This letter is in regards to the growing gang problem in Tracy.
When is the city going to grow a spine and put a zero-tolerance gang ban in place? If you are found to be involved in a gang or involved in a gang-related, crime you should automatically be given triple the normal sentence for said crime. Also, the gangbanger’s family should be directly held responsible for any and all costs incurred by the city and state for the crime.
You need to start getting tough on these street terrorists before we turn into another Stockton.
The good citizens who love their city will either start moving out, leaving the city with no one to pay for the city except these gangbangers and their shady families. Or, they will start enforcing their own vigilante justice.
Stand up for us and start doing something about this problem, or maybe we will just vote you out of office and find representatives who care.
Mr. Epler, please correct me if I am mistaken, but "enforcing their own vigilante justice" is what "gangbangers and their shady families" are best known for. Perhaps in your case, Mr. Epler, you would do well to keep your comments to yourself. Maybe the police should keep close watch over you and your "shady family".
Who's going to enforce it? The judge? Wasn't this leftover rhetoric from a political campaign platform that lost in November 2008?
Now you see how practical it really was?
And that's how these things get started?
The city counsel cannot legislate the type of anti-gang laws he's making reference to. For that, you need to start with your state congressman. But before you do, look at what laws are already on the books. They may already be there.
The District Attorney's office prosecutes those crimes on the books. Are they doing their job? I heard the DA may have to lay off a bunch of prosecutors which will result in criminals walking free before they even see a courtroom.
The judges only sentence the convicted. Maybe they're being too lenient.
The counties and state Dept. of Corrections hold and release the convicted. I heard there are going to be early releases of convicts like we've never seen before due to budget cuts.
When you look at the big picture, it sometimes goes beyond just blaming the city and directing anger towards its officials when maybe the real problem and solution exists outside our city limits.