Soto Withdraws Proposal to Give 12th St. New Name

Changing the name of 12th Street would do little to reduce its identification with a notorious street gang, but it could sure mess up mail delivery, residents have told the City Council.

So, faced with petitions signed by 89 residents of 12th Street, Councilwoman Nell Soto on Monday dropped her proposal to rename the street. She said it had seemed like a good idea late last year when several other 12th Street residents approached her with the notion of divorcing themselves from the 12th Street Gang by renaming the street.

But the petition signers strongly disagreed. In petitions submitted to the City Clerk Jan. 18, they urged the council “to direct its energy and resources to eliminating the true underlying causes of gang participation, such as lack of education, low self-esteem and minimal job opportunities.”

Renaming the street Cabrillo Street would have “little or no effect on gang violence,” the petitioners said, but would inconvenience residents who would have to make address changes. Some residents said they feared that Social Security checks and other important mail would be lost during the transition.

Soto said that since the opposition surfaced, she has tried to contact the constituents who proposed the change but has been unable to reach them. Since there apparently was no longer any public support for the idea, Soto said Monday night, the council should simply drop it without holding a hearing. The council unanimously took her advice.

The 12th Street gang, with an estimated 300 members, is one of the city’s oldest and largest. The street that is the gang’s birthplace was the site of two drive-by killings of 16-year-old boys last year.