Keeping SLO Gang-Free

by Commander Ben Hall

I am a 35-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, starting as a correctional officer in 1975, moving on to become a Deputy, Sergeant, Assistant Jail Commander, Civil Commander, and currently Patrol Commander. I have run the South County Substation in Oceano, and the Coast Substation. I’ve supervised the county jail complex and the courthouse security detail, and headed up the department headquarters, which includes dispatch, crime prevention, detectives, special problems unit, and the DARE program in our schools. I’ve done it all and seen it all, so to speak.

Over the years, I have worked to resolve prison overcrowding issues, navigated essential reforms of the Department’s relationship with the court system and the District Attorney’s Family Support Division, improved court security, developed new training policies and procedures, and worked with community leaders and officials at the local and state level to address crime issues in many of our neighborhoods.

70% of all our crimes are drug or alcohol-related and we can see just two hours north of us how a city (Salinas) has been turned into a virtual war zone by criminal street gangs. How many of us want to wait to see a crisis like that develop in our county?

The gang issue is a complex one. Much of it is related to drugs and drug money, meaning the issue of illegal narcotics is closely associated with stopping the growth of gangs. I am convinced if we can shrink the demand for drugs (especially starting in the schools), the supply will diminish as well. This will help reduce gang activity in and of itself. If this means random drug testing of our high school students and athletes, then we need to do it. Testing has proved to reduce drug usage in other areas.

If we need to make use of gang injunctions to stop gang members from gathering and associating, then we need to do it. Such injunctions have been successful in other areas. And, we can’t forget that it all starts at home. We have to build stronger families with more involved parents, stricter parental supervision, and, especially for our Latino families, build an economy that raises their standard of living so that they have more time to spend with their children and so that their children see hope and a future in studying hard, working hard, and staying away from gangs which often serve as a substitute family for these economically-deprived kids.

For more information about my candidacy for Sheriff, please visit my website here.