The Weekly Dump 2.7.20

Who’s Your Buddy?

This past week, K9 Buddy with the Santa Cruz CHP helped officers find 68 pounds (POUNDS!!) of meth in a vehicle, according to the CHP. Buddy’s handler stopped a Mazda that had tinted windows and no license plate, and the CHP said Buddy found the meth during a search of the vehicle. An East Bay resident was arrested. Buddy is actually retiring soon, and I thank him for his years of service to the community. Enjoy retirement Buddy!

Nine Shootings in Twelve Months

That’s the number to tumble out of SCPD Chief Andy Mills mouth recently after SCPD announced plans for a community meeting to address concerns about the frequency of shootings in Santa Cruz and how the department plans to address the issue going forward. All of the shooting victims have been Latino. The community meeting is being held Tuesday evening beginning at 6PM at the Nueva Vista Community Center/Beach Flats location on Liebrandt Ave. Amid growing concerns over an increase in gun violence involving Latinos in the city, SCPD will be introducing the possibility of using license plate reader technology. Police and community leaders will host a meeting for the Latino community to discuss this. It will be a bilingual presentation, and attendees are encouraged to ask questions about public safety issues in the Latino community. Oh I’m sure this will go over REAL well. We’ve fanned the fear mongering flames of ICE at this community for years, to the point they don’t trust the police. And you’re telling them you want to read their license plates now? I have a better idea. Stop letting dangerous repeat criminals out of the turnstiles at our county jail. Actually arrest people instead of not arresting people. You know, common sense stuff!

Car Drops In on Seabright Beach

Tuesday afternoon, two people were injured after their car went went over a cliff at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz. Fire officials who responded said an elderly driver thought she had put the car in reverse but instead it was in drive. The car drove through the railing and dropped about 20 feet onto the beach. Both occupants survived with injuries.

Sixty Four and Forty Three

Last Friday around noon, I noticed a pair of arrests at about the same time a block apart, both involving vagrants. A 64 year old male was arrested at Washington and Maple streets and almost at the same time, a 43 year old male was arrested at Washington and Laurel streets. This block is the new Skid Row of downtown, with bums setting up tents along a fence that borders the kid’s playground at Louden Nelson Community Center, a city owned property managed by the Department of Parks and Recreation. And did I mention the SCPD main station is directly across the street? I think I just did! The 43 year old bum was arrested for drunk in public, having outstanding warrants, and of course, the ubiquitous probation violation. “43” has been arrested 16 times since 2013. We’ve been propping this bum up for the past 7 years and counting. “64” has been arrested 18 times since 2013. 64 is out of jail already but 43 is apparently still in jail.

Shooting at Passing Cars Near Emerald Bay Apartments

Sunday around 3:30PM, Santa Cruz Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area around Winkle Avenue and Soquel Drive after multiple people reported seeing a male shooting at passing cars. The suspect was last seen by witnesses running into the Emerald Bay Apartments, where deputies set up a perimeter around the apartment complex and found a 9mm shell casing. An 18 year old male matching witness descriptions was seen walking through the complex and arrested by deputies. In his backpack, deputies found a loaded handgun that matched the casing found at the scene. The male was taken to county jail and charged with willful discharge of a gun, possession of a gun with an altered identification and carrying a loaded gun in a public place. Nobody was injured.

Get Out of Jail Free Cards

Sunday afternoon around 1:30PM, SCPD responded to the area of Riverside Avenue and Campbell Street where they “cited and released” a 31 year old for possession of heroin and stolen property. I also happened to notice he was arrested 2 days earlier too. I’m guessing he wasn’t in jail long. I mean have they just given up here? Why bother? “Cite and Release” might as well just be a get out of jail free card.

Need more proof? Look no further than the turnstile at Skid Row!

Gives New Meaning to Drive Thru

Tuesday night around 10PM, SCPD responded to the 200 block of Laurel Street in downtown Santa Cruz for a report of a driver who collided with a building. They arrested a 31 year old male for DUI. 10PM downtown at Pacific and Laurel. Thank God nobody was killed by this drunk.

The UCSC College Democrats are Tired of Drew Glover’s Bullshit

The UCSC College Democrats put out an official statement recently about endorsing the recall of city council member Drew Glover. Here’s their statement:

“Councilmember Drew Glover attended a College Democrats general meeting a few weeks ago to speak about his progressive policies and what he has done so far in City Council. When questioned by a club member about the recall election, it became a back-and-forth for 20 minutes where Councilmember Glover said things we did not agree with. This included: Saying women/folks should have confronted him directly rather than report to HR, saying former mayor Martine Watkins played the “Woman card,” responding to someone saying “I see both sides” of the recall by comparing the statement to Charlottesville, calling out a club member’s facial expressions and insinuating he knew what she was thinking/feeling, and questioning her and our ability to understand what was going on by asking “Do you know local politics? Do you know the people involved?”

These things cumulatively lead us to our endorsement vote. We thought he was very unprofessional in the meeting and was personally going after the club member asking about the recall, talking about her facial expressions and questioning if she knew local politics. It was very rude and disrespectful to the very organization that endorsed him in 2018. It also showed his lack of understanding of folks who report to HR, who do not want to confront the person they are complaining about. His behavior was unacceptable and showed us it is not a stretch to believe that he has acted this way previously, and to believe the women who have come forward accusing him of bullying and intimidation.

We support his progressive policies and want progressive voices in City Hall, but his progressive platform does not excuse his behavior towards us and any others in the community.

Our decision was not based in opposing progressive politics, it was based in his conduct towards our club. We believe the women who have come forward. We witnessed his bullying of women firsthand, and find that behavior intolerable for an elected official.”

We’re the Wind Beneath Her Wings!

Your Santa Mierda Voter’s Guide

It’s here!

Support the Recall Effort!

The recall effort was successful at getting to the ballot but the real work has begun to see this effort to the finish line. Please consider a donation to Santa Cruz United, the group that worked to organize the recall effort. I support their efforts as a group, and I pledge to provide my services pro bono to the recall effort. If we all step up, we will finish this effort successfully and bring function back to a completely dysfunctional city hall. Thanks!

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24 Comments

  1. WTF!! Arrested for possession of meth and stolen goods? Then cited again for possession of meth TWO DAYS LATER???? Can’t we at least export these idiots back home instead of keeping them in Santa Cruz? Our jail must be too nice. Maybe we should go back to less cuddly punishment! Sleep on this bed of nails before we electric shock you in the morning! So frustrating.

  2. Nice doggie pic. Good doggie.
    I seldom spend time downtown, but I had to try to jump start some young girls car at Walgreens (but couldn’t and awaited the tow truck). I got to see OH, sketchy skateboarders checking us out, some guy changing out of the 3 pairs of pants he was wearing , and someone checking door handles on the parked cars (until I mentioned it and got a dirty look). A few days before I saw a couple, OK I’ll call them bums, passing the pipe right on the sidewalk. Maybe it was tobacco, I doubt it. It’s not Ben level crime, but I’m saying you can’t spend more than 30 minutes anywhere on the street and be able to unsee what you just saw.

    I see the council is preparing a cornucopia of progressive backed SJW’er, public a cow to be milked, stick nose where it doesn’t belong agenda items. Among them, interfering with the UCSC grad strike, blank check uses for I assume vast increases in Beach Parking rates justified with of course “health” concerns for Beach Flats. (I checked. It is not on the list of environmentally disadvantaged communities in California. The worst census track in the city is ranked in the top 3’rd best in Calif.)
    Mar 3 can’t come soon enough. Of course we gotta protect the Ahmah Mutsun tribal lands that aren’t actually anywhere near Santa Cruz city.
    Bring the barf bags to the council meeting if you go.

    • Thanks Garrett! Maybe explain to J Riva what your abbreviations mean? And I like “Ben Level Crime”. I know exactly what you mean. Often as I peruse the crime logs, I just skim over so much random, constant, nuisance crap with a virtual “meh”. That stuff never makes it to “BLC” (Ben Level Crime).

  3. F John LaBarba

    As with the no on M campaign, the no on recall suporters continually vandalize our signs. What a bunch of Sh-ts. What happened to free speach in this town.

  4. Instead of having Buddy-the-police-dog retire, why can’t he be promoted to Chief of Police? The City of Santa Cruz would be a much safer place.

  5. I was talking with a person who worked for the SC County Sheriff dept. They told me that morale at the SCPD is very low and cops are leaving to go elsewhere. They think Mills is a big problem. The BS at the SCCC is fast tracking SC down the drain.

  6. SJW? Also, “I got to see OH…” What does that stand for? Please spell out words for better communication. Thanks.

  7. Yes jim Chief is saying it’s pay inequality but i think a trained police officer sees their arrests let out over and over. All supported by council and some on the force . Who would want to work here.

  8. I always have to wonder about the morale of the officers …..I wonder if they feel that no one has their backs.? i once heard that NYC cleaned up their city by strictly enforcing little laws and it seemed to have a “trickle-up” effect. I think that style is on longer “woke” or politically correct. But what is the point of “cite and release”? Those customers never go to court or pay their fines and so a warrent is issued but then I guess they are cited and released from their warrant. Hmmm….

  9. Fun fact -Trader Joe’s On river st stocks 3 boxes of Patron tequila a month and sells only 4-5 bottles a month. The management and employees watch daily repeat shoplifters come and go and all they can do is just wave and say “thank you come again”. I was wondering where all the boxes and empty patron bottles came from that I’ve been seeing around my posts all this time.

    I’ll still be on my current post/company for a little while and I’ll still comment here when I change scenery cause I know IF Santa Cruz is going to change its going to take a while. It’s truly disgusting what I keep hearing from regular people around here. Basically what I see and my experiences are par for the course, a true SHAME.

    Moving away seems to be most peoples mantra, most would if they could like yesterday! There no Balance no understanding and defiantly no real communication around here. Just a free for all. If SC were bigger it would be worse. Since I’m already looking at job relocation I may just opt not to work in SC at all, witch I may just do anyhow.

    Ya I’m well aware of the types of people in SC that carry guns. There the drug dealers and gang members or gang members that sell drugs or drug dealers associated with gangs. I deal with the addicts, junkies what have you. Dealers have at least vehicles, hotels or some type of house/tent /:) to operate from-addicts go to dealers.

    I’m not surprised at the stuff Ben finds to post, but it’s been happening so long and looks like nothing ever gets done and the ones in charge, well all I know is what I see and what I see on my shifts is proof enough to me that the ones in charge are a huge part of the problems.

    Valero On Ocean st got broken into last Wed night and a window to Santa Cruz Bank got broken same day BTW.

    I had to call PD on a lady who was sleeping on Property with a dog cause she refused to leave or even acknowledge me. After I called PD she said out loud “There gonna have to kill me!” Out of concern for the dog I made sure I stayed away when Pd showed up and for the most part I didn’t even witness the arrest cause once I heard police call for back up I made sure I was in a spot to direct the back up but I could hear her screaming and her dog barking.

    Dog was tied up during the arrest so nothing happened to the dog, come to find out. About 8 cop cars and 12+ cops showed up. I found the lady on Mugshots SC the next day.

    Not sure what new made up law/ordinances are now in affect but I’m noticing more tents going up and staying up and being so permanent that they look like sudo mini RV/camp ground spots. One guy particularly I have video of one of my first post were I’m saying “they just camp anywhere” has a huge tent set up at the corner of the 3 story parking garage on River right next to Wells Fargo. This guy also treats Woodstock Pizza like his personal bathroom fills up containers with soda and hot water takes handfuls of napkins, then come closing time he’s there begging for whatever old pizza there throwing out. EVERY EVERY NIGHT mainly cause Depending on what manager is there or what employees are they this guy either gets permission or gets chased out but he comes back cause some managers and some employees for some reason let people like him just do whatever- I guess cause they feel sorry for him OR HE JUST BULLIES HIS WAY AROUND WITCH IVE SEEN HIM DO.

    I’ve had so many problems with this guy,then a handful of times he’s talked to me (because he was high as a kite) tries to make some kind of truce then the next time I see him he’s back to being a scum bag. Then I’ll see him as part of the groups that wait for cvs to open to get there cheap gallons of vodka and whiskey so I know he has money just not to buy food with. And I know this exact thing happens all over SC 24/7.

    B40 has become a route these creeps park there vehicles on thankfully I see CHP patrolling in the mornings. Basically all back roads out and around SC are becoming infested-wherever they park is where they will go #1 and stinky #2’s within a 20ft radius normally cause they can’t be bothered to wander to far from there stash.

    Watch out for each other take pics and videos!!!!!

  10. The stated rationale for the stealth “sanctuary city” policy enabling the alien invasion was to make illegal aliens feel safe to report crimes to the police.

    Obviously the vast majority of those crimes would never happen in the first place if we simply enforce our immigration laws — like Mexico & virtually every other country on Earth does.

    Given that illegal aliens STILL routinely refuse to cooperate with police trying to solve crimes, we have confirmed what we knew all along — the “sanctuary” insanity has little to do with solving crimes, and actually serves a cynical agenda.

    No, I don’t hate foreigners — I actually get along very well with them.

    But inviting everyone on Earth to move here (i.e., “sanctuary”) is utterly insane, and those who endorse it should tell us, among other things, just how big they want Santa Cruz to be.

  11. John J. Ackermann

    I’m formerly homeless, now on fixed income and heavily subsidized housing, for which I’m so grateful. I’m in a prime spot in the city of Santa Cruz. It’s paradise.

    Or it would have been, 30 years ago. I am faced with the dilemma of now wanting to leave this supposed “great place” and just moving back to the outskirts of Watsonville or Freedom. There’s nothing going on there because Watsonville has nothing to offer; it’s all done in Santa Cruz.

    We’re essentially doomed. Transients now FLOCK to Santa Cruz, cuz their friends tell them it’s truly paradise. And it is. “You can break into cars and steal everything, burglarize houses, smash storefront windows, camp and shit wherever you want, and the city n’ the police won’t do shit. They jess give you free food, free shelter when you want it, anything you want.” If you’re a transient, you have come to the Promised Land.

    Yeah; I’ve had it. I’m getting out of here. Maybe somewhere on Freedom Blvd. The 71 runs to like, 11 PM.

  12. Right On John J !!! I’m from Watsonville/Freedom. Once your out there keep an eye out make sure the creeps don’t creep over that way but like you said there’s nothing for them there but scums tend to wander anyway.

    I was assisting another Gaurd from a different company, there was a guy unresponsive and PD was called LUCKILY-here’s why. We get told by a Woodstock employee that the two people that were in front of the restaurant a man and woman did a drug deal right in front of him as we told the two people they need to leave immediately we also went inside to check with management they also wanted them gone. But of course once we made it clear to the two people the woman gave us no problems and just walked off the guy did the typical thing he got belligerent and violent and started threatening us. Luckily Pd arrived so as this guy was in middle of cursing me out and threatening me the cop heard him but that didn’t change anything of course cause then he just started mouthing off the the cop. But he eventually got on his bicycle and left then came back 10 min later and spoke to the officer for a few minutes. Cause the cops around here know these guys all to well.

    In fact the cop knew the guy who we called for in the first place who was unresponsive. Come to find out the cop was the one who arrested him a few months ago “probation violations “ knew the guy became a trusty in jail saw he gained back healthy weight. He then said he knew this guy got out 6 days ago and already is “ Sucked Up” and strung out on the sidewalk.

  13. yeah the local progressives and “community leaders” or whatever they call themselves like to talk about corporations putting profits over people. well its ironic because this place is one glaring example of those progressives putting nonprofits over people. the progressives get massive kickbacks in the form of measures that increase our taxes to fund their nonprofits, salaries, political clout etc. the community feedback is ignored because no one wants to stop and say ok maybe we were wrong maybe we should just open a deli or go into some other line of work. lol

    i went to school with a girl who was blind, and she could barely get a disability check from the govt. yet here there seems to be almost no willingness to weed out the bad apples and kick the scammers off of disability benefits.

    i dont understand how the ucsc democrats can support a “progressive” agenda at all when they look at downtown. its really sickening to watch.

  14. Just the Facts

    Yes, Louden Nelson and Laurel Park have turned into un-safe addiction camps, along with the Post Office and various parking lots on WestCliff. The Parks people I know are fed-up at the lack of support from the City and SCPD. Since the entire ranger program was shifted to SCPD control they have been utilized as a stop-gap for the holes in PD’s ranks. There is no ranger presence in the parks anymore and it has turned into a literal free-for-all. Be safe, take your kids up to one of the upper Westside parks where the bums don’t roam. Or better yet vote YES on the recall and end this madness!

  15. Record and post on YouTube maybe we can shame Santa Cruz into CHANGE. It’s not hard at all to do so in fact is super easy. Just make sure you but Santa Cruz in the tittle so I comes up whenever someone puts the words Santa Cruz into there search. And you’ll be surprised how well recording these criminals gets them to leave or act up EITHER WAY THE SCUM MUST GO!!!! My latest vid is of the growing mini camp along River st next to the 3 story parking garage and Wells Fargo. Santa Mierda your so right Ben!

  16. The yard signs that say “No On Recall/End Divisive Politics” are ironic because Drew Glover consistently makes communication difficult. His demeanor is offensive and divisive. Yes on Recall!

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