Fillmore : Sheriff’s Anti-Gang Efforts Commended

The Fillmore City Council got a double surprise this week when Ventura County Sheriff Larry Carpenter showed up unexpectedly to address the council, and residents packed City Hall to support the sheriff’s recent crackdowns on gang members.

Residents greeted Carpenter with applause at Tuesday’s council meeting as he asked the city to support measures aimed at quelling gang violence.

Reading from a four-page letter, Carpenter defended the recent unannounced house searches of Fillmore gang members, which resulted in 16 arrests and confiscation of firearms, stolen property and drugs. The gang members had previously been convicted of crimes and had agreed to spot searches as a term of probation, he said.

However, Latino activists complained that the searches were tantamount to racial harassment.

Carpenter disagreed. “We do what we were trained to do, and that involves the suppression of criminal activity fairly, evenly and aggressively,” he said. Countywide spot searches will continue as needed, he said.

As Carpenter left, residents yelled out in support of his efforts and greeted him with handshakes and pats on the back.

“People are fed up with this violence problem, and we’re all here to show our support for the sheriff,” longtime Fillmore resident Dorothy Haase said.

Haase and other residents said the turnout of about 50 people to show support for anti-gang measures was organized by word of mouth Tuesday afternoon.