
Most people obey the letter of the law in Carefree because of the tent prison. When it is 110 degrees, do you want to be a guest of Sheriff Joe, who boasts that he feeds inmates for 35 cents a day?
Just ask Charles Barkley, the former NBA star turned sportscaster. Sir Charles, as he was known in his NBA days, celebrated too much New Year's Eve. Drove too fast. Result: a mandatory three days in the tent prison.
The speed limit in Carefree is 25 mph. You better not drive 30 mph.
Because Sheriff Joe knows there are bad guys out there, his cars work in pairs. Usually, with a tow truck right behind. Sheriff Joe knows that the way to really hurt a bad guy is to tow his “ride”. Nothing they hate like walking home in 110 degrees because of no insurance.
Here's the beautiful thing. The bad guys know they are likely to lose their precious wheels and end up in the tent prison if they enter Sheriff Joe county.
So they go someplace softer. Like, maybe, Sunnyside.
Oh sure, the liberal critics scream that Sheriff Joe triggers lawsuits with his treatment of inmates. Do the good voters of Maricopa County care? No, because the insurance company looks after the lawsuits and everybody sleeps soundly. No gun shots in the night with Sheriff Joe's officers in the neighborhood.
Because of the famed (or infamous if you are a bleeding heart liberal) Sheriff Joe, we have a saying in Carefree: “They won't steal money off the street.”
What a contrast to Sunnyside, where I have operated a business for 20 years, and lived four different times for various periods up to several years.
The most recent Sunnyside crime wave has left residents in all areas fearful that not only will they steal money off the streets, but kid's toys out of the front yard, costly television sets out of the living room, and anything left in a parked and locked car.
The gangs and drug criminals are stealing our sleep as gun shots echo through the night in various neighborhoods. They have also stolen our peace of mind and our liberty as we are fearful to even go to the grocery store at night.
Yet Sunnyside and Carefree are very similar in many ways. Both have cheerful names. Both are small desert cities. Both are in heavily Hispanic areas. That's right. Carefree is a suburb of Phoenix. What is more Hispanic than Phoenix?
Why do people in Carefree not bother to lock their cars and houses? And why do locked doors do no good in Sunnyside?
The difference is Sheriff Joe.
He is an elected official who presides over a vast county strung out around Phoenix-Scotsdale, including many small cities like Carefree where Sheriff Joe provides the policing.
Because Sheriff Joe answers only to the voters (re-elected continuously with 65% of the votes) he is able to practice zero tolerance policing without interference from politicians. When they try to interfere he sues them.
We have another saying in Carefree: “Don't spit on the street or you'll do time in the tent prison.”
Most people obey the letter of the law in Carefree because of the tent prison. When it is 110 degrees, do you want to be a guest of Sheriff Joe, who boasts that he feeds inmates for 35 cents a day?
Just ask Charles Barkley, the former NBA star turned sportscaster. Sir Charles, as he was known in his NBA days, celebrated too much New Year's Eve. Drove too fast. Result: a mandatory three days in the tent prison.
The speed limit in Carefree is 25 mph. You better not drive 30 mph.
Because Sheriff Joe knows there are bad guys out there, his cars work in pairs. Usually, with a tow truck right behind. Sheriff Joe knows that the way to really hurt a bad guy is to tow his “ride”. Nothing they hate like walking home in 110 degrees because of no insurance.
Here's the beautiful thing. The bad guys know they are likely to lose their precious wheels and end up in the tent prison if they enter Sheriff Joe county.
So they go someplace softer. Like, maybe, Sunnyside.
Oh sure, the liberal critics scream that Sheriff Joe triggers lawsuits with his treatment of inmates. Do the good voters of Maricopa County care? No, because the insurance company looks after the lawsuits and everybody sleeps soundly. No gun shots in the night with Sheriff Joe's officers in the neighborhood.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio, America's Toughest Sheriff
Drama In Parkland Homes
By Wayne Overland
February 22, 2010
We have reached an all-time low at Parkland Mobile Park.
The maintenance man says he is afraid to repair the cut wire fence because the gangs might recognize his vehicle and retaliate.
Therefore, the park owner has driven 1,200 miles from the sun and safety of Sheriff Joe Arpaio country to personally repair the chain link and barbed wire fence that for years gave our residents some security.
Also, high powered flood lights will illuminate the fencing in an attempt to deter the criminal element.
Security cameras are being installed in key areas.
Entrances to South Hill Park (a hive of gang activity) will be wired shut.
Residents of the 168 homes have been informed in writing that they are to call Sunnyside Police dispatch at 509-836-6200 if they spot any persons not residents or guests.
Numerous signs are posted stating it is private property covered by security cameras. Persons who are not residents or can not prove they are guests will be apprehended by the Sunnyside Police.
Stay tuned...
The maintenance man says he is afraid to repair the cut wire fence because the gangs might recognize his vehicle and retaliate.
Therefore, the park owner has driven 1,200 miles from the sun and safety of Sheriff Joe Arpaio country to personally repair the chain link and barbed wire fence that for years gave our residents some security.
Also, high powered flood lights will illuminate the fencing in an attempt to deter the criminal element.
Security cameras are being installed in key areas.
Entrances to South Hill Park (a hive of gang activity) will be wired shut.
Residents of the 168 homes have been informed in writing that they are to call Sunnyside Police dispatch at 509-836-6200 if they spot any persons not residents or guests.
Numerous signs are posted stating it is private property covered by security cameras. Persons who are not residents or can not prove they are guests will be apprehended by the Sunnyside Police.
Stay tuned...
The park owner, who sounds like a nice man, said he had no idea that type of gang activity existed on his property.
I told him these were the same outstanding citizens who for two years have been cutting my fences and trespassing in our park to the extent that my maintenance man fears to wire up the fences.
I told the California man to check it out with Sunnyside Police Chief Ed Radder, and then evict the gang members under a Washington state law that allows eviction where police only suspect criminal activity. He promised to take action.
We'll see....
I told him these were the same outstanding citizens who for two years have been cutting my fences and trespassing in our park to the extent that my maintenance man fears to wire up the fences.
I told the California man to check it out with Sunnyside Police Chief Ed Radder, and then evict the gang members under a Washington state law that allows eviction where police only suspect criminal activity. He promised to take action.
We'll see....
This newly installed fence by a resident of the Carnation district, unfortunately faces the closed alley, and has already been tagged with graffiti. The alley runs all the way down to the Village Park, making transiting by gang members easier.
The drama continues.
I called up the owner of the Village Park mobile home park. Completely blew my stack after one minute of conversation. The owner never visits the park. He lives in California. His manager, who is in way over his head, keeps renting to gang members because he is under pressure to fill spaces.
They supposedly run computer and credit checks on applicants and think everything will be okay.
If everything is so wonderful, why do the police say the park is a constant source of gang activity?
It was at Space 37 that the police, responding to reports of gun shots in the park, surrounded a mobile home, and arrested 18 gang members.
I called up the owner of the Village Park mobile home park. Completely blew my stack after one minute of conversation. The owner never visits the park. He lives in California. His manager, who is in way over his head, keeps renting to gang members because he is under pressure to fill spaces.
They supposedly run computer and credit checks on applicants and think everything will be okay.
If everything is so wonderful, why do the police say the park is a constant source of gang activity?
It was at Space 37 that the police, responding to reports of gun shots in the park, surrounded a mobile home, and arrested 18 gang members.
The 'ALLEY CLOSED' sign has also been tagged with graffiti.
This concrete barrier, tagged with gang graffiti, is in a closed alley south of the Carnation district, and north of Parkland Homes.
Drama In Parkland Homes...Part 2
by Wayne Overland
February 24, 2010
An example of the numerous instances of graffiti cleaned up by residents recently. This vandalism occurred on the South Hill Park side of the fence. South Hill Park is a municipal park in the City of Sunnyside.
Drama In Parkland Homes...Part 3
by Wayne Overland
February 25, 2010
Worked a whole day stringing barbed wire and talking to residents and police.
All agree gangs are coming from Village Park mobile homes, and the Nicolai or Carnation district. They transit through our park to the South Hill Park.
South Hill Park and the Community Center are a disaster. Gang tagging and broken lights are everywhere.
We hired a crew of park residents to remove tagging on the city's side of the park fence. A crew of eight cleaned it up in a day, at a cost of about $700.00.
The next step in this war on crime is for us to install thousands of dollars in powerful flood lighting. The residents love it.
They also find comfort in security cameras that might not stop criminals, but will identify them and their "rides" for the police.
All agree gangs are coming from Village Park mobile homes, and the Nicolai or Carnation district. They transit through our park to the South Hill Park.
South Hill Park and the Community Center are a disaster. Gang tagging and broken lights are everywhere.
We hired a crew of park residents to remove tagging on the city's side of the park fence. A crew of eight cleaned it up in a day, at a cost of about $700.00.
The next step in this war on crime is for us to install thousands of dollars in powerful flood lighting. The residents love it.
They also find comfort in security cameras that might not stop criminals, but will identify them and their "rides" for the police.
Old saying--if you've got lemons, make lemonade.
Sunnyside's new mayor, Jim Restucci, has plenty of lemons; a city with exploding gang and crime problems.
But Restucci, an ambitious young politician, also has a tremendous chance to make lemonade by leading the charge to run the gangs out of town and lower crime rates.
There is no better way to jump-start a state-wide or even national political career than being a mayor who cleans up a mess.
Look no further than Sarah Palin who started as a small city mayor and ended up as a U.S. Vice-Presidential candidate in a span of 10 years. If she had failed to get her city in Alaska reorganized, she would be a footnote in local history, not a force in national politics.
In the big leagues, Rudy Giuliani rode the same horse.
Restucci could emerge from the present crisis as a "minor league Rudy Giuliani." There are worse reputations.
There are nay sayers who would point out that Restucci was a member of the last city council. A council of which Bob McCord, a large Sunnyside landowner says: "They slept while the gangs took over the city."
Many of us made mistakes that contributed to the crime wave. Example--at Parkland Mobile Park we got tired of rewiring our fences in an attempt to keep the gangs out. I told the maintenance man to let them transit the park. How did that work out?
A disaster to the extent that when it became clear we had to take back our neighborhood, the maintenance man was afraid to rewire for fear of retaliation.
The fences are now rewired, flood lit, covered by security cameras, and additional signage has been posted.
The lesson is, with criminals, you can not back down. You can not fight crime the easy way. There is no easy way.
Restucci as Mayor has more power than as a councilman. He gets to set the agenda. And fighting crime has to be at the top of the agenda.
The most critical decision the mayor and council will make is hiring a new city manager. If they hire a crime buster, Sunnyside is likely saved, and the sky is the limit for Jim Restucci's political career.
There is some good news for the mayor if he chooses to launch a major attack on crime. First, a majority of council will likely support a tough crime policy, although there will be some foot draggers. Second, the city budget is in good shape and there is no financial reason not to spend whatever is necessary to clean up Sunnyside. Third, Sunnyside has a good police force, they are just short-staffed and replacements are slow in materializing.
To sum up, Restucci has most of the tools at hand to do the job. Hiring the right city manager is the missing piece. If crime goes down, Restucci will become a formidable political force.
Sunnyside's new mayor, Jim Restucci, has plenty of lemons; a city with exploding gang and crime problems.
But Restucci, an ambitious young politician, also has a tremendous chance to make lemonade by leading the charge to run the gangs out of town and lower crime rates.
There is no better way to jump-start a state-wide or even national political career than being a mayor who cleans up a mess.
Look no further than Sarah Palin who started as a small city mayor and ended up as a U.S. Vice-Presidential candidate in a span of 10 years. If she had failed to get her city in Alaska reorganized, she would be a footnote in local history, not a force in national politics.
In the big leagues, Rudy Giuliani rode the same horse.
Restucci could emerge from the present crisis as a "minor league Rudy Giuliani." There are worse reputations.
There are nay sayers who would point out that Restucci was a member of the last city council. A council of which Bob McCord, a large Sunnyside landowner says: "They slept while the gangs took over the city."
Many of us made mistakes that contributed to the crime wave. Example--at Parkland Mobile Park we got tired of rewiring our fences in an attempt to keep the gangs out. I told the maintenance man to let them transit the park. How did that work out?
A disaster to the extent that when it became clear we had to take back our neighborhood, the maintenance man was afraid to rewire for fear of retaliation.
The fences are now rewired, flood lit, covered by security cameras, and additional signage has been posted.
The lesson is, with criminals, you can not back down. You can not fight crime the easy way. There is no easy way.
Restucci as Mayor has more power than as a councilman. He gets to set the agenda. And fighting crime has to be at the top of the agenda.
The most critical decision the mayor and council will make is hiring a new city manager. If they hire a crime buster, Sunnyside is likely saved, and the sky is the limit for Jim Restucci's political career.
There is some good news for the mayor if he chooses to launch a major attack on crime. First, a majority of council will likely support a tough crime policy, although there will be some foot draggers. Second, the city budget is in good shape and there is no financial reason not to spend whatever is necessary to clean up Sunnyside. Third, Sunnyside has a good police force, they are just short-staffed and replacements are slow in materializing.
To sum up, Restucci has most of the tools at hand to do the job. Hiring the right city manager is the missing piece. If crime goes down, Restucci will become a formidable political force.
Former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin (Left), City of Sunnyside Mayor Jim Restucci (Center), Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (Right)
Making Lemonade With Mayor Restucci
by Wayne Overland
February 26, 2010
Note to readers--this is a feature that will run frequently.
The expression comes from the author's brief stint as owner of the Tri City Americans, of the Western Hockey League. At board of governor meetings when somebody would make a logical suggestion, the joking reply was: "Be careful, you are starting to make sense."
Today, a gem from the New York Times editorial page. (Is anybody surprised?)
The two paragraphs below are the first two in the editorial. You figure it out, but it seems to me they are saying, if it works to cut crime, then there must be something wrong with it. Perhaps this will remind you of certain members of the Sunnyside City Council?
The New York City Police Department says its "stop and frisk" program--under which officers investigating crimes, or working to prevent crimes, briefly detain or pat down people on the streets-has played a pivotal role in driving down crime to record lows.
But civil rights groups and some criminologists are understandably troubled by new statistics showing that police officers stopped a record 575,000 people last year--nearly 90 per cent black or Hispanic--and that the number of stops is growing as crime falls. Instead of dismissing such complaints, the police department should re-evaluate the program.
The expression comes from the author's brief stint as owner of the Tri City Americans, of the Western Hockey League. At board of governor meetings when somebody would make a logical suggestion, the joking reply was: "Be careful, you are starting to make sense."
Today, a gem from the New York Times editorial page. (Is anybody surprised?)
The two paragraphs below are the first two in the editorial. You figure it out, but it seems to me they are saying, if it works to cut crime, then there must be something wrong with it. Perhaps this will remind you of certain members of the Sunnyside City Council?
The New York City Police Department says its "stop and frisk" program--under which officers investigating crimes, or working to prevent crimes, briefly detain or pat down people on the streets-has played a pivotal role in driving down crime to record lows.
But civil rights groups and some criminologists are understandably troubled by new statistics showing that police officers stopped a record 575,000 people last year--nearly 90 per cent black or Hispanic--and that the number of stops is growing as crime falls. Instead of dismissing such complaints, the police department should re-evaluate the program.
Be Careful, You're Starting To Make Sense
By Wayne Overland
March 1, 2010
Congratulations To Team U.S.A. Hockey
by Wayne Overland
March 2, 2010
The American team, a heavy underdog, came within one shot of winning an Olympic gold medal in hockey at Vancouver.
This inspiring and surprising showing will have tremendous benefits to the sport in the U.S.A. As a former owner of the Tri City Americans of the Western Hockey League I am very aware of how hockey needs it's profile raised.
The U.S.A. team was given little chance before the tournament. One pro hockey scout of my acquaintance said only five or six U.S. players could make the favored Canadian or Russian teams. Other analysts put the number as low as three or four players who could crack the Canadian lineup.
This realistic assessment rather than being an insult to the Americans is a high compliment. They made up with heart and teamwork for what they lacked in talent.
Finally, it should be noted, the players received no money for competing in the Olympics. They played for love of the game and an Olympic medal.
This inspiring and surprising showing will have tremendous benefits to the sport in the U.S.A. As a former owner of the Tri City Americans of the Western Hockey League I am very aware of how hockey needs it's profile raised.
The U.S.A. team was given little chance before the tournament. One pro hockey scout of my acquaintance said only five or six U.S. players could make the favored Canadian or Russian teams. Other analysts put the number as low as three or four players who could crack the Canadian lineup.
This realistic assessment rather than being an insult to the Americans is a high compliment. They made up with heart and teamwork for what they lacked in talent.
Finally, it should be noted, the players received no money for competing in the Olympics. They played for love of the game and an Olympic medal.
How did we get into this mess?
In our neighborhood we can thank former city manager, Leo Fancy for the crime wave.
The area of Parkland Homes, Southhill Apartments, Village Park Mobile Homes, and the Carnation district is a poster child for bad city planning.
Professors should be using the area as an example of what happens when a city breaks all the rules of good town planning.
There was ample warning that this was a colossal mistake.
The author and others testified against this concentration of low cost housing at planning commission and zoning meetings.
Good city planning practice is to scatter low cost housing, not concentrate it.
South Hill Apartments were built first. I said later after buying Parkland that South Hill was enough low cost housing for the area, and our mobile park should never have been allowed.
The decision to zone Village Park doubled the disaster.
The more we protested, the more the city manager was determined to force through this unsuitable development.
That was Leo Fancy. Eventually it cost him his job. This indicates the city managers are for the most part egomaniacs. (exception--Dave Fonfara.) Like coaches and managers in pro sport, they are hired to be fired.
When the professional engineers we hired reported that the surface water plan for Village Park was "malpractice", Leo Fancy and his staff refused to listen.
So when they flooded us with the first serious storm, we sued the City of Sunnyside and the developer and got a settlement.
Meanwhile, the mobile homes at Village Park were all sold at the height of the sub-prime loan scandal. Every one of them defaulted and as the residents were foreclosed in many cases they trashed the unit before moving out.
Under pressure from the owners to fill spaces, the so-called managers rented to anyone, some of them gang members. Ask the police.
Our wire fences were repeatedly cut as the gangs crossed our property to get to South Hill Park which they have tried to destroy.
Couple this with the retirement of Bob McCoy, the hard nosed manager of South Hill Apartments and the move out of the Carnation district of the civic minded individual who organized the neighborhood crime watch so effectively and you understand why we are in trouble. Thanks, Leo.
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What Happened?
By Wayne Overland
March 4, 2010
Forecast: Another year of unbridled gang violence
This editorial appears in the March 10, 2010, Yakima Herald-Republic.
How many shootings at law enforcement officers will it take before state lawmakers finally pass some meaningful anti-gang legislation?
Once again the Legislature failed to pass any measure to curb gang violence and, as a consequence, also failed to take notice of what's going on throughout the state: Gangs are alive and well and thriving in our communities.
Want proof? Just look at what happened over the weekend. Early Saturday in Toppenish, a sheriff's deputy had to elude a barrage of gunfire from suspected gang members. The deputy had come upon a slow-moving vehicle cruising a neighborhood. Not only did the car fail to pull over, two occupants leaned out and delivered multiple shots at the deputy.
The car sped off and later was found in flames, the fire most likely started by the occupants to cover their tracks.
It appears gang thugs in the Yakima Valley have declared open season on sheriff's deputies. This is the third time in nine months that a deputy has been fired upon. Last July in Outlook, gang members targeted two deputies and shot one of them in the leg. In December, a deputy took gunfire from two men suspected of stealing a snowblower. He was not wounded.
Gang shootings of all kinds have become far too common, with gang members peppering homes with bullets or brazenly shooting at each other as they compete for attention and territory.
And yet state lawmakers continue to shirk their responsibilities when it comes to dealing with escalating gang violence. The latest failure came last week when the Senate eviscerated a bill sponsored by Rep. Norm Johnson, R-Yakima, that would have allowed a process of seizing known gang houses in troubled neighborhoods.
House Bill 2414 breezed out of the House on a 90 to 6 vote only to be derailed in a Senate committee. Critics of the measure feared racial profiling and innocent property owners being harassed.
Johnson said those fears were unwarranted and groundless.
HB 2414 would have created a criminal street gang-activity nuisance law. It would have worked like this: If a neighbor lives within a block of a building or apartment unit where gang activity is going on, that neighbor could file a nuisance complaint with law enforcement. After a police investigation determined it was a valid complaint, the matter would go to a Superior Court judge, who would hold a hearing. Again, if evidence showed the gang activity had an "adverse effect" on the neighborhood, the judge could order removal of personal property and shut down the building or apartment unit for up to one year.
It's disappointing that gang members were given another reprieve. They certainly don't deserve it.
When it comes to gang violence, talking tough is not the same as acting tough. With communities confronting gangs on a daily basis and sheriff's deputies fearing the worst, we need lawmakers to step forward. Instead, what we get is another year of disappointment.
* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Bob Crider, Spencer Hatton and Karen Troianello.
Gang News In The Yakima Herald
Friends of Sunnyside Update: August 11, 2009
"STATE OF EMERGENCY"
And Proposed Solutions From The Daily Sun News
Giuliani Crime Rate
