Latest news with #StocktonCityCouncil
CBS News
05-08-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
City of Stockton purchases two trucks to help with police cleanup operations
The Stockton City Council approved the purchase of two Chevy Silverados for the police department. One of their uses is to help in cleanup operations around the city. Advocates for the homeless say this will only increase homeless camp cleanup enforcement. The city council approved the consent agenda in late July, approving the over $150,000 purchase of two trucks from Maita Elk Grove. "Beyond emergency response, these vehicles will play a key role in supporting cleanup operations throughout the city," Stockton police said."They can assist in helping individuals in need, transporting personal belongings, and reaching areas that may be difficult to access due to rough terrain or environmental obstacles. "It would be used to pick up shopping carts and return them to stores. Also, with boats that are abandoned, we can pick those up and tow the boats with these trucks." One person spoke out against the purchase of the trucks at the council meeting, hoping they wouldn't be used solely for cleaning up homeless encampments. "Those are beautiful trucks, but we don't need those trucks for them to go chasing through fields of our unhoused people," said a concerned citizen. The city recently cleaned up Trinity Parkway, a decade-old homeless encampment in north Stockton. "It's a theme of 'let's round people up and let's force them into treatment,' " said Jessica Velez with Red Rabbit Advocacy Programs. Velez says the trucks are one step in the wrong direction. She doesn't want the trucks simply moving people. Instead, she'd rather see the money go to helping people. "We need to spend the money on alternatives, places where people are going to want to go. Then, once we've tried those options, that's when enforcement should happen," Velez said. Velez points to places like the Oakmoore Golf Course, which the county purchased, that could potentially have some acreage become a low-barrier homeless camp. Stockton police said this is a big tool to help them help the homeless, especially when they are displaced.
CBS News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
California city close to banning ski masks as it battles spike in robberies
Stockton's city council is considering a ban on ski masks after a string of crimes where suspects were wearing them. However, some advocates in the city are calling this a band-aid solution. The legislative committee within the City of Stockton is unanimously moving forward with a ski mask ban ordinance that will soon be presented to the city council. "This is a clear message that we don't have snow, we don't have ski lifts, we don't have a need to have a ski mask," said Vice Mayor Jason Lee. Vice Mayor Lee is spearheading the ski mask ban. He says the new council is trying out new things to curb crime. "We don't have the cure-all to crime, we know there's always going to be crime, but we have the obligation to put forth ideas to help alleviate the crime our community is exposed to," said Lee. "We need more police force, more patrolling, everything little thing counts," echoed Stockton City Councilmember Michelle Padilla. Padilla is also in support of the ordinance after two teenagers were robbed at gunpoint by suspects in a ski mask in her district. "If it's just this little mask ordinance," she said. "At least we're trying, we can say we did something rather than nothing." A graph from Stockton shows the number of robberies where the suspect was wearing any kind of mask or face covering, not just a ski mask. Stockton saw more than 227 robberies where the suspect was wearing a mask or face covering in 2024. But this year, month by month, those numbers are going down -- with just 11 reported in May. "We had 10 less last year, 5 less last year. One death is too much. There's no value to one death or ten deaths, they're all priceless. When I think about the trends, yes, our police department is doing a phenomenal job," said Lee. Lee attributes the drop to police officers going after suspects. He says the stats show a trend, but if it's happening, he wants to stop it. "But if we look at the stats, how many 8th graders were robbed at gunpoint with a ski mask during a graduation last year? Probably zero, but it doesn't matter because it happened this year. I wasn't here last year, I'm here now, and I'm going to work on a solution," he said. The ordinance does have to be refined with stats from the Stockton Police Department and with a clear purpose and instructions for officers to enforce the ordinance. "The enforcement comes with challenges. We have to make sure our officers are trained, what the boundaries are and what the religious implications are for face coverings," Lee said. It will be a little bit of time before the ordinance is presented to the council. It will need a majority vote to pass.
CBS News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Stockton mayor prioritizes public safety in State of the City address
STOCKTON — Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi prioritized public safety in the annual State of the City address on Tuesday. Mayor Fugazi and five out of the city's six councilmembers took over Adventist Health Arena to talk about the health of Stockton. The mayor sent a clear message that the city is moving onward and upward. "We have to change the narrative if we want people to see Stockton differently. There are other things we need to do that are tangible, like recruitment of our public safety," she said. Fugazi says she's focused on the positive coming out of the city. Part of that, she says, is the city tackling violence and being fiscally sound. "When we're going through any kind of challenging times, we still have to look for the silver lining," she said. There have been several shootings in the city this year. Among them is one where six people were shot on Charter Way in April. "One of our biggest challenges has to do wiih gang violence and guns on the street, illegal guns on the street," said Fugazi. At least three 17-year-olds have been victims of homicide this year in Stockton. "This year, I've had three students who have died, that were murdered. I have another student who is the suspect in a murder and was apprehended. I know all four of these young men, and it's sad," the mayor said. Mayor Fugazi says she wants to make progress in the city and believes she's up for the task. "I will say, we can, we should and we will have good things in this city for people to look forward to, but I will say we have to have things for our youth," she said. Part of that is creating stronger relationships between law enforcement and the community. "We're building relationships in this city so we can build trust," she said. Mayor Fugazi says right now there are no plans for layoffs or cuts coming to the city.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stockton City Council taps local engineering firm to handle design for Miracle Mile project
Stockton City Council has signed off on the next phase of planning for the long-awaited Miracle Mile Improvement Project. On March 18, the council unanimously approved $2.2 million for Stockton-based multidisciplinary design and engineering firm Siegfried Engineering Inc. to complete a design for the project. Siegfried, whose corporate office is located at 3428 Brookside Road, beat out seven companies that were interviewed for the gig. The project design is scheduled to be completed in fall 2026, according to Chad Reed, Stockton's director of public works. "Miracle Mile truly is the economic engine of the district, and dare I say, Stockton," said District 4 Councilmember Mario Enríquez, whose district encompasses the mile. The original idea of the Miracle Mile, defined as the portion of Pacific Avenue between Alpine Avenue and Harding Way, was developed by Joe Plecarpo in the early 1920s. The developer modeled the Miracle Mile after Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, a prominent 15-mile boulevard that connects five of Los Angeles's major business districts and Beverly Hills. Today, the Miracle Mile is home to commercial, educational, recreational, and residential land uses, from staples such as Al's Comic Shop and House of Shaw Café and Bakery to new favorites such as Comal Coffee and Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice. While the Miracle Mile is known for having a wide variety of specialty shops and services, pedestrian safety in the area has been a concern for the community over the years. In August 2021, 23-year-old Casey Bynum, a bus boy at Ave on the Mile, died after he was struck by a car while trying to walk across the street to take a photo. Former Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua (D-Stockton) was invited to attend Bynum's vigil, where he recalled hearing stories of others sharing their own experiences of being struck by cars on the Miracle Mile. The following year, Villapudua secured $20 million in funding through Assembly Bill (AB) 179 for pedestrian crossing upgrades, public safety improvements and the overall revitalization of the Miracle Mile. An ad hoc workgroup comprised of community members and members of Villapudua's office was formed in 2023. The group was tasked with presenting a conceptual design report to the city to show what community members hoped to see at the Miracle Mile in the future. The ad hoc workgroup produced a 274-page report outlining several recommendations, including creating opportunities for people to gather, enhancing the facades of businesses, incorporating civil improvements for crosswalk, sidewalk, and parking upgrades, and promoting active modes of transportation to and from the Miracle Mile. The group also asked for the historical style of the Miracle Mile to be maintained. Latest news, sports and more: Accessing local journalism is even easier with The Record app City staff found Siegfried to be "the most qualified company to deliver the goals that the ad hoc group identified," Reed said. The public works director noted that "although $20 million is a lot of money, it will not deliver the entire project as desired in the report." Siegfried is expected to hold at least eight public meetings and pursue additional grants. The firm will apply for four grants in 2025 and four grants in 2026, according to Reed. "It's a long-term project, but the fact that we're already getting the foundation set is a big deal," Enríquez said. Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@ or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton firm to handle design for Miracle Mile Improvement Project
