May 4, 1989 Community Meeting of Residents and Police
Officers: "We Get Scared Out There Sometimes."
Residents: "Police Don't Show Us Respect."
By Carmen Lodise
This report first appeared as an article in the Isla Vista
Free Press.
On
Thursday, May 4th, 1989 the leadership of the Isla Vista Food
Patrol sat down with about sixty residents, the press, and a
couple of administrators from UCSB to talk about a widely perceived
deterioration in police/community relations in Isla Vista.
At the front table was UCSB Police Chief John MacPherson and
the Sheriff's Patrol Division Captain Ed Pecino, as well as
the former head of the Foot Patrol Sgt. James Drinkwater, and
Sgt. Fred Olguin, who had succeeded Drinkwater just a week before.
The crowd included the community's top elected leadership--several
members of the Isla Vista Park Board and the UCSB Associated
Students Legislative Council, including newly-elected A.S. president
Mike Stowers and outgoing vice-president Ellen Thornton. Conspicuous
in his absence was County Supervisor Bill Wallace, himself an
I.V. resident. Wallace stated later that he was out of town.
The meeting had been arranged by UCSB Ombudsperson Geoffry Wallace,
because, as he said, "Everyone at the University is concemed
that I.V. has the right kind of policing."
Scott Wexler, a long-time I.V. resident, started off the dialogue.
"Living in I.V., you make adjustments, and the police have
to make adjustments, too. You can't just go strictly by the
book, and lately there's been too much enforcement by the book."
Wexler also felt that it was unnecessary for the Foot Patrol
and backups from other areas to wear riot gear on weekend patrols.
Mike Lupro stated that there was a lot more serious crimes than
loud parties, and why couldn't the police de-emphasize shutting
down parties that are only disturbing a few people, while benefitting
hundreds in some cases.
Pecino responded that he agreed there was a problem, but that
"We have very little discretion. If we receive a compliant
about a loud party, for instance, we have to respond."
Pecino stated that many of these problems are community problems,
not police ones, and they needed to be dealt with by the community.
"But, don't ask us to ignore laws--we just can't do it,"
he said. And as far as what they wear was concerned, he said
they dress appropriately, "which unfortunately, often means
we dress expecting violence."
Several persons questioned the general attitude of Foot Patrol
and back-up officers toward residents, especially students.
"There is a definite need for dialogue between the community
and police," said Mike Stowers. "It's gotten to be
a moral question."
"There are too many times when.there is a basic lack of
respect on the part of officers toward I.V. residents, especially
students," said Dan Zumwinlde, who based his opinion on
his four years of experience in student government, as an R.A.
in the dorm, and as a studen tmanager. "Too often the police
are a blunt instrument of authority. There is a basic lack of
willingness to deal with students on an equal basis. And this
just repeats the cycle even more."
Marc Villa, out-going Leg. Council representative, said, "In
my four years of student life here, I've found that most police
interaction (towards students) is negative. There needs to be
more of a dialogue."
Scott Abbott, assistant administrator at the Park District,
noted that, "I've noticed in just the last few weeks that
there has been a basic change of attitude on the park of police.
With my job I've had a lot of interaction with the Foot Patrol,
and it has always been very friendly, on a first name basis.
But recently, officers are giving very short, defensive answers
to my questions. It's definitely different."
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