Mission Beach residents recently discussed solutions to crime in the beach communities at the recent Mission Beach Town Council’s (MBTC) neighborhood watch meeting on April 19.
Nick Calero, representative for District 2 Councilman Kevin Faulconer’s office, updated residents about five new security cameras and four lights scheduled for installation along El Carmel Point.
“They’re fully funded, ready to go, and we’re looking at just the time of installation,” he said.
Calero said the lights should be installed by mid-June.
Mission Beach resident Bob Craig said the security equipment may enhance residents’ sense of security but it may not do enough to deter criminals whom, under the guise of looking for bottles and cans to recycle, dig through trash looking for personal information that can be used for identity theft.
But Craig said he has a secret weapon against information thievery: a digital camera.
Craig said he photographs individuals involved in any suspicious activities, such as a man he spotted digging through trash for recyclables without a bag to carry them in.
When Craig moved to Mission Beach four years ago, he said he accepted the practice of people rummaging through trash bins looking for cans to recycle.
Identity thieves and opportunists know this and take advantage of it, he said.
“This idea of having a defensible space, we’ve lost in Mission Beach because we’re condoning and allowing the scavengers to wander out neighborhoods,” he said.
Craig said two solutions would be to post signage to inform people it’s illegal to rummage through trashcans and keeping a padlock on individual trash bins.
Residents also have other resources they can use to deal with other public nuisances like out of control house parties and problem neighbors.
Fred Zuckerman with the neighborhood code compliance department of the San Diego police Northern Division showed residents how to take action against chronic problem neighbors.
The Community Assisted Party Program, or CAPP, and the Neighborhood Nuisance Program are effective tools against problem neighbors, he said.
There are a few ways an address can become CAPPed.
When police respond to a loud party, they contact the host and issue a written warning, Zuckerman said. The host must take steps to control the problem.
If police have to come back for the same reason in a 30-day period, the residence can be designated as a CAPPed location, Zuckerman said. The location shows up as a red flag on officers’ computers the next time there is a problem at the residence, he said.
The second response to the address may result in a fine for the full cost of police resources used for the incident, Zuckerman said. In addition to the fine, the zero-tolerance policy for repeated disturbances can include arresting the party host and impounding stereo and amplifying equipment.
The CAPP designation of the property lasts for 12 months regardless of new residents moving in, Zuckerman said. It’s the owner’s responsibility to inform new tenants of the location CAPP status.
CAPP combined with the Neighborhood Nuisance Program can give neighbors a way to hold homeowners financially liable for renting to chronic nuisance neighbors, Zuckerman said.
According to California law, “anything which”¦interferes[s] with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property”¦is a nuisance,”
Sometimes the threat of a lawsuit is enough to persuade homeowners and their renters to curb noise, Zuckerman said.
The Pacific Beach Town Council (PBTC) recently started a neighborhood watch program to combat nuisance homes and regular-occurring crimes.
“People need to know that they do not have to put up with that garbage,” Pacific Beach Town Council President Ruby Houck said. “There is someone you can call and do something about it.”
Mission and Pacific Beach communities reach across town lines to curtail behavior that’s disruptive to residents’ quality of life, Houck said.
Facilitating communication between Mission Beach and Pacific Beach neighborhoods is crucial in documenting trends, sharing solutions and building a sense of community, said Marcella Teran, Pacific Beach neighborhood watch organizer and founder of www.SavePB.org.
Although Pacific Beach often deals with different problems than Mission Beach, Teran along with four other core members of savepb.org ” Marcie Beckett, Suzanne Landa, Scott Chipman and Monica Green ” provide a place where residents can learn about local issues so “their voice can be heard,” Teran said.
Founded June 2005, the organization boasts close to 600 members and helps build a sense of community so “People can feel this is their home to take care of,” Teran said.
For information about the neighborhood watch programs, contact:
“¢ Mission Beach Town Council
www.missionbeachtc.org
“¢ Pacific Beach Town Council
www.pbtowncouncil.org
(858) 483-6666
“¢ www.SavePB.org.