Team effort slated for Dec. 18 on South Vine St.

A cleanup effort has been organized for Saturday, December 18, beginning at 8:30 a.m. to address problems on an empty lot of land on South Vine Street that has been frequently used by local street gang members to conduct illegal activities. A concrete block wall known as the “gang wall” was removed from the area in October 2009.

“The wall was a popular hangout for the suspected gang members,” said Lt. Mike Barnett, commander of the Fallbrook Sheriff’s Substation. “[Gang members] also used the wall as a canvas for graffiti and as a shield to hide behind as law enforcement approached.”

Barnett said Sheriff’s deputies, Trails Council and CSA 81 board member Al Gebhart along with his crew, and Senior Park Ranger Tom Contreras with County Parks and Recreation will be joining forces to clean up the lot directly behind where the wall once stood.

“The lot has become a hangout for the gang members,” said Barnett. “The gang members are using the overgrown brush to hide in when law enforcement comes in to the area. The lot will be cleared of brush and the trees will be trimmed to make the area more attractive for the community and less attractive for the gang members.”

Authorities said over a year ago that it was hoped that the property could be purchased by the County from its owner, Rich Daniels. Daniels was willing to negotiate the sale of the property, but County budget woes have led to the idea being abandoned.

A representative with San Diego County Parks and Recreation said the department “would not be purchasing that land,” and that “creating a park is a lot more than just purchasing the property; maintenance is a huge cost and it’s not feasible for the County in this economic climate.”

Parks & Recreation said they hoped the Sheriff’s Dept “would work with the property owner on his responsibility to keep the property clean and well lit.”

Barnett said the lot is a problem because of its location near where many gang members live and the topography, which allows gang members to congregate and remain hidden from view from the street.

“Any improvement to the property would mitigate these problems,” said Barnett. “A nice pocket park, sloped uphill from south to north, in order to provide good visibility, would be the ideal solution.”

In the meantime, Barnett said his department, along with the Fallbrook Land Conservatory, County Parks and Recreation, Fallbrook Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and County Supervisor Bill Horn have been working together on the area which is located just behind the 1000 block of Old Stage Road and just east of the Main Street business district.

While Barnett said calls for service in the area “have decreased,” he added that “it is important for the community to stay vigilant in creating an environment where the gang members feel uncomfortable and law abiding citizens feel welcome.” The Sheriff’s department will do its part, he added.

“Fallbrook deputies will continue to focus their efforts on identifying and incarcerating the criminal gang members that live in the area,” said Barnett. “The ongoing crime-fighting efforts have reduced calls for service in a large nearby apartment complex 15.8 percent between 2008 and 2009 and 21 percent from 2008 to today. The neighborhood is safer today than it was two years ago. We have made a difference but there is still a long way to go.”

Roy Costello, a property owner on South Vine Street, agreed that things have improved recently.

“Gang presence seems to be better, at least during the day,” said Costello. “I don’t see [gang members] hanging out in the street in the daytime like they were, which in part is due to the extra vigilance of local law enforcement. The graffiti

is about the same, it has just moved to the west wall at the end of the street, which means the gangs are still there, just keeping a lower profile.”

Costello said he also had hoped the County would purchase the empty lot and put a park in.

“It seemed like a good idea,” said Costello. “But, at this point in time, with a lack of county funding, I’d like to see McDonald’s and/or the Kroc Foundation purchase the property to enlarge the current parking lot and maybe even make a walkway down to the [Main Ave.] area from Vine Street.”

For now, it appears the multi-agency effort to clean up the area is what’s possible in addition to continuing focused law enforcement operations to address the problems. Costello said in his opinion, the project is moving in the right direction.

“During the day, when I’m checking on my property, I’m not seeing the criminal element as much and I’m seeing more families and children out in the street enjoying their neighborhood.”