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HomeMy WebLinkAbout37- Public Comment Christian Tobar 103 East 49th Street San Bernardino, CA 92404 Mayor and City Council Members RE: Apartments major factor in crime and quality of life problems We have been reading a lot about violence in the local news, and there is also a growing collective perception that crime is getting out of control in San Bernardino. I know this is a common complaint and is an ongoing problem. I know too that police are working as hard as they can and I admire them for what they are able to do with what limited resources they have. But I think we are reaching a point of critical mass. Some amount of crime may be an inescapable reality of a modern city,but it just feels as though conditions are getting worse. I've also had some personal experience with this. On October 18, on my birthday, I was robbed at gunpoint. This was on Northpark Blvd, not far from Cal State University. I also feel that a major factor in the crime and quality of life problems we have today is apartment buildings. When we hear about crime in San Bernardino, it almost always traces back to a problematic apartment complex. When we have police officers, watch commanders, and code compliance officers at our neighborhood association meetings, everyone knows about the apartments on Sierra Way and Sepulveda Blvd that bring endless problems to our otherwise quiet neighborhood. But nothing can ever be done, other than reactive law enforcement, after something has already happened. Therefore, I wanted to ask what can be done about apartment buildings? Because I feel something drastic must be done. My mother, Barbara Tobar,teaches at the Our Lady of Assumption Catholic School on 48th Street. The apartment complex across the street is a frequent source of problems. It is a frequent gathering place for drug dealers and gang members, and police have responded to calls there countless times. Recently, there were two shooting incidents, both of which originated at the apartments. One of these incidents happened during the day while the school was in session. The shots were heard clearly in the school, which has grades from Kindergarten- 8th grade. The school went on high alert, classrooms were locked, and I can only imagine how afraid the students and staff must have been. Why should kids in San Bernardino hear gunshots at school? This isn't a crime infested neighborhood in Los Angeles. This happened in an otherwise decent neighborhood in north San Bernardino in the middle of the day. Fortunately, no one at the school was hurt. But we know from local news the tragedy stray bullets can inflict. We can see from this incident and many others, that apartments are frequently the one common factor in rising crime. There are far too many apartments in San Bernardino, and the fact is that they are strangling the city. There are so many places where the quality of life in an otherwise quiet, decent neighborhood is completely ruined by one apartment complex randomly dumped nearby homes or schools in an already established neighborhood. I know a lot of good people do live in apartments - college students and young people just beginning their lives and on their own for the first time, people who have moved from out of the state and are just settling into southern California, and people who are facing unique and difficult circumstances. But otherwise,the excessive number of apartments we have in San Bernardino attracts a migratory population whose only reason for living here may simply be they can't afford to live anywhere else or they are running away from problems in their past. Inevitably,they bring their past with them here and it becomes our problem. People who can't afford to live anywhere else or former gang members fleeing Los Angeles don't make good residents. They are just looking for a place that has cheap rent and could care less about San Bernardino. I know apartments are an ongoing complaint, particularly in our area, but they are now the common denominator in most of the quality of life problems we have. Something must be done, including finally tearing down the apartments most notorious for drug dealing and violent crime, such as those across the street from Our Lady of the Assumption School. I would ask what can be done to help people—those who want to be helped - work toward a goal of home ownership (or at the very least renting a house instead of an apartment) and a more permanent concern for their community, and what can be done to work toward a long term goal of reducing the number of apartments in San Bernardino. I appreciate your time and understanding. Sincerely, Christian Tobar a concerned citizen and resident of San Bernardino