Trouble Near the School

Part of the purpose of this blog is to keep neighbors informed of incidents in our area, expanding upon the excellent e-mailing list started by Chuck.

What does a blog format do? This creates a historical record with times and dates. All neighbors will be able to review past events, without logging into e-mail if they choose not to. It's also easier to maintain than a distribution list.

If we have descriptions of people and vehicles, anyone may peruse them. We can also post photographs if needed. It is our hope this will become a community resource that will help to make things safer for our families.

Today's alert and discussion:

From Michelle:

I don't know if you've heard or witnessed this, but I've noticed a lot of illegal activity at the tennis courts at Del Paso Manor. I have had to chase off (more than once) a group of individuals who have been smoking marijuana at the benches next to the tennis courts. I'm usually with my children so I can't really do much. I call the Sheriff Department and ask them to do a "park check" and drive by the area. It is at all times of the day, but I see them regularly around dusk. I chased them off about 30 minutes ago. The main guy that I see every time is a white male, 22, 5'10", Blond short hair (usually wears a baseball cap), diamond stud in his left ear, baggy clothes, clean shaven and usually wears red. There are a whole lot of red flags for someone who is in law enforcement.

There is another group separate from these smokers who vandalize the nets inside the tennis courts. They sit on the nets and turn the benches upside down. The net has been broken twice in a three month period. I continue to tell them to get off the nets. Next time I go to the school, I am bringing a video camera with me. They are a group of teenagers who are bored. The vandalism is senseless and expensive for the district to replace the nets.

If you can let people know that if they see these two groups of people to call the Sheriff non-emergency number at 874-5115 to report them. I am going to contact the district officer to ask that he write his reports in the parking lot when he can. I've met him before, and he's a nice guy.

Let me know if you've received any other information about this. This may seem pidley, but smoking dope on a school ground where kids are playing isn't cool.

From Claire:

We saw them at the school last night as well. We called the Sheriff arou0nd 8:00 and they said they would send someone out. The man in the white shirt was also urinating on the tree right by the playground in front of families that had children. I am not sure if the Sheriff came out or not.


From Larry:

I wasn't going to bring this incident up but I see from these last two incident reports that perhaps I should. Last Thursday 6/11/09 at approximately 1:45 P.M. my son, my wife and my grandson and daughter were out front on our driveway on Kings Way when suddenly a grey Plymouth breeze came over to the curb at a high rate of speed, east bound, in front of our driveway and pulled a u-turn when two young light-skinned Latino males jumped out and started walking toward Del Paso Manor school.

When my son looked up he said that there was a group of approx. 20 to 25 youths walking up the street towards Watt Ave... Sensing trouble, my son got the baseball bat from his trunk and faced the two from the Plymouth breeze and told them to take it somewhere else. A third male, white, in a pick up truck showed up and confronted my son and said that he was trying to defuse the situation.

They argued for a moment and then he said that he should not have brought out the bat as the other guy (in the Plymouth) "was packing". They continued to linger for just a few minutes and my son had to raise his voice and get in their faces and told them again to move on and take their issue somewhere else. One of the youths, a female, got into the Plymouth and they continued towards Watt Ave. Sounds as though they may be congregating at the school and then coming into the neighborhood.