Then on the Other Hand....

Last night at City Hall, the Executive subcommittee of the Human Relations Commission met to discuss among other things, the recent violence in the Eastside and the police department's response.

Lt. Alex Tortes, who's worked in the Eastside for many years, presented a strategy which he said the department enacted on Aug. 9. That date was in between two speeches given by Acting Chief Andrew Pytlak and Chief Russ Leach, respectively, which presented the "Let's talk tough and get tough" philosophy of policing.

Tortes, who is not a fan of the suppression type of policing that was batted about by some of the department's administrative heads, told the committee that instead of flooding the neighborhood with police officers, the department had put together a task force to cull out the active gang members who participated in the recent shootings, with surgical precision. Take out the scalpal instead of the broad sword, in a matter of speaking.

The task force consists of Tortes, as supervisor, Sgt. Brian Dailey who heads the Police and Corrections Team and Sgt. Frank Assuma, who is in charge of the gang unit. They put together a list of active gang members, including those who were in violation of probation or parole and have active warrants. The shooters involved in 13 out of the 16 most recent shootings were rounded up. Some of them would be prosecuted on weapons charges by federal agencies, so that instead of being sent to serve long prison terms in California's state prison system(inside, are prison gangs calling the shots in the local neighborhoods of many Southern California cities)they will be doing time in federal institutions.

So, why the differences in action plans presented for policing in the Eastside? What was that all about?

Two completely different plans of action, from one department. Does this indicate that there is a struggle within management of how to police in the city of Riverside?



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