SAN CLEMENTE : Comprehensive Plan Centers on Crime

Free after-school recreation programs, fitness and nutrition classes for students, job-training programs for youngsters and continued anti-gang patrols are among the crime-fighting measures proposed in a new comprehensive plan.

The City Council has taken the first steps toward implementing preventive and enforcement proposals to reduce gang violence, crime and the deterioration of neighborhoods.

The 65-page plan, created over the past four months by a special committee including representatives of the council, Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission and San Clemente High School, was presented to the council last week.

“Unlike some cities, we have not lost the battle to preserve the quality of life we have come to expect in San Clemente,” the report said.

To be successful, the report said, “first, the city must use all of its available resources to focus upon the challenges confronting our community. Second, San Clemente residents and businesses must make an ongoing commitment to become involved and make a difference in our community.”

The report caps months of community debate sparked by the death of 17-year-old Steve Woods after an alleged gang-related attack at Calafia County Beach Park.

In the past six months alone, there have been 10 major gang-related incidents in the city, according to the report. An additional four incidents occurred outside the city but involved suspected San Clemente gang members.

The report includes 21 recommendations costing between $100,000 and $175,000, depending on how many are approved.

New program proposals that involve extra spending, including expansion of the Orange County Conservation Corps into San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano, will be brought back to the council for further consideration during upcoming budget hearings.

For now, the council unanimously endorsed recommendations that do not require extra spending, including the continuation of beefed-up local and regional gang patrols through the Sheriff’s Department and volunteer programs promoting code enforcement, mentorships and job training.