TEENAGE CRIMES ON THE RISE

It was 12:50 p.m. last Sunday when a teenager entered the gas station, walked towards the coolers, grabbed two 12 packs of beer and ran outside the store towards Orchard Street.
This scene is becoming more and more usual around La Mesa, and business owners think enough is enough and something's got to be done.
La Mesa Police Department takes this kind of criminal activity seriously but it's not at the top of their priorities when it comes to protect the city. Burglary, armed robbery, sexual assault, and homicides still take the lead when it comes to go after the criminals.
For residents and business owners one thing leads to the other, and if minors are not keep in check now, they will be the burglars, armed robbers, sexual predators, and killers of tomorrow.

FENDER BENDER

A crash at the corner of University Avenue and Spring Street last Sunday at six p.m.

It was one of those "fender Bender" that the driver behind usually hates.

Indecision makes the driver in the front car pretend that he's going to cross the street, but at the last second decides to stop. The driver behind, fooled by the move and too close to stop, ends up with the bill.

Both drivers other than the usual discomfort after a crash, didn't report major injuries.

Where I come from that doesn't happen until early in the morning. Perhaps as a pre-dawn warning, five minutes before the first rays of light break the sky. I asked around and nobody remembers this happening in La Mesa before, BIRDS CHIRPING ALL NIGHT LONG?

WHAT'S KEEPING LA MESA AWAKE?

MAYOR MADRID'S COMPANION PLEADS NOT GUILTY

Mayor Art Madrid's companion in his last February's highly publicised incident, pleaded not guilty to a drunken-driving charge.
Michael Richmond, an attorney for Trisha K. Turner, entered the plea on her behalf via fax.
A meeting between lawyers and the judge, called a readiness conference, is set for May 16, according to prosecutor Jennifer Kaplan.
The county District Attorney's Office charged Turner, 34, last month with one count of driving while under the influence. The charge came one month after La Mesa police, responding to a 911 call in the city's Eastridge neighborhood, found Turner and Madrid, 73, apparently intoxicated.
Turner, who works in the city's finance department, was in the driver's seat with the engine running and Madrid was lying on the sidewalk near the passenger door.
Police did not perform sobriety tests, instead drove them to Madrid's house a block away. That decision sparked allegations of special treatment and led the City Council to hire an independent investigator to look into whether police followed department policy that night.
The investigator – James Gardiner Associates, based in San Luis Obispo – is expected to submit a written report by the end of the month.
Madrid has not been charged with a crime. Turner, who was charged with one misdemeanor count, would face up to six months in jail if convicted. Defense attorneys have said first-time offenders usually get probation.

BUSINESSES WANTED

The city of La Mesa is determined to attract more businesses. Last December, the city hired a consulting firm to bring new businesses to Fletcher Parkway and the downtown village in an effort to boost sales-tax revenue, which is a significant part of all city budgets. The firm matches companies with cities based on the demographics, lifestyle choices and spending habits of their residents.
Besides this approach city officials will attend the the International Council of Shopping Centers conference next month in Las Vegas, where they expect to set up meetings with companies that may be a good match for the city.
The city, however, continues to look at other ways to generate revenue because, even though the city has been frugal, it has no control over inflation, the rising costs of materials or the state, which has in the past raided city coffers to balance its own budget.

WHERE'S THE BEEF?

Where's the beef? That seemed to be what two robbers had in mind last week when the two men entered the Outback Steakhouse located at 5628 Lake Murray Boulevard, wearing ski masks, one armed with a gun at the close of business through an open back door. The unknown suspects gained access to the safe and took an undisclosed amount of cash and then tied up the employees. Both suspects were described as black, in their early 20's.
The suspects left the restaurant through the rear door towards Lake Park Way into a nearby residential neighborhood. No shots were fired, no vehicle was seen leaving the area and no employees were injured.

WHERE AM I IN LA MESA?

The answer to last week's poll was MacArthur Park. Located at the corner of University Avenue and Memorial Drive, the park offers several amenities for all ages and tastes. From the community and recreation center, the picnic areas with tables, BBQ, benches, tot lot and restrooms, to the Sun Valley Golf Course, the municipal pool, Porter Hall, Nan Couts Cottage, and the children's favorite Khulken Baseball Field.

DREAMING OF BEING A COP SOME DAY?

Have you ever been curious about how a police department operates?
Now is your opportunity to find out in a safe environment. La Mesa Police Department has announced its Citizens Academy 2008, where citizens will be taught how to track a real homicide case and learn about police tactics in an interactive way, with hands-on evidence collection and scenarios.
The academy consists of six classes -one every week, beginning May 29 at the La mesa Police Department.
If you think some criminals might try to use this opportunity to learn the tricks, don't worry, all applicants must pass a background screening in order to be admitted.
So, hurry up, and fulfill your dream of becoming a cop, if only for few weeks. Apply online.

THE CITY OF LA MESA GETS HIT AGAIN, AND SEVERAL TIMES

Would it possibly be that the current economic situation is triggering all these bank robberies, convenience store robberies, even trolley station robberies?
The city has been relentlessly hit lately, whether a bank's been hold up, a convenience store mugged, or an old lady snatched of her purse at a trolley station, things seem to be escalating.
Pedro Ramirez, a waiter from Mario's Restaurant said what they've experienced lately is few patrons leaving without paying their tabs. "Specially the people that sits in the patio..."
Whether is the dollar going down, the war in Iraq, the pending elections or simply bad karma, the country -and that includes the city of La Mesa, seems to be experiencing an increase in criminality that people are still trying to understand, nonetheless, to get used to it.