Our Opinion: Gang officer needs long-term funding
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 10:46 AM PDT
In the wake of a deadly gang shooting this summer, Ontario elected and police officials made the right decision regarding a short-term move to assign a police officer specifically to anti-gang work.
The decision was prompted by a local tragic event, but the long-term question remains: can or should the city continue to find funds to fuel this position?
In our opinion, the answer is yes.
But money issues are real, and there remains some question about long-term funding for the position.
Mayor Joe Dominick mentioned in a community comment piece in this newspaper several weeks ago a plan to find money for the gang officer that possibly could include some kind of $3 levy on Ontario homeowners.
Dominick did not get into any detail about the plan but promised in the piece to look into the idea and get back to voters on his investigation.
The public needs to know more about this idea and any others that are designed to fund the police department’s gang officer position.
This slot should be, and really is, one of those non-negotiable pieces of government infrastructure needed for the future.
How long into the future? No one can really tell, which is also disconcerting.
However, until the illegal gang threat is neutralized, the community will need its police department to have the funds necessary to tackle this important issue.
The only questions are, really, where to secure those funds, and how much will it cost taxpayers?
Will it be a levy? How about some kind of federal or state grant? Is searching for a federal or state grant even feasible?
These are good questions. Voters need some answers before the temporary funding for this slot disappears.
