Leslie Lawson, Dean of Students at UCSB, stated that the relationship
between alcohol abuse and sexual abuse "shouldn't be underestimated"
Olguin also pointed out that there is too much work for the
Foot Patrol. "We aren't a pro-active police force--we're
just reactve, especially on weekends. Somebody calls us that
several car windows have been smashed, but we don't have the
time to respond because we're having to shut down loud parties."
Mitch Stockton, elected in November 1988 to the I.V. Park Board,
lamented what he felt was the real problem. "We have no
real say as a community over what the police do," he said.
"This just.builds frustration because no matter what the
community says, it doesn't lead to any changes." Stockton
was a leader in the 1983-85 campaign to establish a City of
Isla Vista. "We need some authority over police in order
to direct law enforcement priorities."
Boyd and a couple of other residents pointed out that if the
Foot Patrol was going to start any new initiatives involving
enforcing laws which have been largely ignored for years, there
should be some attempt to warn the community.
Hewson
also complained that the mounted officers controlling crowds
during the recent Rugby Weekend were "truly intimidating"
and reminded her of a police state. Pecino responded that they
had received ten times as many compliments about the horses
than complaints, and that they would continue their use because,
"We'd rather have people complain about horses than riots."
Nothing concrete came out of the meeting except Pecino's pledge
to re-establish special training programs for new Foot Patrol
officers. The Free Press has learned that Bill Wallace will
be meeting with police officials this week in order to review
the current situation.
"I'm still not receiving any complaints from I.V. residents
about the police," Wallace said this week. "Maybe
that just means that I'm out of the loop."
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