Police Tactics Just Don’t Wash

I reside at South I Street in the city of Oxnard. I have lived here for 1 1/2 months. In that time there have been several instances of gang and non-gang violence in and around my neighborhood. Just in the last couple of weeks a young man in my neighborhood lost his life, and another struggles to hold on to the one he has left.

Recently, I walked outside to see a wonderful spring day. Since this day would be my last day off until the end of summer, there were a couple of things I thought I would try to get done. Washing my car would be one of the things on my list.

I pulled the car up in front of my house, close enough to be able to bring the hose full circle around my car. I then went in the back of my house to get my supplies. When I returned, I found a ticket for $65 for not parking on a paved area. I had pulled the car on the lawn. There was no warning for this petty act for this new resident of Oxnard.

Since I have lived here on I Street, the only time I see any law enforcement in my neighborhood is when their lights are flashing. I have never seen any patrols, on foot or car, in my neighborhood. You would think that since these most violent acts, there would be some kind of beef-up on the part of the city to patrol these neighborhoods.

But the city of Oxnard is out of touch with reality. It sends parking enforcement down the street looking for cars about to be washed on lawns.

I now have to make sure my teenage son is inside by sunset, so that his mother and I do not have to go through what other parents in my neighborhood have had to go through.

When I lie in bed and listen to the gunfire from a couple blocks over and then wait at least 10 minutes before the first siren sounds in the distance, I will know that if I want to drive on my own lawn in my fenced yard, that Big Brother will be there before I can get a bucket, some soap, and cloth from the backyard.

PAUL HARRISON

Oxnard