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cont...
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Hewson, also a member of the Park District's staff, went even
further. "I have to say it's definitely an antagonistic approach
(by the police). At the last few events in the (Anisq'Oyo) Park,
there's been a lot more police. It's just harassment. While people
are in the park, their homes might be being robbed. Why are the
police concentrating their enforcement efforts in the Park at
that time?"
Park Board representative Mike Boyd also complained that police
seem to be concentrating on enforcement.activities in Anisq-Oyo
Park. "The Park is supposed to be a place where people can
get away from their over-crowded apartments," he said. "But
now its becoming intimidating to go to the Park. There's even
a lot of leash law enforcement now during events. I can't believe
that this is what the community wants."
Pecino's response to most of these comments was that the police
have to put up with "a lot of crap" in Isla Vista. "We
want people to understand that we get scared sometimes in situations
in I.V."
"When officers go to some of these parties in I.V., with
hundreds of people on the street, drinking, we're scared, and
we want to protect ourselves," he continued. "We've
had a couple of deputies beat up, one was bitten, another had
a gun drawn on him last week. I'd like to see more of you walk
the streets with a Foot Patrol officer. They're subject to this
kind of garbage every night."
Also, Pecino pointed out, they were trying to enforce the leash
law more, but "only in the Loop area." That means AnisqÕOyo
Park.
But Pecino agreed that relations needed to improve. He said that
he was going to recommend that the special training that used
to be given all officers assigned to the Foot Patrol be reinstituted,
"probably by the end of the summer."
An unidentified student. noted that it's true that residents don't
often see this side of thepicture. "What we do see, however,
is police breaking up parties, hitting people, dragging them away.
We don't often see the 'garbage' you're referring to."
Several residents asked about the repeated instances of alleged
unnecessary violence used by police recently and a year before
over the 1988 Memorial Day weekend which resulted in several suspensions
of officers and substantial civil settlements.
Brig Tratar, a third year student, stated that in an April 22,1989
incident in front of the Foot Patrol office, he had been forced
to lay face down in the street while an officer intentionally
kicked him in the ribs. "But, because it was impossible to
get the officer's badge number, I'm not able to file a complaint,"
he said.
Pecino responded that it is not necessary to have a badge number
to file a complaint because it should be easy enough to get the
name of the officer from the Sheriff Department's review that
follows a complaint being filed. In response to a question by
homeowner activist Leo Jacobson, however, Pecino admitted that
this doesn't always work.
"What do you expect from officers who see other officers
breaking the law?" asked Jacobson, recalling that some police
behavior in I.V. has resulted in censure and suspensions.
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