Tuesday's column
Herald Examiner sports writer Alan Malamud used to write a column he called "Notes on a Scorecard." It was a random collection of observations, opinions and humor strung together (or separated) by three little dots.
A lot of times it was the stuff that didn't make its way into a story but was important nonetheless. Here's my collection of Notes on Untitled Notepad from a week covering a series of violent incidents in Monrovia ...
Like the bumper stickers you used to see around sometimes, I wanted to know WWJD?
What would Joe do?
Joe, of course, being former Monrovia police Chief Joe Santoro, who now heads the Rio Hondo College Police Academy in Whittier.
When Santoro came to Monrovia in 1989, the city was experiencing much of the same turmoil that exists today. Gang violence was on the rise and residents were upset with the level of service they received from the police department.
Santoro unveiled a program that was fairly progressive for the times. His plan, according to a news account published when he was hired, was to forge a partnership between police and the community.
"The police can't do it alone," Santoro said at the time. "But if the police, city and community work together as a team to get things done, we can do anything. The sky's the limit."
As soon as he took office, Santoro went after convenience stores that sold booze to minors; supported Three Strikes legislation to keep convicted
As you might guess, the daylight curfew had its detractors. Santoro defended the program and pointed to a 29 percent drop in crime during school hours over three years.
So, WWJD today?
His answer was clear as mud.
"These are different times and different circumstances," Santoro said Monday. "I don't want to second guess the city. It seems like they are doing everything they can." ...
Even when police do everything, sometimes crimes go unsolved.
The 500 block of Almond Street, where Brandon Lee was killed last week, has seen its share of violence over the years.
In fact, one of the county's oldest unsolved homicides has
its roots in the same block, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department records.
On Sept. 7, 1929, Secundino Rodriguez and Tranquilino
Contreras were drinking together outside a home at 510 Almond St.
There was an argument. Someone produced a tire iron and attacked Rodriguez. The attacker fractured Rodriguez's skull and fled.
A sheriff's homicide investigator filed a report in the case. The "blue book," a bible of sorts for homicide investigators, remained virtually untouched until 1993, when Detective Bill McComas and Sgt. Bill Stoner of the sheriff's Homicide Bureau took a peek at the case.
"The investigator went out, interviewed witnesses and advised suspects of their rights," McComas said at the time. But because they didn't have electronic technology back then, we just have to guess what happened.
No arrest was made and
Contreras, the suspect, was presumed to have fled to Mexico. He was never heard from again, McComas said in 1993 ...
Almost 80 years have passed since Secundino Rodriguez was killed, but hope springs eternal. As evidence, a local high school student is organizing a "Youth Fight for Peace in the 626" in response to the recent violence in Monrovia, Arcadia and Duarte.
Using MySpace bulletins and posting fliers, the plan is to get folks around town to wear white today "to honor fallen angels and help bring a stop to this gang violence."
Comments
Nice piece.
Posted by: frazgo | February 5, 2008 7:59 AM
Frank your great. Without saying you knew what others are thinking. The recent incidents have brought up leaders of the past, WWJD for ex. And regards to the truancy, I live by the HS, and day after day kids just filter away. They don't hide like they used to. While I applaud the MUSD for Canyon Oaks, many students (and parents) take it as the easy way out. So they dont have to conform to the rules of school. Hate getting up at 6:30, take a class once a week at the continuation school. These students (that get ID's) to prove they go there, take it to advantage. And parents, send them to pick up siblings at the elementary schools. Sounds like built in babysitters, yet that babysitter should be in school themself.
The Mayor kept bringing up block parenting while a good idea, it will not benifit all. He is thinkig most students walk 1 or 2 blocks to school, when in reality some walk nearly a mile. Past industrial ,past Live oak cemetary, no offence to the dead, but they cant watch over my kids then they pass the liquor store
Posted by: Anonymous | February 5, 2008 8:11 AM
School starts too early for teens... waking up at 6:30 isn't healthy, it's plain biology; doesn't matter what time you go to bed.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 5, 2008 11:04 AM
Dear Anonymous - as a parent of an MHS student that was struggling to graduate, going to Canyon and 'taking the easy way out' was not an option that I would let my child take.
Instead she was enrolled at the Adult School to make up what she had missed and ended up graduating on time!
It took participation from her & from US as her parents to help her improve.
Parents need to be involved in their children's lives no matter what age they are.
I currently have another child at MHS and he also has to walk down past Duarte Rd & the cemetery. He is now walking with a group of friends but I am still concerned about his safety.
I have noticed an increase of patrol cars in our area and truly believe this will contribute to the safety of our neighborhoods. Although we are living in the 'unincorporated' part of Monrovia - we still consider ourselves 'Monrovians'.
Thank you Frank for your website - it has been my site for up to date information about what is happening the community.
Posted by: MHS Parent | February 5, 2008 11:11 AM
Well, I hate to break this to you, Anonymous. But some of the most in-shape folks I know are in the military. And they're done with their workouts at 6:30. I'm far from in that physical shape these days, but I was done with mine at 6:30 this morning - and I drive 40 minutes to the gym!
Save me!!!!!!
Posted by: Robert C. J. Parry | February 5, 2008 11:13 AM
On the first search warrant Chief Santoro went on after becoming chief he told the subject of the warrant, who was selling rock cocaine, that she and everyone like her needed to move their "asses" out of town. The chief was very serious, he does not like bad guys.
What Chief Santoro did was bring into play the different city agencies that hadn't been working as a group to blend together to make positive changes in the community. He was ahead of his time in that respect.
Redevelopment, Parks and Recreation, the MUSD, Probation, Parole, Fire and police were all part of the local forces that made up C.A.P., Community Activist Policing. They met monthly to attack community problems and concerns.
Crime went down for years but like everything it's cycled back around to where it's going up again.
Blame gangs, blame meth meth meth meth and more meth and blame the parents of kids who are either too wrapped up in their own lives to pay attention to what their kids are doing or parents that raised their kids in a gang type environment.
Anyone who thinks that hasn't happened in the case of at least one murder victim is crazy.
My only question now is how long will all the outside agencies be willing to foot the bill by sending resources to Monrovia?
I give it to the end of the month but I'm sure Monrovia will retain beefed up patrols for a period of time after that using their own people.
Than you have to ask how long can a department six down now do that without stressing out their own people. Six down and losing a few more soon.
In the long run the need for a different strategy on how we handle our prison population is needed and a commitment from a pathetic D.A.'s office to start charging gangsters with every minor violation you can would be a good start.
Put these reprobates away for as long as you can whenever you get the chance. If youngsters see just how often bad guys in their families end up in jail that might make a bigger impression than big brother telling them how great being a gangster is.
People need to man up or shut up.
Local Boy
Posted by: Local Boy | February 6, 2008 3:31 PM