San Marcos Plans Major Effort in Fight Against Rising Crime

Troubled by a recent increase in violent crime, San Marcos officials have resolved to get tough on gangs and curfew violations by spending $2.8 million for a local sheriff’s station, hiring more deputies and building a gym for youths.

Although San Marcos has the fifth-lowest crime rate among San Diego County’s 18 cities, officials are worried over a Sheriff’s Department report citing “alarming” increases in local robberies, assaults and school drug abuse cases.

San Marcos aims to “clean up those areas and people that would like to make our city their playground for illegal activity,” Mayor Lee Thibadeau told the City Council Tuesday night.

The council unanimously approved Thibadeau’s plan to increase law enforcement. The plan calls for an in-town sheriff’s station, staffed by additional deputies assigned to patrol specific neighborhoods. The deputies who now patrol the city also work in Vista and unincorporated areas of Escondido.

The new San Marcos sheriff’s station would open Sept. 1 in a remodeled public works building at 417 Enterprise St., at an estimated cost of $234,000.

Thibadeau’s anti-crime package, most of it set to begin this fall, also urged a “get-tough” policy on gangs, curfew violators and parties by teen-agers.

“The city will undoubtedly ruffle some feelings . . . but we intend to actively enforce curfew and other violations involving juveniles,” he said in his report to the council. “We should stop every suspected or potential gang member, ID them, photo them and make the contact anything but nice.”

Beside the added patrol deputies, the city intends to hire a juvenile drug officer, a gang officer and, if more money can be found, a crime-prevention specialist.

Two existing patrol units will be reassigned to carry police dogs.

However, the costliest item--at an estimated $2 million--is to build a city gymnasium within two years.

“We have to redirect the energy of the young people involved in gangs and other negative youth activities to something more positive,” according to Thibadeau’s memo.