LANCASTER – At the City Council meeting Tuesday, Lancaster Sheriff’s Station Captain Robert Jonsen introduced the members of his newly formed Community Advisory Committee (CAC).
The 10-member CAC is comprised of residents, business owners, and leaders throughout Lancaster Station’s patrol areas.
“We were able to pull from all the different neighborhoods within the city, as well as have representation from all the unincorporated areas like Lake Los Angeles, Antelope Acres and Quartz Hill,” Jonsen said.
Members of the CAC area;
- Liza Rodriguez, program director for the Sexual Assault Response Team at Valley Oasis
- Dave Mashore, program director at the Catalyst Foundation
- Colleen Schiller, Antelope Acres resident and neighborhood watch captain
- Jerry Ferrso, pastor at Lancaster Baptist Church
- Manuel J. Magana, Lake Los Angeles resident and representative of Latinos Americanos En Accion
- Sheldon Carter, Quartz Hill resident
- Arturo Castanon, business owner and Lancaster Human Relations Tapestry Commissioner
- Lynde Williams, Lancaster resident and neighborhood watch captain
- Richardson Honore, senior pastor at Antelope Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church and chaplain with the United States Air Force
- Gale Smith, pastor at the Antelope Valley Metropolitan Community Church (not pictured)
“Almost everybody in this particular committee is already engaged in their neighborhoods and that was the primary reason I wanted them on my committee,” said Jonsen, adding that the CAC is not a political committee.
The CAC will provide the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station with direct input from the public regarding local community issues and concerns. They will also serve to strengthen the partnership between the community and the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station.
Many of the members were clear about changes they hoped to affect through the new committee.
“I just really want to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement,” said Richardson Honore. “This is our community; whether you are law enforcement, a citizen, an engineer or teacher… we must bridge that gap and come together in this melting pot to change our community.”
“If we start working together we will start to realize that we are all the same, and hopefully we can all help to make a difference,” said Lynde Williams.
“I really care about the community and this is a chance for me to serve the community in a larger area than just my block,” said five-year neighborhood watch captain Colleen Schiller.
“I am passionate about changing the world and making it a better and healthier place for all of us, and I think that starting in our community makes the most sense,” said Dave Mashore.
The Community Advisory Committee will meet on the first Tuesday of every month at the Lancaster Station.
The meetings are not open to the public, but committee members will disseminate information from the meetings to residents in their respective neighborhoods, Jonsen said.
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Mike willams says
Lyndie Williams is a racist and does not belong on this committee. Just read her opinions in the valley press. She is exactly the brand of people we don’t need in our community or country. As a resident and community activist I can not take this committee serious. Please ban her from this committee.
sikntired says
Haha, you said it best Ace, lipstick on a pig, a sick and dying pig from the looks of stats from the LASD.
sikntired says
Fiddling while Rome burns.Just look at the AVPress headlines today, 22% increase in crime for Lancaster, 100 % increase in homicide-sick and tired of the politically correct crap that does nothing.Leave the deputies alone and stop coddling the damn criminals, how often do they really get the wrong person?like to see those statistics.
Wake up people, its about time the law abiding citizens regardless of ethnicity take some action.
mike says
After the two shootings by the sheriff of two civilians, I called for the creation of a Civilian Review Board to handle complaints and discipline for the sheriff’s dept. Palmdale sheriff responded by creating a citizens advisory panel with community leaders. Captain Jonson in Lancaster picked people from neighborhood watches. It is too bad that citizens will not be able to attend the Lancaster meetings. This band-aid approach does not solve the problem. We need a civilian review board!
Alex says
Who would you pick for the civilian review board? Is their going to be an education limit, or is some idiot with a 5th grade education going to be allowed to decide whether it was justified or not?
Tina Marie says
The “civilian review board” that “mike” wants would feature nothing but black street corner preachers who believed every black male criminal thug was “innocent” and a “victim of the system”.
Alex says
Also, before someone jumps on it, yes it should be “there” and not “their.”
SadButTrue says
Last time I checked, neighborhood watch captains WERE citizens!
Sorry things didnt go your way and you didnt get a panel full of Ex Cons and rehabilitated drug dealers.
sikntired says
Leave the Sheriffs Dept alone, it’s the influx of riff raff who need the discipline.Wake up folks we need to be out there demonstrating our support for these deputies who put their lives on the line every time they go to work.They are the line of defense between us and the bottom feeders.
Quigley says
Sikntired I agree with you 100%. If Cali wasn’t in the crapper we could hire more deputies to try and get the AV back on track. It’s only gettin worse and our deputies are gettin tired! We are in desperate need of help!
ed says
Congratulations Senior Magana. Your experience on the Keppel School District Board will serve the community well. We support you 100% and know you will be fair to all involved.
Marquise Johnson says
I am so excited for the new “CAC” it gives those members of our community the ability to have a voice within the sheriff department that will hopefully start a dialogue and help to bridge a gap between law enforcement and the rest of the community. I am really excited that Liza Rodriguez is part of this community as I feel that she will be able to be a voice for what I like to call the under dogs and that would be victims of domestic and sexual violence. She will be able to speak upon the committee not just with say so but with knowledge of what’s going on within the community. Good Job Liza and do what you know you were called to do within this committee and that is to be a voice!!!
SJGranai says
It does NOT shock me that there is a member of the Lancaster Baptist Church sitting in this “closed” meeting.
I do NOT like the fact that it is a closed meeting when they are discussing city issues and supposed to be representing the community. Where is the public oversight? Will there be recordings of these meetings? Minutes available?
Very slick for the “CITY” not to make this advisory council. Since it was the sheriff’s station and NOT the legislative body then it does seem that the Brown Act can not be imposed.
THAT alone makes me distrustful of the whole situation.
Transparency is ESSENTIAL to build trust and bridge the gap… not one more closed door meeting that WE THE PEOPLE cannot access!
Maribel Johnson says
There are TWO African American, female lesbians (Linde and Gail) on the CAC and you are not “shocked” by that. Truthfully neither am I because it does not matter to me and I have lots of GLBT friends. But you are “shocked” because one guy from Lancaster Baptist church is on there. Really?
Double Standard much?
Lancaster Baptist has a significant presence in the community whether you or I like them or not and they deserve a representative. Just deal with it, OK. Nobody is asking that the TWO African American lesbians be removed or making a big deal about it, but you are making a big deal about one guy from Lancaster Baptist???????????? Get a grip!
SJGranai says
LMFAO… I do believe they have adequate representation. Really? The MAYOR is pretty decent representation.
I said I was NOT shocked… so don’t twist what I said. They sure DO have a significant presence… whether anyone likes it or not.
justice says
Where are all our constitutional rights! Federal law always trumps state law., remember the golden rule,those who have the gold make the rules! And guess what our mayor has ??? Yes more money then we have….. but yes he manipulates and tries to control “his city”, and he probably thinks…. ‘the civilians here are a big herd of sheep. We need to take a stand against these types of things that our forefathers warned us about! Taxation without representation!! Please excuse any grammar or punctuation mistakes, I’m just trying to get a point across about what our country is supposed to be based on….. The Constitution of the United States of America!!
SJGranai says
I have love for Linde and hope she does very well in this position. If she is reading along with this I would advise that you stay grounded, find outside influences/sounding boards and don’t let anyone tell you that your approach to things is wrong.
Don’t get caught up in the politics. Your nature is to take things head on. SOME people will try and manipulate that part of you. So that you appear to the public to be no-nonsense….but in reality they are pulling your strings so you will toe the line.
As a Lancaster resident… I need the Linde we all know and love to be true to Linde. Speak your mind girl. Don’t let anyone with some degree or snobby attitude shut you down. Don’t fear them.. they truly do fear YOU already. Stay empowered.
Congrats!
Maribel Johnson says
“Don’t let anyone with some degree or snobby attitude shut you down.”
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So that is how you feel about people who have degrees? That it is just “some degree”?
Welcome to Lancaster!
You fit right in with the rest of the yokels.
SJGranai says
Maribel… you have NO clue who I am or what I have done in this area. I have sat on commissions that worked directly with the LA County BOS and fought for the rights AND DOLLARS for the residents of SPA1 (AV).
I have known many of the folks posting here for over a decade and like ME or not.. they know I fight for the betterment of my community.
The political “think tank” does not like dissension in the ranks. Those who think outside the box, are not silenced and/or don’t play the ‘game’ right are considered troublemakers.
I know this first hand. I have sat at the tables with policy makers and had an equal vote… I spoke my mind… I didn’t pull punches.. I fought hard and I fought straight out. I didn’t let snobby people with degrees shut me down.
Those who don’t toe the line get phased out, silenced, discredited and/or manipulated.
I’ve been around for a while, so don’t think I am some newbie showing up on the scene.
SJGranai says
Yeah.. out of ALL the encouragement that I was giving Linde and you have to dissect ONE line? Would you like to totally negate everything I said to Linde?
Hmm… very interesting.
Faithful says
So glad to hear this Captain is trying to make a change. Based on majority of the quotes from individual members Lancaster is really segregated and there’s some race issues as well as problems between law enforcement and residents. I have to ask? Was the case of the innocent Damon Banks brought up in this meeting??