Fillmore to Get Sheriff’s Substation : Law enforcement: Deputies hope presence will help curb gang activities.

Ventura County sheriff’s deputies are converting a former laundry room into a new storefront station in Fillmore to fight what they say is a growing gang problem in the small, agricultural town.

“It looks like a sleepy town, but it’s quite active,” said Deputy Max Pina, who is heading the project. “In the last few years the gang problem has been escalating.”

The station, located at 647 Lemon Way, is “in the heart of gangland” and is expected to open in about two months, Pina said.

It will be Fillmore’s first storefront, and deputies hope their constant presence will help curb some gang activities in the city’s toughest neighborhood.

Fillmore has a population of about 12,900, with about 100 known gang members, most of whom live or hang out in the Lemon Way area, Pina said.

Three deputies will be assigned to patrols in the area and work out of the station, which is the former laundry room of the Lemon Way Condominium Owners Assn.

Residents have mixed reactions to the idea of more deputies in their neighborhood. Some welcome the extra protection, while others question whether a storefront is necessary, saying that gang members have maintained a low profile lately.

Gang members and taggers have already demonstrated what they think of the new substation. The structure is already decorated with graffiti that appeared after the announcement was made. The taggers were even bold enough to sign their nicknames on the door of the station.

On Wednesday, Pina helped five prisoners erect a six-foot-high chain-link fence to keep intruders out. Pina said he gets a few inmates on weekdays from the county’s Honor Farm in Ojai, but most of the work on the station will be done by volunteers from the community.

The condominium association is leasing the site to the city of Fillmore for $100 a month. The deputies’ salaries will come from a three-year, $329,867 federal grant to fight gang-related crime. The city of Fillmore has put together matching funds to pay for other costs related to the substation.

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At the end of three years, the city of Fillmore must decide whether to keep the substation, Fillmore officials said.

Converting the laundry room into a storefront will involve adding new carpeting, a bathroom, new plumbing and wiring, Pina said. The 8,000-square-foot structure will also be used as a community meeting room.

A local contractor has already offered to do a lot of the work, Pina said, and residents can help by painting and landscaping the station. It is essential that residents get involved in the project so they feel a sense of ownership, Pina said.

“One of the principles behind a storefront is taking the police out into the community and developing a positive relationship,” Pina said.

Pina said he wants to start Scout troops for boys and girls, as well as help teen-agers look for jobs so they stay out of trouble. He also plans to work with the city’s code enforcement officers to assist residents in fixing up their houses.

Antonio Aguilar, 22, who lives next to the substation site, said he can’t wait for the deputies to move in.

“We need it,” said Aguilar, who has been awakened by gunfire and fights several times. “We need to check the cars every two hours because the gangs break the windows and take the stereos.”

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Moses Curiel, 18, a Fillmore native, said his family hears gang members use their back yard and fences to hide from deputies.

“They hop over the fence to get away from the cops. It really scares my family,” Curiel said. “Fillmore used to be a pretty cool place to be at, but it’s gotten worse.”

Rosa Martinez, 18, said her mother used to have her sleep on the floor some nights.

“She was afraid the shots would come into the house,” Martinez said.

But Rosa’s brother, Alfonso Martinez, said the storefront may not be needed anymore.

“It’s good, but a little too late,” said Martinez, a former gang member. “They should have done this four years ago, when it was really bad. Now they don’t hang out as much as they used to, and both gangs in town are talking to each other again.”

Jenny Hua, a store clerk at the nearby Handi Market, said she doubts the idea will work.

“I don’t think it’s really necessary,” Hua said. “When they come, usually the gang members are already gone.”

But Pina predicted that residents would be grateful for the deputies’ presence in two months, when they move into the neighborhood.

“Wait until summer,” Pina said. “They drink more, and their tempers are shorter. It will be busy then.”