Troublemaking youth and homelessness are impacting Atascadero’s sense of public safety—at least that’s what City Council candidates said at a forum on Oct. 7.
“If you don’t feel you’re safe in your community, then your quality of life is going to go down. You’re not going to be out and about doing things,” incumbent Mark Dariz said.
Three candidates vying for two seats on the City Council took to the stage at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters, including incumbent Dariz and newcomers Tori Keen and Seth Peek. Candidates were asked how they would advocate for youth and what issues they believe youth face.
Keen said the city needs to provide a greater sense of belonging, especially among the LGBTQ-plus community, and brought up the City Council not proclaiming Pride Month in June.
“You know, a lot of young people felt incredibly upset about what happened with that, and I don’t know that the city properly addressed it at all,” she said. “When our young people don’t feel welcome in their city, then they’re going to leave. And we can put in as much affordable housing and bring in good jobs as we want, but if the LGBTQ youth community doesn’t feel accepted and welcomed here, then they’re not going to be here.”
Incumbent Dariz said that if students aren’t busy, they’re at risk of joining “gangs,” something he believes to be an issue for youth and a challenge to public safety. While he said that police are working to address the behavioral issues among kids, he said the city can promote sports to keep them out of trouble.
“I think that as long as we have the right people that are in tune to what’s happening, keep the kids safe, keep them out of that lifestyle—let’s keep them doing good for the city and keep them in sports and athletics,” he said.
Peek followed suit and said he was a big advocate for extracurriculars and wants the community to provide more entrepreneurial opportunities for students, like internships and summer jobs to gain life skills.
“It’s something that I’m really glad that my dad did when I was in high school, and it taught me a really good work ethic,” he said.
Regarding troublesome youth, Peek said, “There definitely is an element of gangs and public safety after school. I went on a ride-along with the police, and they showed me the different gang signs, … so it’s really important to know that public safety is top of mind, because when you’re coming to and from school, you don’t want your kids having to deal with that kind of stuff.”
Atascadero Police Chief Daniel Suttles told New Times that the city doesn’t have any gangs.
“We have our challenges to make sure everyone gets along, … but they are minor issues compared to saying that we have a gang problem,” he said.
While there may be gang-related signs or activity in town, Suttles said the police department sees it more as “troublemakers mimicking gang activity,” not necessarily from “legally defined” gang members.
An area of specific concern brought up at the forum is the tunnel that connects the high school to downtown. According to a question posed to candidates, many highschoolers have said they were afraid to walk the tunnel because of safety.
Keen said she wasn’t aware of the concerns.
“I actually had some conversations with high school students, and they did not seem that concerned. I think parents are definitely concerned,” Keen said. “And I’ve walked through there a few times, and I mean, yeah, there are sometimes people there that you know are homeless and need help. So, I would be interested in finding out how much safety is at risk.”
Peek said that while the city has room to improve, he isn’t sure if the tunnel is unsafe and suggested installing brighter lighting or patrolling services with the help of service clubs or the PTA.
Dariz said he believed the opposite, that the tunnel area should have a police presence to prevent “nefarious” activity.
“I think police presence is really important, … and I think as long as we’re in tune to what’s going on, and then we address it quickly, we can make sure that our kids are safe,” he said.
Police Chief Suttles told New Times that police haven’t been called to the tunnel too often but agrees it can be a gathering space because it’s inaccessible for cars.
“It’s a natural space for people to congregate,” he said.
According to Suttles, the department will release a new Special Enforcement Team within the next two months to address concerns like public safety. Composed of two-person teams, each will be directed to enforce within specific areas of need. He said the tunnel is a good example of where the teams could be placed.
When it comes to homelessness and public safety, all three candidates said they want to approach the issue compassionately, alongside using police and El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) services.
“The homeless population living on the streets and having encampments around town in areas where it’s uncomfortable for the rest of the population,” Dariz said. “It really needs to be addressed and in a compassionate way.”
Keen said the city’s current efforts through the Police Department and ECHO are the most effective in helping the homeless population.
“I think that the outreach team between ECHO and our police force is fantastic,” she said. “Building relationships and trust and trying to get them back into secure housing and things, and I know that it’s a different story for every single homeless person out there, each one is fighting their own battle.”
While Peek said police and ECHO efforts are helpful, he was more worried about the homeless people who don’t want help. He brought up Proposition 36, a state measure on the upcoming ballot that asks voters to increase punishment for certain theft and drug crimes.
“There’s no definite solution you can have because someone who’s on alcohol or drugs and addicted to it, they won’t stop unless they want to,” he said. “Possible passing of legislation in November will make it easier for people to be detained that are dealing drugs. … We will see what happens.” Δ
This article appears in Oct 10-20, 2024.