Thread: Day labor activity draws more police to intersection

ESCONDIDO: Day labor activity draws more police to intersection
Nuisance law enforcement increased
By COLLEEN MENSCHING - Staff Writer | Sunday, June 29, 2008 5:09 PM PDT ∞

5 comment(s) Increase Font Decrease Font email this story print this story Escondido police officers talk to a man spotted jaywalking on Quince Street near Mission Avenue last week. Merchants have filed an increasing number of complaints related to day laborers who frequent the area. (Photo by Waldo Nilo - Staff Photographer) Efrain Espinosa, 55, voices his concerns about a lack of work and increasing police presence on Mission Avenue near Quince Street. (Photo by Waldo Nilo - Staff Photographer) ESCONDIDO ---- On most mornings, day laborers hoping for work and commuters waiting for coffee cross paths at the corner of Mission Avenue and Quince Street.

It's not always a welcome encounter.

Police Chief Jim Maher said Wednesday that the department has increased patrols in the area because patrons and owners of businesses such as Carl's Jr. and Starbucks have complained about the mostly Latino day laborers littering, jaywalking, urinating in public and swarming trucks as they enter parking lots.

Increased enforcement of nuisance and traffic laws at Mission and Quince began about six weeks ago and has resulted in about a dozen citations and another dozen warnings, officials said.

The citations have been evenly distributed between day laborers and drivers who try to pick them up by stopping in no-parking zones, officials said.

There has been one arrest; a 19-year-old man who was stopped for jaywalking and later found to have a drug pipe, Maher said.

The enforcement effort, however, is being viewed with some concern by local Latino activists.

They say it is another example of how the city is targeting Latinos.

They also have complained about driver's license checkpoints, which they say are really intended to weed out illegal immigrants.

They also have condemned the city's efforts to enforce federal immigration laws, which they say is not the city's responsibility.

Consuelo Martinez of the Escondido Human Rights Committee, a civil rights group formed in 2004, said she drives by the intersection frequently and has never seen anything improper.

Besides, she said, "looking for work is not a crime."

Maher agreed that soliciting work on city sidewalks is not against the law ---- at least for now. The city is studying whether to ban such activities.

Maher said his officers are encouraging the day laborers to seek work at the Interfaith Community Services' "hiring hall" one block away.

But police can't and won't force anyone off the sidewalk who isn't breaking any laws, he said.

On Wednesday morning, officers issued a warning to a man caught jaywalking on Quince Street, Maher said.

The man was a day laborer, he said.

Escondido resident Bill Flores, spokesman for El Grupo, a coalition of local Latino and civil rights organizations, said police activity at Mission and Quince stands in contrast to the department's oft-stated goal of improving its relationship with Latino residents.

"Police, on the one hand, claim to be ... interested in building a better relationship with the Latino community," he said, "but on the other hand, are apparently dismissive of the requests made by members of the Latino community to stop driver's license checkpoints, to stop enforcing immigration law and to start with more meaningful steps in bettering the relationship with this large segment of the city's population."

Latinos make up 40 percent of the city's population, according to the San Diego Association of Governments, a regional planning agency.

Maher said his officers will encourage day laborers at Mission and Quince to move to the hiring hall ---- even day laborers who are on public property and not violating any laws.

Jose Gutierrez, 42, was one of several men who chose the intersection over the hiring hall Wednesday morning.

"I get better jobs on this corner," he said.

Gutierrez said the one or two days of work he finds on the corner each week is still more than he'd get at the hiring hall, which assigns jobs through a lottery and closes at 10 a.m.

"At least on the street I have a chance," he said.

Gutierrez said most of the men who wait for work at Mission and Quince are careful to stay on public sidewalks, don't litter and avoid jaywalking because they don't want to be ticketed.

He said he's noticed more police in the area in recent weeks, but hasn't had an encounter with them.

He also has noticed the security guard hired by Carl's Jr. a few months ago.

Lew Gilliam said he was hired to keep day laborers off the restaurant's property ---- or "off the grass," as he put it.

"The grass is Carl's," Gilliam said. "The sidewalk ---- I don't have any problem with that."

Gilliam said the day laborers get along well and don't fight amongst themselves.

He has picked up trash they've left behind in the area, he said.

About six months ago, after a request from Councilman Ed Gallo, city attorneys began researching possible ordinances that would prohibit day laborers from soliciting work on city sidewalks.

"We still have it under study," City Attorney Jeffrey Epp said Wednesday.

Epp said regulating day laborers is a lower priority than some other city projects, including a suggested parking ordinance that would limit the number of cars residents could park on city streets.

Some opponents of that proposal have said such an ordinance would target extended Latino families who live together and own multiple cars.

Epp said he is aware that police have increased enforcement at Mission and Quince, but hasn't received any complaints about the enforcement.

"A lot of times," he said, "you don't need a new law on the books. You just need better enforcement of the ones you have."

Contact staff writer Colleen Mensching at (760) 739-6675 or cmensching@nctimes.com.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/06 ... 601210.txt

Escondido resident Bill Flores, spokesman for El Grupo, a coalition of local Latino and civil rights organizations, said police activity at Mission and Quince stands in contrast to the department's oft-stated goal of improving its relationship with Latino residents.

"Police, on the one hand, claim to be ... interested in building a better relationship with the Latino community," he said, "but on the other hand, are apparently dismissive of the requests made by members of the Latino community to stop driver's license checkpoints, to stop enforcing immigration law and to start with more meaningful steps in bettering the relationship with this large segment of the city's population."

You forgot the other hand, Flores. Taxpaying citizens and affected businesses are demanding the laws be enforced. Taxpaying citizens WANT enforcement of immigration law, they WANT license checkpoints. Taxpaying citizens are tired of being "dismissed" so that illegal aliens get special treatment. The carnival rides over, buddy, time to GO HOME!

Consuelo Martinez of the Escondido Human Rights Committee, a civil rights group formed in 2004, said she drives by the intersection frequently and has never seen anything improper.

Besides, she said, "looking for work is not a crime."

It is if your Illegal .

The enforcement effort, however, is being viewed with some concern by local Latino activists.

They say it is another example of how the city is targeting Latinos.

They also have complained about driver's license checkpoints, which they say are really intended to weed out illegal immigrants.

Bull......we had check points before the latin invasion. It was to get unlicensed and uninsured drivers off the roads. Bet they'd be the first to be screaming if one of their kids were killed by a citizen (who wasn't hispanic) if they were driving illegally, no insurance etc. They'd be screaming in the streets for something to be done.

Maher agreed that soliciting work on city sidewalks is not against the law ---- at least for now. The city is studying whether to ban such activities.

I know I've lived in places where you weren't allowed to solicite or loiter in mass groups. This isn't 1 guy holding a sign for "will work for food".....this is a bunch of people hanging out blocking free use of a public sidewalk and intimidating patrons and more often than not doing other things that aren't ment for public view or legal. Hookers are just looking for work too. So are drug dealers, but they sure can disperse when the cops come or pay the price.

They banned teenagers from using parking lots as a meeting place and hang-out. Gosh, we're just hooking up with friends.....that's not a crime either. But it is when it's hindering the business and the great chance of other laws being broken. (underage drinking, dealing, minors out past cerfew, sound ordinances....) Police shooshed along even a single street preacher if they were disturbing the access to businesses and keeping people from not being harrassed as they go in. Like in front of a bar. They couldn't stop them I guess, but they could say to move it along. These people have been given options ...... like the work center a block away.....but no....they want to do whatever they want to do, wherever they want to do it.....and too bad for everyone else.

The enforcement effort, however, is being viewed with some concern by local Latino activists.

They say it is another example of how the city is targeting Latinos.

They are targeting those who are loitering and illegally soliciting work! I Know the latino activists would suggest we ignore all latinos who commit crimes because doing otherwise would be viwed as "targeting latinos."

These so called activisits are a JOKE!

The enforcement effort, however, is being viewed with some concern by local Latino activists.

They say it is another example of how the city is targeting Latinos.

They also have complained about driver's license checkpoints, which they say are really intended to weed out illegal immigrants.

If you're worried about the laws being enforced...LEAVE!!!

The city of Escondido should invite Scheriff Joe and some of his friends over for the day. Maybe bring a few school buses with them.
Problem solved in one day !

I recall when loitering laws were enforced too. In fact, I was told 'to move along' along more than once.

Some opponents of that proposal have said such an ordinance would target extended Latino families who live together and own multiple cars.

"extended latino families", yeah right. They must consider everyone down from Adam & Eve their relatives.

God, these yahoos tick me off. Any dam way you enforce a law is "targeting latinos". I am so fed up it's not even funny.