Shooting Near Grant Street Park
Tuesday night around 9:30PM, Santa Cruz suffered their 3rd shooting in the past week, this time around the Grant Street Park area. Bullet casings were also found at the scene and they shut down the block for a couple hours to investigate. SCPD looked for suspects and victims but came up empty handed. This was also the same night as the “First Night” event held at SCPD to promote safety in the community. All smiles. Good times. I heard the Chief throws some mean cornhole. I have become comfortably numb.
Shooting on Chestnut Street in Downtown Santa Cruz
Saturday around midnight, SCPD responded to the 300 block of Chestnut after reports of gunfire and someone shooting at a house. Witnesses reported hearing 4-8 shots fired. After checking with Dominican, a man was reportedly dropped off at the emergency room with a gunshot wound shortly after this happened. Imagine that! What a coincidence. Investigators believe an exchange of gunfire occurred between two people or groups and could have possibly been gang related. Nobody has been arrested and police have no suspects.
Joyriding and Shooting at People
Saturday night, SCPD responded with multiple units after a man reported having his back window shot out by a group of people near Bay and Laguna on the west side of Santa Cruz. SCPD determined the gun was likely some kind of pellet gun, and they speculated based on other calls and witness reports that the group of suspects was driving around shooting at random people and cars. Again, nobody was caught or arrested. No wonder crime is “down” (according to Chief Mills). They rarely seem to catch anyone.
Knife Fight Near Boardwalk on Main Beach
I heard from multiple sources about an apparent knife fight that took place on Main Beach in front of the Boardwalk this weekend. Packed with tourists. These guys were tourists! A 24 year old man from Los Angeles and a 33 year old man from Fresno were both arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Witnesses told me they thought it was possibly gang related. Like bears to honey. Like stink on mierda. We roll out the old “Sanctuary City” welcome mat for gangs.
Woman Stabs Another Woman With Syringe on Skid Row
Thursday morning around 8:30AM, SCPD responded to the 100 block of Coral Street (aka “Skid Row”) after one woman apparently stabbed another woman with a syringe. Plenty of those laying around down there. I’m guessing it was a weapon of opportunity. Delivered with love by the crazy Oracle of Aptos and her Harm Reduction Shit Show. The transient stabber was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. No word on the victim’s condition.
Santa Cruz Main Jail Temporarily Shut Down
Around 11AM on Wednesday, a HAZMAT team responded to the Santa Cruz County Jail after correctional officers found suspected drugs in a cell during a pod check. One inmate and several correctional officers at the Santa Cruz County Jail were hospitalized. The incident began after an inmate was thought to have swallowed narcotics during a search, according to reports from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. Fentanyl maybe? No official explanation was given. Not that I was really expecting one.
Watsonville Man Arrested For Sex Trafficking
A 32 year old Watsonville man has been arrested for sex trafficking a woman from Gilroy, according to reports from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. Officials say the woman had been severely beaten and hospitalized due to the abuse. Sheriff’s Detectives arrested him in Gilroy last week. He faces numerous felonies including human trafficking, pimping, pandering and kidnapping. He is currently on parole and a registered sex offender. ON PAROLE AND A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER. Can someone just castrate him already?
Smash and Dash Near the Boardwalk
Sunday night around 10PM, reports came in about a 35 year old vagrant bum who smashed the windshield of a passing car with a rock or some kind of object at the roundabout by the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on Beach street. About a dozen callers and witnesses near the Las Palmas Taco Bar saw the suspect flee near 3rd and Front. SCPD caught up with the suspect near 3rd and Younger, where witnesses made a positive identification. He was arrested on assault with a deadly weapon, battery and vandalism charges. Last check he was still in jail.
Nineteen Times and Counting!
Sunday morning around 9AM, a 39 year old local criminal recidivist was arrested near Bertolli Drive and Empire Grade in Santa Cruz YET AGAIN on a number of charges, including car theft, obstruction, vandalism, battery, resisting arrest, and of course, a PROBATION VIOLATION. He’s been arrested 19 times since 2016.
Cooling His Jets in County Jail
Sunday night around 8:30PM, SCPD arrested an unemployed 18 year old male on the 2200 block of Lagoon Court in Santa Cruz for making criminal threats and battery. Last check he was still sitting in county jail on a $10K bond.
Robbery Suspect Busted Downtown
Saturday night around 6PM, a 30 year old transient was arrested on the 800 block of Water Street for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. He appears to still be locked up in jail last time I checked.
Beat It Kook
Thursday afternoon, SCPD responded to Cowells Beach after getting a report of a man sitting on the wall masturbating while watching kids. He was arrested. He’ll probably be back out there tomorrow morning.
Door Dash Driver Gets Mistaken For Prowler
Tuesday night around 10:30PM, SCPD responded to a call about a possible prowler at a residence on the 400 block of Washington. Someone knocked on her back door, then came around to her front door, and then starting peering inside her windows while she was home alone. Turns out it was a Door Dash driver. Apparently the flaky woman forgot she ordered food. It’s kind of funny in hindsight but I’m sure it wasn’t funny for that driver being confronted by multiple SCPD units.
Where to Sign the Recall Petitions This Week!
- Westside Farmer’s Market
Saturday, Aug 10
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
2801 Mission Street - Kelly’s Bakery (The Dinner Market Event)
Saturday, Aug 10
5:30 PM – 9:30 PM
402 Ingalls Street - Whole Foods (On Soquel Ave)
Monday, Aug 12
4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Living Colour Plays For Free at the Boardwalk!
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band’s music is a creative fusion influenced by heavy metal, funk, jazz, hip hop, punk, and alternative rock. They are best remembered for their signature anthem “Cult of Personality”, which won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1990. They were also named Best New Artist at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards and won their second Grammy Award for their follow-up album Time’s Up. 2 free shows at the Boardwalk at 6:30 and 8:30PM.
Weekly Shoutouts and Thanks!
I just want to thank Surf City Barber Shop, Stockwell Cellars, Central Coast Welding and Fabrication, Java Junction Coffee Roasting, Union Foodie Truck, KSCO, Bone-A-Fide Dog Care, Brooks Properties, Carolyn Livingston Campaign Services, Damon Bruder Construction, Biomarcommunications, Jane Becker, and all the other local businesses and business owners who are actively supporting the recall efforts. Please support these brave local businesses, who are being stalked and harassed by recall critics for simply exercising their first amendment freedom of speech rights. They deserve our ongoing support and our business.
Also thanks and kudos to David Plumlee Terry Spodick, Don Reimann, Robert Stone, David Quesada, Scott Richards, Elizabeth Clifton, Carol Polhamus, and everyone else who has donated their time and money to the recall campaign. Your contributions are very much appreciated!
And thanks and bon voyage to my friends Patti and Paul, who are leaving for greener (or maybe browner) pastures. Thanks for all you did to make Santa Cruz a better place.
The Santa Mierda Podcast Network
Be sure to check out the Santa Mierda Podcast Network! We’ve got the latest “Unfiltered” by yours truly, as well as a new podcast, “Untreated” from Sharona. You can find the Santa Mierda Podcast Network on SoundCloud. And Apple Music. And Spotify. It’s free so check it out and give it a listen! Next new podcast should be coming this Sunday night!
Check Out Our Twitter Feed for More Mierda!
Be sure to check out and follow our Twitter feed for even more mierda! Even though the Dump only comes your way once a week, I try to post breaking news and updates on other days as well. So check us out and follow us on Twitter for even more updates about real time news in Santa Cruz you might not otherwise hear about.
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What happened to all the public restrooms downtown? Well, they closed. As someone who works at a river st business, please dont be surprised if you cant find a public restroom and then proceed to guilt and yell at the employees. Due to constant vandalism (with all the object destruction, graffiti, (and what I call fecal graffiti) drug use, drug paraphernalia, and yes arson, store owners have had no choice but to close restrooms to the public and even customers… (keep in mind homeless and drug addicts can be customers too) …rather than keep having to eat the cost of fixing and cleaning damage (not to mention the liabilty of staff or customers getting poked with a discarded needle or contracting anyone of the many diseases left by human waste).
So please remember the next time you think that it’s “unfair” to not provide a restroom, you’re not the one who is tasked with cleaning up the horrible mess. Thank you
The biggest critics about this never acknowledge the constant reckless destruction and vandalism that takes place in our public bathrooms downtown. They get treated like shooting galleries for junkies. People want to take showers in the sinks. I’ve said it a million times, we get what we are willing to tolerate. We’re willing to over tolerate and coddle people that vandalize bathrooms and ruin things for everyone, not just the homeless. I know a few people like Brent have tried to self police the issue from within that community (and it was a constant struggle). It has always been an issue. Treat the bathrooms with respect and they’ll stay open 24/7. It’s really that simple.
We’re no longer willing to tolerate. We go elsewhere. It’s too bad because in this situation you want normal people there. This town is on a path to self destruction.
There has been a recent exodus of good, hard working, tax paying community members (people I know personally) due to frustration with the city and county governments. Sure, one could argue they are being replaced by something similar (given how much it costs to buy property here). But the turnover is not really good for Santa Cruz. Some of the new buyers are likely speculative and are using the investment to make money. That’s what is replacing a lot of these long time locals leaving for better, cheaper, more sensible places to live.
Thank you for your support Ben!!
I live by Grant Park and there is no news locally about the shooting, I heard about it from neighbors, my husband saw it on the KSBW news. I checked again today on the Sentinel website…. nothing. What the….
The only stories I’ve seen about it (twice) were on KSBW and the stories were short, no interview with Mills, or Bernal, or anyone for that matter. 3 shootings in a week and our cowardly, ineffective leaders hide from the dirty truth they prefer to ignore.
Right, so the can say the “crime is down” Disgusting.
WTF is all I can say !! Thanks for keeping us informed.
My 6 year old was attacked by a transient on drugs in our local hardware store (I was sandwiched between her and my child fortunately). She was placed on a mental health hold and let out. Several days later she sexually assaulted a parks employee @ covered bridge. I fought hard but she was let out on parole, pat on the head by judge. We’re moving, I’m terrified for my kids.
Sorry about that incident with your child. I’d bet there’s hundreds of stories like it we never hear. I think I remember that covered bridge story (and even covered it here). Was he cutting the grass when it happened? That woman was 5150.
Like Ben said I’m sure that type of thing has happened to many people here and all over where things get like how they are in downtown SC and it just keeps getting worse. Now we have to worry about needles. I don’t have kids of my own my wife has a son and daughter, I do have a dog that I had before I met my wife. I can only imagine how that was to go thru. Then to see your efforts fail in court for think I’d supernova out of frustration. And I guess you did since your moving. I would to. And once I was gone I’m not sure if I’d check on Santa Mierda anymore just so you don’t even have to think bout this place. Best of luck! So sorry.
I read there was a guy who shot another guy in the arm with the shooters accomplice being his girlfriend. Ya but SC has no crime problems!!!!
My wife told me about a woman almost or did get raped in the bathrooms at San Lorenzo park I’m not sure when. So ever since I’ve been with my wife she has me stand outside of the bathroom until she says “all clear” cause she’s afraid there will be a guy inside waiting this is only in SC or places we are unfamiliar with. She’s scared cause she knows it has happened in SC. But ya SC has had no public restrooms as far back as I could remember. Nothing is sacred to these “People” if they can’t steal it for money/drugs they keep it for themselves if it’s not worth anything they’ll destroy or vandalize it for god knows what reason. Witch reminds me of this petty thing I’ll see happening every night these “ people “ will knock over every JUMP bike they come across. It never fails if I see 20 jump bikes by the time my shift is over they will all be knocked over or there thrown in bushes or into the river.
As of now I have more then 30 pictures of “people “ I’ve had to eject from the property’s I Gaurd I would somehow share these privately and see if I could find out who these people are there criminal past. Especially the pictures were there shooting us have a meth pipe in hand or foil,lighter and straw in there mouth. I was liking thru the pictures and noticed if they have a bike it’s crudely painted over or the stickers are scratched off the I’ve even seen just black tape bike frames.
Like I’ve said a city wide (strong!) neighborhood watch is a good idea in theory and I’m SURE many have been assembled I’m SURE some exist as well but one guy doing it on his own wow that takes some real courage. I was thinking citizens setting up “ bait” cars with a empty purse visible inside to catch these people in the act. But if I had it my way I’d get a large group about 100+ strong and walk the river at night for some reason it’s “base” for them they can be there and do whatever they want 24/7. But I’m sure it would backfire cause we would get no help from law enforcement.
Also I bet if a bunch of regular SC residents started doing the same things as these “people “ are allowed to get away with it would not be tolerated. That’s what gets me. Try it just yell and scream in the middle of the night or day, wander around all day and night,harass people if they don’t give you money, walk into restaurants and start eating off of tables that haven’t been cleared yet/beg and or demand food, Stare at people eating thru restaurant windows, sleep anywhere Poo and pee anywhere. You know just do as they do.
Sorry if I tend to rant and repeat myself I’m just fed up
Thank you for sharing your insights; it makes me sad to read about all you have to deal with. And yet, it’s refreshing to hear honest talk about all the shit going on in Santa Cruz. People band together to solve problems our elected officials can’t/don’t/won’t deal with. The Pleasure Point Night Fighters are an example, so are Oakland’s Guardian Angels—although apparently the GAs are a weird mix of good guys-bad guys. Here in the mountains people tend to just take care of whatever problems they face from thieves, tweekers, etc. without announcing how they handled it. They know it’s foolish to rely on the government. If something doesn’t change to support law-abiding citizens instead of the tweekers and freeloaders, I suspect Santa Cruz is going to tip into anarchy. And by anarchy I don’t mean the idiots hiding their faces behind Guy Fawkes masks, I mean ordinary people-neighbors-whole neighborhoods-rising up to ensure their safety when the government fails to do so. It makes me sick to see all the taxes collected by the city of Santa Cruz, and for what? What really needs to happen is designation of taxes that are already being collected by the city, the county, and state-wide–toward mental health institutions. And stiffer penalties in the judicial system. Yes, I realize this would put a tourniquet on many in the enabling industry here, but as the saying goes, in many cases they are part of the problem, not the solution.
Nothing much has changed for people in the mountains Julie. I grew up in Bonny Doon 45 years ago and we were painfully aware then that the only service the County Sheriff provided was to take a report or order a body bag hours after the event. It made sense to us at the time, because that was par for the course for rural living. What didn’t make any sense to us was the zeal of the DA and judges for going after citizens who were defending their lives and property against intruders.
Fast forward to today. Pretty much the same situation, although more timid “city” people live in the mountains and think that the County Sheriff will protect them. From reports of my friends that still live there, sounds like the tweekers are more diffuse now and a little bolder now that the property owners are less likely to defend themselves.
As Ben has stated, we get what we tolerate. Collectively speaking of course.
I hope that the Santa Cruz County and City of Santa Cruz electorate are able to make changes to their Board of Supervisors/City Council, DA, SO/PD and judges in the next election. There really isn’t any other way out of that mess, so hopefully people are able to focus their energy on making changes to their local governments.
I am beyond willing to help you Dave with the group of local residents doing patrol at night, and documenting crime and criminals when seen. I’m also a fan of the bait backpack/bike/car idea. The problem is once these “people” are caught taking these bait items, they would cry out entrapment, and, once again, the “rights” of the criminals would superceed the rights of the victims. Same would happen with citizen night patrols.
In anywhere else where government protects hard working, tax paying residents over low life, stealing, transients… these ideas may work. But we live in an city equivelent to an asylum and the patients will continue to run the clinic.
Remember Measure G? An increase in our taxes to provide for safety and rangers in our parks? No more park rangers, Mr. Mills has gobbled them all up to fill in his understaffed P.D.. Park patrols are rare to nonexistent as the tweeters and dealers have learned! We have some really great community assets that are turning into shit holes because of this. Park staff I’ve talked to say they spend most of their day just making sure the shit show doesn’t get too out of hand. Bring your Mace to the playground people!
That must be why crime is down. Now that the crime is resolved, nothing better left to do except practicing Cornhole I guess.
I never cease to be amazed the at depths plumbed by Santa Cruz. I keep thinking “okay, that is rock bottom right, it can’t possibly get any worse”. And then I read another edition of Santa Mierda. 🙁
What’s ironic is local rangers worked far harder and had way better combat resolution skills than all of the state rangers hired to patrol our beaches. I would trade 10 state rangers for a city ranger any day
I heard the Chestnut street gunfire that night; I was going to call PD but figured that someone closer to the action already did.
Downtown beggars are becoming aggressive; I’m going to carry pepper spray more often. A blind homeless guy can’t bother you too much, and it’s temporary so you don’t feel too guilty.
Kindness encourages them and emboldens them; don’t encourage them.
I’m a Gaurd and I don’t carry mace or a taser I’m afraid I’ll get into trouble for using them even if it’s in self defense cause these “ people “ are protected by SC for some reason. But I TOTALLY recommend mace Pepper Gel you can find it at big 5 it shoots far is a gel and has the UV dye in it so if the person you spray gets away and washes the pepper off changes clothes they still have an invisible layer on them that shows up under UV light. But keep in mind pepper spraying into the wind or in an enclosed environment or spraying someone close to you runs the risk of you getting some spray into your eyes also just cause you mace a person doesn’t mean they still can’t keep attacking it may enrage the person more and some people get used to pepper spray/mace. Handheld tasers I don’t recommend there to weak for a person high on drugs and you have to physically touch the person with it with leaves you danger close to who your trying to fend off.
The average citizen can get the same taser Guns the police use and its legal in the SC city limits to carry and use them in self defense ( from what I’ve heard) but they cost 500$ and 100$ for a holster. And if you do use the taser gun you have to call police and ambulance to have the darts removed from the attacker. And never pull out a knife or blunt object unless you know your fighting for your life or someone else’s like I said these “ people “ are protected and you may find yourself being the one in the wrong even though to knew 100% you had no choice to defend yourself or someone else. It’s ass backwards I know. I just don’t want to see good people getting put in jail or prison for defending themselves cause when these scum bags do things they get little to NO time behind bars.
We already know it takes time to call the police and time for them to respond then arrive. Learn how to not be a victim and be aware of your surroundings and especially know how to recognize a “creep”
It’s ass backwards would be a good city slogan. And accurate as all hell.
Agreed Dave! Also for all women out there, a self defense course can really help. Learning a few simple take down/block/disarm moves can mean the difference between life and death. Also, your only using your body, so no weapons. Disarm moves are great, because the attacker had the weapon first, and theres no way (especially if you are a woman) a cop/judge can argue the attacker was in the wrong. Plus it just makes you feel better to have that knowledge/power to be able to protect yourself whenever you walk down the street. AND even more so if you have children
my mom is still close friends with her high school russian teacher. i used to tune out the stories about the cold war, or stalin or etc etc. i would say to myself, cant they just focus on the positive? who needs to relive that crap? then im looking at what the communists want for santa cruz and im like- ok all those stories i tuned out for the last several decades, can you guys just repeat them one more time?? lol?? how do we respond to this b.s. again??
Well as another graveyard shift is about halfway done I have time to write. I spoke with a “ homeless guy” I was inquiring as to why he wasn’t at the San Lorenzo “ camp” and he verified what I’ve been hearing and seeing. There’s no unity among these (street people) there stealing from each other and for the few people that are not drug addicts or criminals but do live on the street its not a place they want to be it’s just a camp for addicts and criminals/criminal-addicts. He then went on telling me that he is a veteran has quit drinking alcohol for 2 years now { could be true, could not} I say that cause in the same breath he admitted to being a drug user but does not use needles { could be true/also could not} my guess was meth crack or tar. I know from my experience that even though this man was super nice seemed intelligent and articulate he could be a different person the next time I see him. He was not on any property I guard he was just on the sidewalk and was drawing in a art book so I figured he was approachable and he was. So you really can’t group these people together but the sad reality is that it’s probably safer to.
People love to scream and yell out obscenities in SC at night I hear them so often that it now become almost comical. I did call PD this morning cause there was a white guy with no shirt cut off khakis pants and a few tattoos just raging mad and yelling and I felt he was going to do something so ya.
Saw a guy remove a rear bike tire to a bike locked up RIGHT IN FRONT of the rear entrance of Trader Joe’s on river st. Even though there were employees inside the building. I had encountered the same guy earlier trying to go into The patio area of Woodstock pizza these are not places I Gaurd but there on my “Beat” so I cant help but to see what’s going on. There’s also a bike locked up on front st that’s not your average looking bike [couriers bike]. just tonight the few times I walked on front st I saw 3 different guys already on bikes (stolen more then likely) stopping basically to scope it out. This bike is easy to recognize but yet these guys would steal it if they could. Oh and of course when I shined my flashlight and asked why were they so close to and shining there flashlight at a bike that was locked up and was not there’s I get the usual hostility.
No more money for recycling. Ya….
When I have more time I’m going to respond to some comments that are here and to the people who respond to my comments THANKS!! But I have to give major thanks to BEN. Without him only my wife,friends and my cat and dog would only be the ones I could vent to. We ditched cable to save money in my house 1-1/2 years ago. So to unwind I watch dvds more specifically Mamas family,All in the family,lost in space,Andy Griffith,the munsters,Keeping up appearances, I love Lucy,are you being served. Mr bean the original mission impossible. Also the real classic films with stars like Bogart,Clifton Webb,James Stewart,Betty Davis just to name a few. Like I’ve said before I plan on sticking around here and posting stuff for as long as possible and I want to share a Little about myself so I’m not seen as a one dimensional person.
I have a heart,common sense and a brain. THATS WHY I CANT STAND WHAT SC HAS BECOME.
5:58 am as I’m writing this I’m watching a young white guy looking on the ground for cigarette butts cursing at me cause I’m sitting in my vehicle. I got his attention cause after he yelled out F—-k! For the 10th time cause he wasn’t finding any butts and kicked over a few shopping carts I got out of my vehicle and just looked in his direction shaking my head. He said if it wasn’t for people like him I Wouldn’t have a job. I said no as long as property owners want there property look after there will always be security Gaurds it’s just that in NORMAL towns and city’s Gaurds are there to prevent things that MAY happen but as with places like SC guards are hired to TRY to PREVENT things that WILL happen or things that do happen over and over. Ya job security for sure but man this town is a joke. Oh and a mortar went off at the San Lorenzo camp on the ground around 4am.
Update. The mortar I heard was set off and dropped into the river from one of the bridges. I saw the guy I talked to last night and he gave me the update. I also overheard a guy on his phone last night saying he was now 3 month sober from smoking Tar Heroine but then he asked whoever he was talking to if they had any Zanax. So IDK. Sadly I know that 3 months off hard drugs really isn’t that long and for some people Relapse is apart of there drug lifestyle I don’t know the guy but I truly hope the best for him. I know this from experience I had a good friend that went thru 3 different rehabs in 4 years last I heard he was still clean.
Even if you have the best bike lock if you leave you bike out overnight here in SC if the scum bags can’t bust the lock they will strip all the parts they can from it. Going to take my wife’s daughter on a 4 mile walk this morning. Even though I walk 5 nights a week for my job 🙂
I’m starting to think I should just give Dave his own weekly feature story in the Dump. What does everyone think? More importantly, what does Dave think?
Dave offers important information, and I’d like to continue to read what he has to say regardless of the format.
I agree. Or maybe a blog. I’d love it in a format that i could email to city council members, asking for their comments.
I only have 4 months of things to remember once I get all that out. It will be up to date stuff as I experience night by night. And I can’t make stuff up cause some of this stuff I report to my supervisors anyway. I’d love it if what I write gets to the people that can actually make the changes we need.
its Up to you Ben. I’m a Virgo Rooster. But I feel I’m fighting for a good cause. I’m mainly motivated by utter disgust of what’s going on followed by concern. It’s become beyond a hot button for me but the main reason I decided to speak up here is when I first heard one of your podcasts the way you carry yourself I felt as though you thought like I do and you don’t rant and fly off the handle though I’m sure you want to about many MANY things. Your really trying to keep people informed your trying hard and doing a great job. If you think I should share more and more often of what’s going on during my shifts though it may get repetitive, I’m totally cool with that.
I have a bad habit I don’t lie and tell it like it is. I do always keep in mind that kids may read what I write so I can promise you to always remember to keep that in mind. I’ve just always liked to help people and I feel sharing what I see in detail could help. I just wish it would change things. To be honest my highest level of education is being a high school Grad. Having both parents in law enforcement since I was 5 and paying attention to everything they told me has always stayed in my memory. It really helps to give me perspective. I’ve had my share of life experiences. And so far everyone that’s chimed in I have much respect for cause it’s not like YouTube where dumb or irrelevant comments flood the chat board it’s real people mostly locals I assume,trying to get heard and hopefully see some CHANGE.
But just having your respect Ben and the respect of you listeners is super cool.
I completely agree as a downtown business manager (and inadvertant security guard myself). Having to constantly tell addicts we wont cash their fake bill’s for them. That we dont give away free food/product just because they’re hungry or feel entitled- simply because the message here is the pity party should get the lions share. Having to explain to other hardworking customers (who think they’re doing a good thing by buying these people food) not to, because thevsame vagrants will keep comming back to ask more of my customers to buy them something. Then, me, having to kick these vagrants out when they throw a tantrum in my business when they dont get what they want, making me look like the ugly heartless savage for not “caring”. Other local business owners who witness all this vent to me as well because they can relate. I think the only message that wont fall on deaf ears to the “higher ups” would be a mass exodus or shut down of all local business, which we all know would do nothing but turn our town over to corporations and the university… with students and vagrants as their only residents, and any tourists still willing to visit as seasonal customers.
Thank you Dave, I look forward to reading your reports. It is hard to draw the line, I live next to Emeline St. and I constantly draw the line, like the guy who put a huge bag of trash in my recycle and walked away. My trash can is half size, that would have used up our weekly allotment and then some and being trash, it couldn’t be recycled. So I pulled it out and walked after him and said “this is yours, deal with it” He looked at me and said “next time I will smash it in front of your house” And then a few days later, trash, broken bottles etc. was indeed in front of our house. We cleaned it up, but it didn’t happen again, we confront people stealing our recycling and they make a big noise, but don’t come back.
We too are no longer willing to tolerated the abuse from the lawless section of society that has set up camp here. The more who join us the stronger the aura around here that we will not allow this behavior any more.
This thing I bet is normal I’m TO MANY places and neighborhoods were not dealing with fun, friendly “ box car hobos” there scary unpredictable people. And I’d hate to see a mother/father or both have to defend themselves and have them be the ones to get in trouble. It’s like we need to sleep in shifts to make sure nothing happens in our neighborhoods and businesses and know there’s no REAL support from our law enforcement and city reps. Get cameras that record audio as well. Idk
One last thought on voting: we need to make it so only TRUE residents are allowed to vote in this town. People who can prove they’ve lived and worked here for longer than 4 years. I think that would weed out a lot of the idealistic bleeding heart students who get manipulated by the university propaganda that enabling these vagrants equals helping their human rights. Human rights should apply to hard working residents as well. Which they seem to forget.
Ben, I value your weekly news….there is no other local news available IMO…I think Dave is a huge asset to your reporting. I like his natural, simple style. His personality comes through as being just a decent average Joe who cares about his community. Like Ben. So, the more Bens and Daves we have, the better. Maybe there is hope of Santa Cruz being a little more like it used to be, a bit cleaner, safer, hometownish. Keep reporting and caring. Sign the petition if you are a city resident.
Today’s edition is probably one of the most depressing I’ve read since tuning in SantaMierda.`
It will get better. In fact, this week begins what I like to refer to as “the best time to live in Santa Cruz”. Most of the public school kids from over the hill are back in school (or heading back to school) which means fewer tourists trekking over the hill each day to come to the beach. UCSC is still out for about another 6 weeks. The weather is beautiful. The roads aren’t clogged with traffic. The beaches are mellow. Get out and enjoy the town for the next 6 weeks!
I am not depressed by this week’s “mierda” because it seems like more and more people are getting involved. I can only imagine what it is like to live near Emiline or Coral Street, but if more people are getting fed up, signing the petition to recall the two bozos and take back Santa Cruz, that is a good thing. We can still be “bleeding hearts” and “weird” and not be trampled by the users and takers. If we just could arrest the jerks and keep them in check, help the mentally ill with forced treatment ….i know…not politically correct, but forcing treatment gets them stabilized so they can think straight and make better decisions…IMHO….. I am hopeful that Ben and Dave and others are inspiring some forces for change…
For someone who’s a champion of transparency, Sheriff Hart has been extremely opaque regarding the fentanyl contamination (per sworn-to-secrecy personnel) in the jail.
I really like Dave’s observations of his night shift and appreciate that he share’s them here. Kind of like a Mierda Noir. Keep it up Dave, and continue to stay safe.
2 more shootings tonight in downtown Santa Cruz. One at the Taco Bell drive through on Pacific and Laurel. One on the 300 block of Mission street. One victim with gunshot wound to the leg transported to Valley Med. Three suspects left the scene and took off on foot downtown. Nobody arrested that I know of. SCPD unsure if shootings are related (but they seem to think they are GANG related). More in the next Dump.
Let’s see if we hear from Chief Oblivious tomorrow about it.
We may have one of the highest crime rates per capita in the state. Or nation. What in the fuck is going on?
Ben, what would our incompetent police chief do if there was a drug dealer arrest that went South just like happened in Philadelphia today where a drug dealer shot 6 cops wirh an AR-15. He finally gave up but this is sure as hell going to happen in Santa Cruz sooner or later and it just doesn’t seem that Mills has the stomach for it. I’ll bet the reason there aren’t more drug dealer arrests is that Mills is afraid that a Philly situation is going to happen and his cops get shot.
So the net result of “running scared” policing is that all SC drug dealers are allowed to do business as usual and just like the homeless Fiasco the Dave writes about all the time, the cops just abide by it putting in their time until their pension comes up.
Someone on a write a book about how ineffective policing and ineffective city government work together
2:35 am besides all the REGULAR crap we have to deal with in Santa Mierda not much going on. Bunch of needles on one property, “homeless” bugging and harassing restaurants for food. I’m starting to tell these businesses to turn off there WiFi over night cause I’ve noticed groups of these “ people “ will just hang out all night at a spot with WiFi then eventually they have to inject or smoke something. Then eventually have to pee or Poo and as we all know they’ll just go ANYWHERE.
If I kept every picture that I’ve taken since I started I’d have a better idea of where to start with everything I’ve encountered so far I’ve mentioned most of it I think. One of the first times I had a “ homeless “ guy try to fight me here was simply because I said I think remember you from last-night cause of this grey blanket this guy had. He started yelling and what not saying it’s a common blanket that a lot of the homeless get. But he wouldn’t let me talk anyhow, once off the property he was out of spite going to sleep on the sidewalk doing the old “ freedom sleepers” trick. The first time walking up on someone smoking tar of off foil or meth pipe was interesting, after the 20th time it was just disgusting. I still have the picture of the young guy with a needle in his arm that was a first but wasn’t the last and every round I make I never know what I’ll encounter. It does get worse towards the end of the month, just like I was told by other guards and police.
Ya before I found Santa Mierda I erased so many photos of people I’ve “ejected “ from property’s cause i was thinking it would be easier to just put the pictures in a slide show cause a picture is truly worth a thousand words. I was just thumbing thru the pictures I do have and in the ones where these “people” are not sleeping you can zoom in on the pictures to see there pipes, foil, drugs,lighters Baggies ect ect. I have a few pictures of these two older guys going thru jewelry. And wow do some of these “ people “ have nice bikes or bikes that are crudely painted over or have the bikes stickers scratched off and in some cases the bikes will be covered in black tape.
If you guys want to know more asking questions may help me remember things
Nothing much for this shift. BEWARE of 740 front streets little parking lot next to the 3 story parking garage vehicles are still getting there windows smashed/broken into. Found a guys wallet waiting on PD to give it to them. Rock on Ben looking forward to your next Podcast!!
A quiet shift expected for the usual “people “ roaming about on foot bike scooter ect ect. Went up to one of these “people “as he was just cursing at/towards a crew of workers getting set up for there’s days hard work. I was trying to tell him to stop yelling and cursing or leave the property but once he saw I was coming he just started cursing at me. Once he realized I wasn’t leaving he just left cursing and carrying on as they do. Tonight I noticed more regular SC folk and tourists acting the fool and hey that’s great.
Turn off your WiFi over night if you own a business/building in SC it’ll give these “people “ one less reason to be near your place. And don’t park in the 740 front street alley parking lot between the “ galleria” and the parking garage