Delano Police take on violent crime in 2020

Delano Police take on violent crime in 2020

IN THE SPAN OF JUST WEEKS ---SHOOTINGS HAVE KILLED A YOUNGMAN AND A YOUNG WOMAN ANDINJURED SEVERAL OTHERS.23 ABC'S ALYSSA FLORES SPOKE TODELANO POLICE ABOUT HOW THEYARE TACKLING PATTERNS OF CRIMEAND VIOLENCE THISYEAR.SURROUNDED BY PRISONS AND GANGTERRITORIES, THE CITY OF DELANOSITS IN AN AREA WHERE ONE MIGHTTHINKCRIME IS INEVITABLE.CHIEF ROBERT NEVAREZDELANO POLICE DEPARTMENTWE DON'T BUY INTO THE NOTIONTHAT IT'S A DANGEROUSGANG PLAGUED CITYBUT POLICE CHIEF ROBERT NEVAREZSAYS VIOLENCE WILL NOT BETOLERATED.SO FAR IN 2020, THE CITY HASSEEN THE MURDER OF TWOYOUNG PEOPLE.19 YEAR OLD FRESNO STATE STUDENTNAYELI CARRILLOGONZALEZ ON JANUARY 2ND-AND JANUARY 31 21 YEAR OLD ADAMRENE GUILLENDESTINEY GONZALEZVICTIM'S COUSIN"ADAM WASN'T JUST ANYBODY,EVERYBODY KNEW ADAM.

HE WASSPECIAL.

AND NOW WE HAVE TO PUTHIM IN THE GROUND."THOSE MURDERS FOLLOWING THE 8HOMICIDES IN DELANO IN 2019.BUT WHILE LAST YEAR DID SEE ADROP IN HOMICIDES FROMTHE PREVIOUS YEAR... THERE WAS ARISE IN GANG RELATEDSHOOTINGS-- FROM 20 IN 2018 TO23 IN 2019."FORTUNATELY FOR US, OFTENTIMETHE DIFFERENCEBETWEEN AN ASSAULT WITH A DEADLYWEAPON OR AN ATTEMPTMURDER AND A MURDER IS A MATTEROF INCHES BECAUSEOF THE ROUND AND WHERE IT LANDSON A PERSONS BODY."IN A CITY THE SIZE OF DELANO...CHIEF NEVAREZ SAYS THE AMOUNTOF VIOLENCE IS SIMPLY TOO HIGH."IT'S STILL WAY TOO MANY FOR ACITY OF OUR SIZE.

IT'S A CITY OFJUSTOVER 50,000 PEOPLE THATSHOULDN'T HAVE 8 MURDERS IN AYEAR.

THAT IS JUST NOTACCEPTABLE."AND HE SAYS EVEN MORECHALLENGING FOR THE DEPARTMENT,THE NATURE OF MURDERS IN DELANO."LACK OF WITNESSES, LACK OFEVIDENCE, THAT IS THEBIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR US IN ALLOF THOSE CASES."THE SIX MOST RECENT HOMICIDES INTHE CITY AREUNSOLVED."I BELIEVE THAT THE BIGGESTOBSTACLE TO SOLVING A LOT OFOUR VIOLENT CRIMES IS FEAR.""REALISTICALLY FOR A LOT OFPEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THEYARE FEARFUL OF RETALIATION INTHE EVENT THAT THEY COMEFORWARD."WHICH IS WHY CHIEF NEVAREZ SAYSTHIS YEAR THE DEPARTMENTWILL BE FOCUSING ON ASPECTS LIKERESPONSE TIMES."THE BEST TIME TO SOLVE A CRIMEIS BY GETTING THERE WHEN THESUSPECTS ARE STILL ON THE SCENE.WHEN THERE IS STILLEVIDENCE THAT'S FRESH AT THESCENE.

SUCH AS BULLET CASINGS,FINGER PRINTS."IN 2019.

LIFE OR DEATH RESPONSETIMES WERE LOWERED TO 6MINUTES AND 1 SECOND."WE LOWERED OUR RESPONSE TIMESTO THOSE CALLS BY NEARLY50 PERCENT.

THAT SAID WE WANT TOMAKE SURE THAT WE LOWER THATNUMBER MORE THAN WE EVEN HITLAST YEAR."CHIEF NEVAREZ SAYS YOU CANEXPECT TO CONTINUE SEEINGA SATURATION OF GANG UNITOFFICERS ON THE STREETSOFFICER DARIAN SANTAELLADELANO POLICE GANG UNIT"THEY ARE TRYING TO CLAIMTERRITORY, TRYING TO SHOWTHAT THEY ARE FOR THE CAUSE ANDTHAT THEY WILL DO ANYTHINGFOR THEIR GANG."OFFICER DARIAN SANTAELLA GREW UPHERE IN DELANO"I LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE AND IDIDNT KNOW THAT DELANO WAS SOINFESTED WITH GANGS."BUT NOW THAT HE IS BEHIND THEBADGE HE SAYS HE REALIZES HOWCOMPLEX THE ISSUE OF VIOLENCEACTUALLY IS.NATS: SIRENSAND THIS MONTH YOU'LL ALSO SEEAN EFFORT TO GET CAMERASPLACED IN PUBLIC PLACES INDELANO."IT WOULD BE ANOTHER PIECE OFTHE PUZZLE THAT WOULDHOPEFULLY HELP OUR SOLVABILITYOF CERTAIN CASES."THE DEPARTMENT IS PROPOSINGABOUT 20 CAMERASCOSTING ABOUT 160 THOUSANDDOLLARS PER YEAR.NEVAREZ SAYS THEY WOULD BEPLACED IN HIGH CRIME AREAS ANDALONG PATHS OFTEN TRAVELED AFTERCRIMES ARE COMMITTED--LIKE THE 99 FREEWAY WHICH CUTSTHROUGH THE MIDDLE OFTHE CITY GIVING CRIMINALS ANEASY EXIT PATH.

WHILE NEVAREZSAYS HE UNDERSTANDS THE IDEA MAYBEMET WITH HESITATION FOR PRIVACYREASONS, HEBELIEVES IT'S A SECURE OPTIONTHAT'S STILL FLEXIBLE TOCRIME TRENDS."IT WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE BY THEMEMBERS OF THE DELANOPOLICE DEPARTMENT, A PERSON WITHA USERNAME ANDPASSWORD.""WE NEED SOME TECHNOLOGICALADVANCES TO HELP US BE ABLETO SOLVE THOSE CRIMES."FOR 23ABC, I'M ALYSSA FLORES,CONNECTING YOU.THE DELANO P-D PROPOSAL FOR THECAMERAS IS EXPECTED TO GOBEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL ONFEBRUARY 18TH.THIS MORNING --- YOU CAN HELPSAVE LIVES BY TAKING PART IN A