Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - AntiochPress_08.15.08 - Index

AUGUST 15, 2008 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 21A
Crime from page 1A Crime in Antioch: 2007 versus 2008
Despite Antioch’s signifi cant violent
crime increase, the City Council recently
approved a budget that does not provide
for the hiring of new police offi cers in the
next two years. A part-time deputy district
attorney will be hired, however, to assist
in the prosecution of crimes committed in
Antioch.
Citing the lack of city funds to hire
more police, City Councilman Reggie
Moore asked those in attendance to consider
supporting a property tax increase to
fund that hiring.
“I have heard individuals say, ‘What
can I do?’ Do you know what you can
do? You can reach in your pockets,” said
Moore. “We are at a tipping point where
if we are going to provide the whole host
of services that we are charged with providing
– that is, keeping the water fl owing,
keeping the roads fi xed, keeping the parks
open – we are at a point now where we really
can’t extend many more public dollars
to police services.
“What I’m asking is that we tax ourselves
if we are going to fully fund police
services at a level that this community has
asked. There’s no other way we can get
this done moving forward. So this community
has a decision to make. And that
decision is: Do we want to place on the
ballot a ballot initiative to approve these
additional dollars in this community?
“We face lawsuits and these lawsuits
are going to be costly. So it’s incumbent
upon each and every one of you to ensure
that we have the fi nancial wherewithal to
defend this city as we journey down this
road and as we look to continue to enhance
public services in the city of Antioch.”
The lawsuits charge the Antioch police
with racial harassment against African-Americans
receiving Section 8 housing
subsidies. City offi cials have responded
that the police are merely responding to
behavioral problems and not targeting
anyone based on skin color.
But one African-American woman
at the forum, Gigi Crowder, said her son
had been harassed by police the previous
day simply for hanging out in a park with
other African-American youths.
“My son has a big bruise and bleeding
on the side of his face because of the
cops,” she said. “We really need to train
the offi cers around cultural issues for African-American
youth. The cops were very
rude. They are not trouble-making kids.
They don’t fi t any profi le other than being
black in Antioch and misunderstood.”
Hyde responded, “I’m sorry for what
happened. We are going to thoroughly
investigate that. As far as cultural awareness
training: by state mandate, police departments
receive that training every year
around cultural diversity. We just completed
a program on racial profi ling and
the issues around that.”
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thepress.net.
Homicide
Rape
Robbery
Aggravated
Assault
Burglary
Theft
Auto Theft
Arson
Adult Arrests
Juvenile Arrests
Total Arrests
Total Violent
Crime
Total Property
Crime
Total Violent &
Property Crime
Jan.-June
2007 Total
5
19
205
184
531
653
474
23
2525
853
3378
413
1658
2071
Jan.-June
2008 Total
2
16
229
190
456
576
369
14
2663
905
3568
437
1401
1838
# Change
2007-2008
-3
-3
+24
+6
-75
-77
-105
-9
+138
+52
+190
+24
-257
-233
% Change
2007-2008
-60.0%
-15.8%
+11.7%
+3.3%
-14.1%
-11.8%
-22.2%
-39.1%
+5.5%
+6.1%
+5.6%
+5.8%
-15.5%
-11.3%
Source: city of Antioch Press Graphic