Police report: thefts, handgun recovery and crowding at South Gate carnival prompt staffing concerns
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Summary
A South Gate police lieutenant told the Parks & Recreation Commission that thefts at Urban Orchard and a series of carnival incidents — including a handgun recovered and four juveniles arrested — highlight strains on patrol resources; staff warned budget cuts will reduce routine park patrols and response capacity.
Lieutenant Gonzalez, the parks safety presenter, said the department recorded 15 calls for service at Urban Orchard since Jan. 1, including three burglary investigations and multiple alarm responses, and described repeated thefts of equipment and copper wiring. “As far as anything significant...the most of issues is that Urban Orchard,” Gonzalez said, adding officers are reallocating patrols to that site and that a private security contract was shifted to monitor the park overnight.
Gonzalez reviewed outreach by the county‑funded HOST program and said the unit is strictly outreach — not enforcement — under the grant rules. He said two multi‑park outreach operations reached several unhoused individuals but that only one accepted shelter resources. “There is no enforcement done with that, and it cannot be done that we cannot combine enforcement and outreach programs together,” Gonzalez said.
The lieutenant described a run of carnival‑related incidents at South Gate Park: on one night calls reported shots fired but officers found no victims or suspects on scene; another night saw four juveniles arrested in a fight and later released to parents; a handgun was recovered near the carnival on another day; and a driver allegedly under the influence drove into park grounds and was arrested. Gonzalez said staffing constraints limited the number of officers assigned to the carnival and that the city sometimes must reassign officers from general patrol to cover large events.
Commissioners asked how HOST contacts are tracked and whether county staff accompany local officers. Gonzalez said officers assigned to HOST receive training and that the department documents outreach contacts and whether resources are accepted to satisfy reimbursement rules.
The exchange threaded into questions about enforcement options (bike patrols, plainclothes officers) and municipal code limits. Staff pointed to municipal code 7.490.02 as already prohibiting motorized riding and driving in parks; the commission discussed targeted bike patrols and expanded camera coverage at Urban Orchard to support investigations.
After discussion, the commission voted to receive the police safety report on file. The chair announced the motion passed by voice vote; no roll‑call tally appears in the transcript.
