High Crime in Eureka… what's going on?! (San Jose, San Francisco: house, live in)

[TheDragonslayer]

Originally Posted by mateo45

^ ^ Since MJ is already so common there, as to be virtually 'legal' already, how to do you think officially legalizing it would drastically cut crime (especially violent crime, much of which seems connected to mental illness as well as drug abuse)?

Much of the violent crime that is commited here is not by Humboldt residents. The crossbow murder on the Samoa dunes a year or so back was committed by a man from Mendocino county hanging out in the dunes. The young man that held up 7 of my neighbors at gunpoint, stole their pot and led police on a high speed chase up 299, shot his friend in the head and tried to do the same to himself as he tried to launch his car over a cliff, but survived, he came up from Antioch to steal pot. Many of the people who do clandestine pot deals in So Hum, end up dead on some back road as their pot too is stolen. These crimes that are violent are brought on by the fact that pot is not legal and thus fetches a high price. The man that killed the priest was brought in in a psychotic state the prior day and released out of jail in the middle of night, smack dab in town. This is a procedure that the community has been in objection to for a long time. I think that in Eureka one has a greater risk of being shot by one of Eurekas finest trigger happy officers, as a young man did a few weeks ago, shot dead in his front yard while officers were seeking another individual. There is more to the story, but this young man did not have to die by a shot to the head, they could have shot to disable and not kill.

[mateo45]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

I don't think it would, because it's the primary (some may say practically the only) economic engine for the County. No income=poverty. People get desperate, crime results. Voters there did vote overwhelmingly against legalization:

The Stoners' Paradise of Humboldt County Is Dreading Weed Legalization | VICE United States

Dunno that prices would "plummet" as the article suggests, since even legal dispensaries around the state are often selling at even higher than street prices. Although probably the biggest "disincentive" to legalization for growers, and the area, is simply the obvious loss of profits and revenue due to taxes, much of which would go to the state.

A county legalization campaign that would openly acknowledge the current indirect public "costs" now being ignored (in crime, violence, law enforcement, lost tourism, etc.), and that would guarantee the counties a healthy share of those taxes, plus more state monies for local drug and mental health treatment, and I suspect a lot more folks would actually support legalization (though growers obviously not so much).

[snappingfish]

Originally Posted by eureka1

Those of us who live AWAY FROM THE FREEWAY are almost never the victims of crime. I've been in this house over 20 years and have seen one arrest.

Well then you must stay in a lot. This crackheaded town is out of control. We are on track to almost tie with Detroit for crime, as soon as the 2014 stats are released. I'm trying to get the he!! out of here, and I've been here over 15 years. BUT I'VE NEVER lived in a town where the pastor of a church was MURDERED in the rectory of the church. We went to over 10 murders in '14. Thats CRAZY for a town this size. MAIN problem might be the amout of tolerance given the VOLUNTARILY homeless folks, aka the Grim Tweakers that steal, fight, shoot and stab folks in their little kingdom called "The Devil's Playground.

Heres a clip from the local news outlet, with links to several stories about the ungodly evil that lurks just down the street

The Devils Playground

Good luck to any who want to live in Eurtweeka!

[snappingfish]

NO police protocol is shoot to wound. I agree that this particular case should be investigated by an outside agency, but c'mon-this town has gone STEEPLY downhill lately, in the last 5-10 years. They're finding bodies in the Arcata woods, (still HumCo) motels in Garberville (STILL HumCo) and today there was a body found in Scotia (also HumCo)! And the theft rate, along with violent crime has tripled in the last five years.

[DCMann2]

Ugh, I hate it when people call Eureka "Eurtweeka;" it's so classless and unoriginal.

I have pretty primo access to information on homeless people, welfare recipients, and other folks on public assistance, and let me tell you that it isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. Many of our ongoing issues are being addressed and I think the housing first model for dealing with the homeless issue is a positive step in the right direction. People need stability in their lives and having a real place to call home is a major factor in creating that stability. The repurposing of the MAC and the new low income housing facility in Arcata ate great models to follow, and the ideas coming from the community (tiny houses for example) great to see as well. We have our issues for sure but I think we're on the beginning of an upswing.

[eureka1]

Thank you.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by mateo45

...and what are some of the reasons behind the problem (lack of drug and mental health resources, police, lenient courts, over-reaction, whatever…)?

Without reading any further, one partial word: "Meth!"

[oldtrader]

We have to remember, that Eureka is the only large town in Humboldt County, which is the Pot Growing are of the U.S.A. The counties of Humboldt, Trinity, and Mendocino are the Emerald Triangle that is the biggest pot growing area in the whole country. Arcata was reported by the former Fire Chief, to have 1,000 grow houses out of 7,500 houses in town. Grow houses using grow lights are big business there. No people living in them, just growing Marijuana. The people passed a new law there that those grow houses which use up so much electricity will have a 45% or so surcharge on their electrical bills.

The forests are full of pot growers, who guard their pot farms with heavy guns, so it is not really safe for people to enjoy those beautiful forests. They hold Marijuana Festivals in towns like Garborville.

Humboldt County residents economy sees 26% of it coming from Marijuana. This article in the link is from the largest and most respected newspaper in the county.

Humboldt's $400 million question; banking thesis quantifies impact of pot on local economy

More than 20% of all residents earn their income from Marijuana.

The Stoners' Paradise of Humboldt County Is Dreading Weed Legalization | VICE | United States

Harvesting Marijuana gives a lot of young people a job, that in 3 month harvest period can earn a years income.

With Harvest Season, 'Trimmigrants' Flock To California's Pot Capital : NPR

Marijuana is one reason that crime has grown in Eureka and throughout the Emerald Triangle. It is a wonder, it is not much worse.

Humboldt County had only two industries, Timber and fishing. The timber industry was completely destroyed when people from the cities decided cutting trees made things ugly and lead to closing down the timber industry in NW California. Those people have to make a living some way, as the high pay timber industry jobs are no longer there. In Humboldt county they farmed trees like farmers farm corn. They cut the trees, planted new ones, and in a few short decades they cut them again. They rotated from one area to another, so they could keep a supply going at all times.

Then those nuts from the big cities came in and said these are ancient trees and cannot be cut. There were more of those in the city that said this, than the residents of the timber growing area so politics prevailed. I watched as young people sat in trees, and put up such a news campaign, they had to sell the forests to the government, and shut down logging. Those trees they were calling ancient trees, I know first hand were not old growth forests. They were cut over, when I was a small child, and when I was in my teens we ran cattle on a lease all over that forest. Little trees, that later became big trees, but were not ancient forests as those city dwellers claimed.

When they set up the Redwood National Forest, the first thing the park service had to do, was take out the logging roads all over the forest and get them back to a natural state. If those were ancient trees, why were there logging roads all over the forest, waiting for the next harvest to be put back in use.

The biggest reason for crime in that area going through the roof, is the changes that were forced on the area, and the people needing to find a way to make a living. It also brings in the less desirable residents that commit the crimes.

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by oldtrader

The biggest reason for crime in that area going through the roof, is the changes that were forced on the area, and the people needing to find a way to make a living. It also brings in the less desirable residents that commit the crimes.

Those changes started in the 1970s, so this isn't something that just started happening recently. Eureka has had a higher-than-normal violent crime rate for the last 40 years.

In 1990 Eureka was named Rolaids' "heartburn capitol of the US".

Eureka is mostly decent, hard working people. But from my experience it would be a difficult place to live and raise a family.

[snappingfish]

Originally Posted by DCMann2

Ugh, I hate it when people call Eureka "Eurtweeka;" it's so classless and unoriginal.

I have pretty primo access to information on homeless people, welfare recipients, and other folks on public assistance, and let me tell you that it isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. Many of our ongoing issues are being addressed and I think the housing first model for dealing with the homeless issue is a positive step in the right direction. People need stability in their lives and having a real place to call home is a major factor in creating that stability. The repurposing of the MAC and the new low income housing facility in Arcata ate great models to follow, and the ideas coming from the community (tiny houses for example) great to see as well. We have our issues for sure but I think we're on the beginning of an upswing.

Eutweeka is the nom de juis lately, as is the Emerald Triangle'. Better get used to both. I graduated college in '87, and have been involved in and about homeless, addicts, prisoners, parolees, probationers, and a nifty group of some decent folks, as well as some chronic ne'er-do-wells, and dedicated recidivists. Agreed that the housing model used in Utah was very productive, it will never, NEVER work in HumCo. Why? Ever heard of NIMBY? And we can agree to disagree on the re-purposing of the MAC. It used to be a refuge, and a restarting point for couples and families that really were trying to get out of the flow of the 'sewer' like Devils Playground, and into income producing endeavors. But now, the choices of who gets in and who will not, is a crapshoot at best, and a potential continuing scam opportunity for some of the more 'seasoned' scum that like to live free (on tax dollars and panhandlig) with no real commitment to progressing. Sure, a few will fare well, but thats always been at hand-go to Betty Chins shower in the am, get cleaned up, pick fresh clean clothes, then over to the homeless day-canter on "C" and get busy on the resume. Betty places hundreds of folks into work positions yearly, but YOU HAVE TO REALLY WANT TO STAY CLEAN AND 'SUIT UP AND SHOW UP!"
OH, and HERE is todays release of a bike ride through the devils playground!