Regarding the Homelessness Plans for the City of Torrance (June 22, 2021 Meeting)

To the Torrance City Council:

First of all, I share that it is very frustrating that the city dragged its feet for nearly two years to solve the homelessness problem in the city of Torrance, which has only grown increasingly worse. Manhattan Beach, CA addressed this problem very effectively three years ago. This kind of delay for necessary policy direct cannot become the norm in the city of Torrance.

Based on the documents in Item 9C, overall homelessness in the City of Torrance increased from 79 to 322 people. This is unconscionable. 

Regarding the three specific Administrative Agenda items:

9A: "Staff has recommended pursuing one of the two concepts that can be located entirely on City property, with the 34-space parking lot immediately adjacent to the Police Department as the preferred activation."

If this is the best location that the city can find, entirely within city property, thus removing the need to spend more funds to purchase property, then so be it. If a better lot, in an abandoned industrial location in the city, can be obtained, then that would be a better choice.

9B: I am glad to see that the anti-camping ordinance will preclude individuals from setting up tents in the park, as well as in other public locations throughout the city, including the beaches. In Wilson Park, over the last few months I have noticed a homeless person would routinely take up tables on the East side of the park, and this person would just leave a shopping cart full of bags. It was unsightly and disruptive. Thankfully, it appears that that person and the person's belongings have been removed.

Will this ordinance ensure that homeless individuals do not loiter in the public parks, as well, taking up multiple benches and tables with collected bags and other junk? This is still a possible problem that should be addressed and prevented.

9C: I am vocally opposed to any programs in connection with the South Bay City Council of Governments (SBCCOG). The last thing that any city needs is to form a further incestuous relationship with larger government agencies and bureaucracies. Frankly, the city of Torrance should exist the SBCCOG and retain our city funds for our own purposes. This is a terrible part of the plan which needs to be rejected outright.

This passage alone shows that our tax dollars not helping our local purposes:

In 2020 - 21, Measure H funds were made available to Council of Governments (COGs), including the SBCCOG, which covers a number of cities in the region, including Torrance, as part of "Innovation Grants." The SBCCOG received $739,685. The City of Redondo Beach received $245,287, and the Torrance received $50,000 to support retention of an Outreach Worker. The remaining $444,398 was used by the SBCCOG for regional projects, including education and outreach, development of a home sharing program, and providing client aid funds.

The vast majority of the monies are going to "regional projects." This is outrageous!

I strongly suggest that the city of Torrance maintain the strongest relationship connections with the city of Manhattan Beach and continue to follow their example, to the extent that they have successfully dealt with this homelessness issue while retaining the quality of life and character of their community.

I notice that the PLAN TO PREVENT AND COMBAT HOMELESSNESS stresses an extensive amount of education. I do not see the relevance or use of training every city employee how to deal with homelessness. Perhaps the police and fire departments, but that's it.

Furthermore, a simple plan which identifies that for many people on the streets, they are there because of drug use/abuse or mental health issues. Will there be any enforcement mechanisms to require chronically homeless individuals to receive help, get sober, etc. so that they can get back to living fulfilling and productive lives? I did not see any provided or even considered in the plan.

Last of all, my concerns--and the concerns of a growing number of residents in the city--have only grown in regards to government agencies and bureaucracies viewing the homelessness problem as just another way to hire more employees and seek more government funding. Homelessness is not going to solved with massive interventions of government money and material provision. If the city of Torrance gets into the "business" of handing out goods, services etc. the city government jwill not resolve but rather increase the homeless problem.

The city of Torrance, at the very least, must send a clear message discouraging transients and chronic homeless from coming to the city, wandering our streets, disturbing the public and residential areas, and blocking the thoroughfare and commerce of residents and businesses in the city.  Six months ago, I dealt with a homeless individual who was either inebriated or mentally ill. He was walking westbound on Monterey Street five blocks away from the US Post Office. He had a bottle of some kind and threw it a parked car. One passerby, a mother with her child, was very alarmed by the violent behavior from the transient. She was relieved that I called the police. The transient then began wandering eastbound toward Crenshaw Blvd. The Torrance Police arrived, and they confronted the individual for a few minutes, then let him go. 

As I have just related, I have directly encountered his homeless situation, specifically with a potentially violent altercation. Moreover, it has been quite alarming to see homeless taking up space in a number of the bus stop benches throughout the city and even on sidewalks in front of businesses along a number of strip malls throughout the city, too. This problem needs proper controls and enforcement protocols, not a bunch of trainings and overly-funded government junkets. There should be basic strategies in place to discourage transients, squatting, and increased movement of homeless into the city of Torrance, at the very least.

Last of all, I would advise disbanding the Social Services Commission and simply allow the professionals and well-established experts in dealing with homeless issues continue to take the lead on handling issues such as homelessness, as well as veterans issue and mental health concerns in the community. If after all their input and meetings, they have come up with mostly more paperwork and a few "toiletry giveaways", they have long outlived their usefulness. 

Sincerely,

Arthur Schaper

Outrageous: DA Won't Seek Death Penalty Against Westlake Five Illegal Alien Arsonist

June 14th, 2016, illegal alien transient Johnny Josue Sanchez set fire to an abandoned warehouse in retaliation against another homeless squatter.

Johnny Sanchez of Honduras, arrested

His fire ended up murdering five Americans and nearly killed two others.

I found out about this story through a contact who monitors illegal alien crimes in the news, including the Los Angeles area. Five days later, I went to the site of that abandoned warehouse, with the smokestains still singed around the borders of the windows.

I still remember the stench of the the burned areas all around. Within minutes of our arrival at the scene, a yound lady named Choda arrived, in tears. Her husband Deandre Mitchell was one of the five victims. He had a nickname "Jokerface", and that's all that the LA Times article reported.

Honoring the Loss
of the Westlake Five

This sudden encounter helped capture the tragedy of these terrible crimes. Foreign nationals break into our country, commit repeat offenses, receive little punishment, then reoffend.

What happens when they murder our citizens? Yes, they get caught, convicted, incarcerated. However, we the taxpayers have to shoulder the costs of their room and board in our country.

What's worse, aside from the report published by the LA Times, the press will not report that these scum are illegal aliens!

In this report, the DA's office announced that they won't pursue the death penalty against this evil man:

DA Won’t Seek Death Penalty for Man Charged in Deadly L.A. Fire

POSTED BY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ON JUNE 13, 2018 IN CRIME | 76 VIEWS | 

Prosecutors announced Wednesday that they won’t seek the death penalty against a man charged with setting a June 2016 fire that killed five people in a vacant commercial building in the Westlake district where a group of transients were living.

From the top left corner going clockwise:
Joseph Proenneke, Dean Clemons, Tierra Stansberry, Mary Ann Davis

Deandre Mitchell featured on back of
Remembrance Project Shirt

Johnny Josue Sanchez, 23, is charged with five counts of murder for the June 13, 2016 deaths of De Andre Mitchell, Jerry Dean Clemons, Mary Ann Davis, Joseph Proenneke and Tierra Stansberry, along with two counts of attempted murder involving two people who were rescued from the burning building.

The five people were not transients themselves. Dean Clemons and Mary Ann Davis were Joseph's biological parents. They all planned to meet together in Los Angeles.

The murder charges include the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder during the commission of an arson.

Special circumstances notwithstanding, the DA won't pursue the death penalty.

Authorities allege that Sanchez intentionally set the blaze because he had been involved in a dispute with another transient in the vacant building at 2411 W. Eighth St., near MacArthur Park.

One man was initially declared dead as a result of the fire, which swept through the building where homeless people had been living. Cadaver dogs and their handlers discovered the bodies of four more people “huddled up” in the ruins of the two-story structure the next day, Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator Lance Jimenez testified at a hearing in March in which Sanchez was ordered to stand trial.

They wanted to get out, but they couldn't escape. Terrible. I can't imagine the horror which swept through their minds as the fire, or rather fires, engulfed the entire building.

The arson investigator testified that the fire had two areas of origin and that he was able to rule out the possibility that the blaze had been accidentally caused.

Sanchez was arrested that night by Los Angeles police and has remained jailed without bail.

He is due back at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse July 17 for a pretrial hearing, and could now face a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole if he is convicted as charged.

Final Reflection

Notice that not once did the article mention that Sanchez was an illegal alien. The report didn't even print "undocumented", even though that term is inappropriate and inefficient.

When people challenge the argument that illegal aliens commit a disproportionate number of crimes, our answer must reference how often the media and the government refuse to report the nature of these terrible crimes.

For now, it is nothing but tragedy, and the true solace that comes with justice served has become a little more elusive.

UPDATE

Robin Hvidston, the California Director for the Remembrance Project and the leader for We the People Rising, reported the following about this unfortunate update:

Deputy District Attorney Sean M. Carney was a major force behind seeking the death penalty in the case of illegal alien Johnny Josue Sanchez who killed 5 Americans.

"Deputy District Attorney Sean M. Carney said that a committee is considering the death penalty charge. He said that their office has a great record on successfully prosecuting death penalty cases when he was asked about the likelihood of a death penalty charge in the case."  October 16, 2016. It was explained repeatedly to those of  from The Remembrance Project attending the court hearings, that the death penalty would be going forward in this case.

However, Deputy DA Sean Carney was no longer on the case as of the court hearing on 1/10/18.

His understudy, Deputy  District Attorney Joy Roberts, took over the case.  Then, in June 2018, it was announced the killer of 5 Americans will not be charged with a death penalty - just life in prison without the possibility of parole. 

This is a major disappointment and setback to not charge the death penalty, and does not provide justice for those 5 Americans who lost their lives.