The City of Santa Ana’s Public Safety Committee meeting, on Tuesday, May 24, promises to be an interesting one – with activists coming to the meeting to talk about illegal bail bond solicitation at the O.C. jail, medical marijuana sales in northeast Santa Ana, and the seizure of cars driven by immigrants, at SAPD DUI checkpoints.
Medical marijuana is not on the agenda for the meeting, but it sounds like activists are going to try to talk about it anyway, from what I have read in blog comments this week.
A Facebook group is prodding their members to go to this meeting to speak up about seizure of immigrants’ cars at SAPD DUI checkpoints. See the video above. Here is what they posted on Facebook:
We demand that the City of Santa Ana stops targeting unlicensed drivers. Safe drivers are denied the possibility of applying for licenses and are routinely stripped of their vehicles at traffic stops. We want to see the leadership in Santa Ana end these practices.
The bail bond solicitation issue is one we have previously addressed here on this blog. Out of town bail bond agents are breaking the law by soliciting bail bonds on city sidewalks outside of the O.C. Jail and the City and the SAPD have refused to do anything about this. The O.C. District Attorney recently pressed charges against eight individuals for illegal bail bond solicitation in the O.C. Jail.
Here is the meeting agenda:
CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENDA
May 24, 2011, 5:30 P.M.
Santa Ana Police Department
60 Civic Center Plaza, Community Room
Santa Ana, California
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL Councilmembers: ALVAREZ, BENAVIDES, TINAJERO
City Manager, City Attorney
AGENDA ITEMS
1. Approval of Minutes – Meeting of March 22, 2011
2. Impound Policy – Chief Walters
3. Building Healthy Communities – Chief Walters
4. Security/Firewatch for the Saddleback Inn – Fire Chief Thomas
5. Downtown Dance Ordinance – Chief Walters
6. Bail Bond Solicitation – Teresa Judd
7. Public Comments*
8. Committee Member Comments
9. Items for Next Meeting
10. Next Meeting Date – July 26 , 2011, 5:30 PM, Santa Ana Police Facility, 60 Civic Center Plaza, 4th Floor Conference Room, Santa Ana, California
ADJOURNMENT
*NOTE: Members of the public are allowed three minutes to speak on each agenda item.
pot shops are banned in Santa Ana.
cook said:
“pot shops are banned in Santa Ana.”
Uh – yeah … right cook … sure… A lot of “good” THAT does!
Code Enforcement fines the pot shops – the pot shops either ignore the fines or pay them from the profits from their very lucrative pot selling businesses.
there all crooks plain and simple….step it up alvaro sounds like the pot shops are winning..they just opened another one on edinger and fairview next to subway accross the street from godinez fudamental school…its the fastest growing business in santa ana to make revenue!!!!
Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Portola, Parkwood and Meredith Neighborhood
The Federal government says that the selling of medical marijuana is illegal. The California state government says that it is legal – with a doctor’s recommendation. The City of Santa Ana says that medical marijuana dispensaries are banned within the City.
Yet residents of Portola, Parkwood and Meredith neighborhoods endure the effects of the proliferation of the pot shops – said to number as many 15 locations – most on the north side of 17th St. from Grand Ave. to the 55 freeway.
Residents report an increase in crime, “Rx” marijuana trash and people who do not seem to belong in our neighborhood. One resident, who recently suffered a vehicle break-in, said that a Santa Ana Police Officer told him “off the record” that the pot shops are definitely linked to an increase in crime in our neighborhood.
The stench of pot is over-whelming as you walk through office buildings with several pot shops. Their customers are NOT the nice little old lady in a wheel chair who needs medical marijuana to relieve her glaucoma symptoms. These office buildings with pot stores are not fit for legitimate businesses.
Santa Ana officials tell us that they are approaching the proliferation of these marijuana stores as a “code enforcement” issue – they are issuing fines. That seems to have little effect, the pot shops are continuing their lucrative business.
Report anything that seems suspicious to the SAPD – (714) 834-4211. Call, write or email your City Council representatives and Mayor – demand action more than just levying fines which the pot shops either ignore or have no problem paying.
Santa Ana City Council
20 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92702
Phone: 714-647-6900
Fax: 714-647-6954
http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/cm/mayorandcouncil.asp
seizure of cars driven by immigrants . wow i guess most of the state of calif will get their cars taken . LET ME PUT IT HOW YOU SHOULD SAY IT .. SEIZURE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS