New approach quells plaza problems
JO MORELAND
Staff Writer
OCEANSIDE ---- A renewed effort this year to stop illegal and intimidating activity by gang members and others at Oceanside's downtown plaza appears to be working.
Business people near the plaza in front of the Regal Cinemas Oceanside 16 theater at 401 Mission Ave. said this week that there are fewer gang members and less crime in the area.
"It's a lot better," said Crystal Cottle, manager of Cold Stone Creamery. "Last summer there was a big problem."
She and others credited Oceanside police presence, a change in property ownership and the hiring of an aggressive security firm for an improved atmosphere at the plaza.
Police started cracking down late last year on large groups of rowdy young people at the plaza, but gang activity ---- including drugs ---- continued to be a problem. Merchants were concerned about the effect on business.
"What it needed was direct attention, and the police department couldn't direct attention to it 100 percent of the time," said police Capt. Dave Heering.
He said the department wanted to quell the problem before it could become worse this summer, because the beach areas traditionally draw large numbers of people during warmer weather.
The solution came after Developers Diversified Realty, headquartered in Cleveland, took over the property last winter. Heering said police suggested the company hire security "and it paid off."
California Off-Duty Protection Services was hired in February to provide evening weekend security. The agency employs off-duty or retired National City police officers who are armed.
Representatives from the Oceanside Police Department, the district attorney's office, the city, the property owner, business people and the security firm met to figure out a way to oust troublemakers at the plaza.
"We came up with a trespassing law that everybody would be able to live with," said Keith Cochenour, owner of the security firm. "It was already on the books. It just wasn't being enforced."
Under the law ---- state Penal Code 602.1, it is illegal to intentionally interfere with a business or occupation by obstructing or intimidating the business people or their customers.
The maximum penalty for the misdemeanor offense is 90 days in jail and a $400 fine.
Cochenour's officers told gang members they could patronize businesses, but they couldn't hang out and do such things as flash gang signs, deal drugs, grab women, embarrass people or use foul, abusive language.
"They weren't sure how to treat us," Cochenour said. "They were caught a little off guard. We didn't let 'em push us around."
It took about two months to turn the tide, he said. The first three weekends, said Cochenour, his agents had 25 to 30 people arrested or removed from the property. Charges included trespassing and being drunk in public.
"There was a bus stop right in front of the movie theater," Cochenour said. "We had that bus stop removed, because people were hanging out and using the bus stop as an excuse."
A group of four young men who threatened to kill the security agents were arrested on suspicion of making terrorist threats, said Dave Sossaman of Ramona, a part-time California security officer.
"Every case that's been filed, we've gotten a conviction," Sossaman said. "We're getting a real good response from the police department, because they know we're not lying to them and we can document (cases)."
The security officers are making citizen arrests and turning suspects over to police, who stepped up their enforcement in the downtown area in general.
Undercover police officers targeting drug sales arrested a half-dozen suspects. Some of them had been hanging out at the plaza, Heering said.
Merchants said there are still some people causing problems who leave when they see police coming.
"They know the game," said Eugene Marandille, part owner of Kelly's Coffee and Fudge Factory. "They know how to play it, and they do. But it has been getting better."
Contact staff writer Jo Moreland at (760) 901-4085 or jmoreland@nctimes.com.