Safety is Everyone’s Concern

Whether you live in a neighborhood that you consider especially safe, or whether your neighborhood is plagued with graffiti and gang problems, it is everyone’s issue and it is my concern.

I have much to learn about the safety problems in Longmont and the methods of overcoming them. I will be meeting with Chief Mike Butler to gain a greater understanding . I have also requested a “ride along” with one of our finest. I specifically asked for a weekend night so that I would likely see the worst of the problems that face our city.

As some of you may know, I moved to Longmont from the west San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. My time there gives me special insight into the problems that cities face with gangs. Largely because of my experiences, I am deeply committed to supporting our police department in preventing these kinds of problems in Longmont.

The block wall facing my alley frequently had graffiti and removing it quickly was the way we protected our neighborhood from being tagged as “territory.” Although Longmont has a policy to erase graffiti within 24 hours, members of the community have discussed their concerns with me that this policy is not working as well as it might. This can be corrected. Beyond strong police enforcement, we also need police and community outreach and prevention programs to redirect our youth and prevent recidivism.

Crimes are committed by both genders, all races, and all ethnicities. I will make no stereotypical judgments. Each of us needs to be judged on our own merits and our own behavior.