Jeffrey-Lynne Area Protests Police Action

Community activists and residents of the Jeffrey-Lynne neighborhood gathered at the Unitarian Church on Wednesday to decry a one-day crackdown by police on traffic violations.

The residents accused the Police Department of retaliation because the crackdown came two days after two police motorcycles were vandalized.

“These people don’t need to be reminded that the police have the power to retaliate against an act of disrespect,” said Maurice Ogden, minister of the Unitarian Church of Orange County. “It doesn’t encourage the kind of trust and cooperation we’ve been trying to build.”

Sgt. Joe Vargas, a Police Department spokesman, said officers periodically target the neighborhood for traffic violations because neighbors have complained about speeding and other problems.

“The fact it occurred right after the [vandalism] incident probably makes it look bad,” he said.

The crackdown occurred March 14 from 8 a.m. to about 3 p.m. Vargas did not know how many tickets were issued in that period.

But resident Virginia Gonzalez, 40, said: “People were afraid and didn’t want to get in their cars or go any place.” Gonzalez said an officer cited her husband for lacking a license plate sticker and did not want to see a receipt for it.

Two days earlier, about 6 p.m., two police motorcycles had been knocked down, crashing into each other, while officers were elsewhere responding to a call. Vargas said one bike had $1,156 in damage and another, older motorcycle will have to be replaced.

Vargas said all of the tickets issued were legitimate. He said that in addition to the tickets, three cars were impounded that day.

He also defended continued police presence in Jeffrey-Lynne.

“The police will not be intimidated by actions taken against us. The Anaheim Police Department cannot back down in the face of crime,” Vargas said.