Edhat Staff
Photo: City of Lompoc
By edhat staff
Lompoc residents form a chapter of the neighborhood watch group Guardian Angels after seven homicides this year, reports KEYT News.
All are welcome to join the volunteer group with the mission to make Lompoc safer.
The international non-profit Guardian Angels was founded in 1979 in New York City as a volunteer organization of unarmed citizens aimed to prevent crime. The organization trained members to make citizen’s arrests for violent crimes and organized patrols of streets and neighborhoods while also providing educational programs.
Members of the Guardian Angels are easy to spot with their red beret’s and matching red windbreakers with the organization’s name and logo on the back.
The Lompoc chapter is led by Matthew Barrow who plans to hold training in self-defense, disaster awareness, and first aid. They also plan to participate in neighborhood cleanups, missing persons searches, youth programs, and neighborhood patrols.
well intentioned but gangs are not threatened by them.
OOPS is right – these hardened gangs are not like the neighborhood gangs in LA and NYC in the 80s and 90s. These guys answer to cartels and MS-16. Some retirees in red hats aren’t going to solve the problem and may very well cause new problems. Lompoc needs more cops and resources to deal with the gang issues they have now.
What is MS-16?
Lompoc is essentially bankrupt. Please attend their city council meetings and understand this community and its resources more. Volunteer neighborhood watch programs are an excellent first step to restore a sense of security and isolate the problems.
The Guardian Angels are there to Keep the Peace you guys want more you seem to want gangs to disappear that is NEVER going to happen EVER If you think that is going to happen you watch too much Chuck Norris, and read too much Soldier of Fortune there is such thing as an Overdose of that sort of thing and some of you might want to consider a 12-Step group or maybe moving out of your Mothers basement. Picking apart someones life because your paranoid of their intentions when they are a member of a nationally recognized group that deters crime is very strange, Funny.
Amazing that people think a punitive approach to possible gang affiliation like kicking the family out of section 8 housing will actually solve the problem. In those cases, the parent(s) have very little control over what their teen is doing so you will just be creating more homelessness on the part of the good citizens in the family. Maybe you can set up a rule whereby the teen is the one that is kicked out but that will just send them to their gang family and harden them for life. Let’s face it, the only way out of this mess is to take all of the money that will be spent on incarceration and spend it on programs to divert them out of this life. But people are reluctant to spend this way and seem happier spending the money on jails. The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different result.
I commend the Guardian Angels for their efforts, and wish them much safety in their mission to keep the streets of Lompoc safe. It would be intimidating at the least to come across a gang fight in action and try to diffuse the situation. They may be better off going undercover instead of wearing a tell tail uniform.
12:22 In La, New York, Sacramento, where you say they had little success is where crime was out of control and all the great little things they accomplished was never mentioned or considered news worthy , and then there are those in the public who complain about crime but also complain when a group like this forms to help make a community safer, It’s OK if you are not planning on helping your town or join a group that does want to help, OR are you just wanting to complain ?
SAGEPUP – you nailed it on the head (aside from your snide comments) – LA, NYC, et al were out of control. Lompoc has had more homicides that normal, but that doesn’t warrant a militant group like “patrolling” the streets. I’m a member of my neighborhood watch group, so you can quit with the “not wanting to help” BS, but that doesn’t mean I support a uniformed group like this in our community. Sign up and get your red hat, by all means, but seriously drop the tired “if you don’t like it, you are just complaining” spiel……it’s rather petulant. Have a nice day!
Why not institute a gang injunction? Known gang members should not be allowed to congregate. I do think the threat of losing housing would help to reel these people in. If they are renters and someone from that address is found to be involved in gang activity, the property owner should be required to evict them or be fined by the city. The threat of having a whole family or several losing housing because of a few bad apples will make that whole family motivated to get a handle on it. If they are underage first offense and they should have to go to a work camp situation for a year. No second chances. Lastly, heavy heavy police presence 24 hrs a day in problem areas.
Deciding that we need vigilante patrols is essentially accepting our third world status, which Lompoc and Santa Maria pretty much are.
It’s more like the continuous voting for same old do nothing politicians is what is causing this “third world status” you speak of. Deciding that we need vigilante patrols is fed up people actually trying to solve a problem. What 4:44 said is pretty much the only way this is going to stop or at least make a huge dent in the problem.
I vaguely remember some issues with Guardian Angels in other communities. We certainly don’t want vigilantes patrolling the streets. Or do we? Does anyone know who Matthew Barrow is and what is his background? Does he have training to address the needs of the gang members who are commiting most of these crimes? Lompoc has some very active service groups that might be better suited for neighborhood activism. Groups like the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, Rotary or Lions and even individual public schools might organize to address this crime spree. Why does the picture of guys in red berets and red jackets not sit well with me? Are women allowed?
10:38, Count me in, I believe every town should have a citizens watch , It is good for the community, good for the individuals involved , and inspires young people to get involved before they get into drugs and crime . and if we are lucky, Roger will teach us Kungfu or something 🙂
10:47 – you’re very right. These somewhat militant “neighborhood watch” groups have a strong potential for vigilantism. I’m not sure local criminals/gangs will take too kindly to them and see a strong possibility of unwanted violence. What do the local law enforcement think about this?
Lompoc has always just looked in physical decay. Ancient Christmas decorations on the light posts downtown every holiday year. No revitalization of businesses in the downtown – store fronts look the same they did in the 70s.
According to KEYT, his name is “Mattew Barrow,” but either way, does anyone know anything about this guy?
I like the Guardian Angels we may not need them at this time but if things don’t change some day we will. I met Curtis Silva years ago when the Guardian Angels were thinking of coming here when Ron Reagan was President. I did not like him nor did he like me but I think the Angels are a class act…Haters have a gang of their own they hate the elderly, disabled, they hate people of color they hate gangs but they have a gang of their own, the “Hater Gang” Too bad all most of them do is talk smack hell some of them even hate them elves…I don’t know the Arts I used to know alittle Judo cause I went to classes with a friend but I cannot even lift my leg to water a fire hydrant anymore. The Guardian Angels do good everywhere they go they rescue Cats, and probably other animals off the street they go after Animal Abusers I don’t think anything bad can become of the Guardian Angels being anywhere…
Why so much disagreement with those comments questioning this group? A little research shows that the Guardian Angels have really only had minimal success in large cities (LA, Sacramento, etc). Not sure we need groups like this here, despite some thinking the crime is out of control.
Will that is your opinion Man…Of course they are both in SANTA BARBARA COUNTY MAN…
One major problem in Lompoc is the wrong people are in control of the City Council. One guy wears what looks like an AK47 rifle pin on his lapel. He likes the idea of vigilantes. Several months ago, he publicly stated he should be able to get his buddies out in the riverbed to get rid of the homeless. And then there is his buddy up there, a chronic scofflaw who owns a rundown operation right at the entrance to the city. Both these guys inherited lots of property in the city but most of it is blighted. They are only looking for the right time to sell. These guys don’t care about the safety of the residents. They keep their heads in the sand regarding gangs. And now they have given us unlimited pot shops. We need some reasonable respectable people to run for office.
We have a city in Shasta county that needed more police, Shasta Lake city. They went all in on pot to fund their police. They allowed 3 pot shops when other cities around did not allow them. They took an underutilized industrial area and rented to pot businesses. They grow indoor in large quantities and also have businesses that make concentrates. The city taxes all of it in several ways. The end result was more cops all driving new cop cars. 5 years later the city went from a place filled with druggies with lots of property crime to a place with a large police presence to keep the bad characters in line. There are now lots of community events like free weekly concerts in the park and kids BMX races several times a week. They have a skate park now too. Redding said no to pot and yes to higher taxes. They are asking for a 1 cent increase in sales tax for the third time to pay for more cops and equipment. They are also allowing pot shops now and taxing them in Redding. Better late than never !
This is known as prior restraint, and if there are lawyers willing to argue against it, it is very difficult to pass and enforce. In the US we have a policy of innocent until proven guilty. Under this system, it is difficult to punish people for their associations. SB wasn’t able to do it, and LA has had a hard time doing it. So you think Lompoc can pull it off?
Santa Barbara was not able to impose a clearly needed and well substantiated gang injunction at a critical time because of one elected judge who is now responsible for a string of poor decisions – Coleen Stern. This is why we elect our local judges and retain the power throw them out. When they are out of step with community values, they need to be replaced.