Stockton Spending Thousands To Revive Operation Ceasefire To Curb City Violence
STOCKTON (CBS13) - Stockton will spend $215,000 to implement Operation Ceasefire, which would cut violence in the city.
It comes as nervous neighbors are meeting with police about a violent crime striking close to home in broad daylight.
The need was clear as people gathered at Victory Park for a special meeting.
An elderly man was shot and killed in broad daylight, all for the gold chain around his neck; and earlier this week there was another attack on a helpless elderly man, 74-year-old Faustino Uribe.
In both cases, the men were simply exercising in the park.
"It says 'No More Crime Victims, No More Fear,' " said Faustino's daughter Mayra Uribe.
Mayra's disabled father was robbed and attacked with his own cane in the men's room of Victory Park.
She spent much of the day handing out fliers and alerting neighbors about Wednesday night's emergency crime meeting.
Mayra finds news of the city's crime fighting plan, Operation Ceasefire, comforting.
"I think it will be one step of many," said Mayra.
The project involves community leaders going after criminals, first to offer help to get off drugs or out of gangs; and if that doesn't work, warn them they'll be behind bars a long time if they keep committing crimes.
"The city is opening that opportunity for them, but we all decide. It's their decision if they take it or not; and if they don't, we know sooner or later what's their future because they're making the bad choices," said Mayra.
Ceasefire isn't new to Stockton. The model was in place back in the late 90s, and it seemed to work. The city reduced gun homicide by more than 43 percent between 1998 and 2001.
The model, which started in Boston, is now in place in other large cities including Sacramento, Chico, Oakland, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and New Orleans.
The Assistant U.S. Attorney often works with local district attorneys in deciding which cases the feds will prosecute in order to send criminals away longer.
