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Photograph by Jeff Kearns
Grin and Mayor It: Ron Gonzales spent around 10 minutes on neighborhood concerns during his address last week.
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Mayor focuses on crime-fighting in first State of the City address
Gonzales tags graffiti as a major social ill
By Jessica Lyons
While some parts of City Hall fight to save San Jose's historic neighborhoods from the Monster Homes invasion, Mayor Ron Gonzales says he is going to preserve the city's neighborhoods in a different way: fighting crime.
"Everyone should feel comfortable walking in their neighborhoods," Gonzales said at the annual state-of-the-city address on April 28, taking about 10 minutes out of his 45-minute speech to talk about neighborhood concerns.
In an extension of the city's community policing efforts, Gonzales said he would work with the city council to appropriate funds to pay for four police storefront locations. Residents will be able to file crime reports or discuss concerns with the neighborhood officers at the centers. Last month, the council approved the use of $415,000 in federal grants to equip these facilities.
Graffiti--vandals, or artists, depending on who's talking--is one illegal activity Gonzales specifically targeted in his speech.
"I'm going to say something tonight that needs to be said," Gonzales said. "Graffiti vandals are criminals, not artists," he continued, pausing for the applause and cheers. "Tonight I draw the line at our city parks." The mayor vowed to re-deploy police and paint out graffiti in less than 24 hours, receiving three rounds of applause during this section of his address.
Gonzales also talked about sidewalk repairs, an issue near and dear to Willow Glen. The city will expand its program to pay for sidewalk repairs from the one-third it now pays, to 100 percent.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
