LANCASTER – Do you have questions about crime and quality-of-life issues in your neighborhood? Bring them to the attention of local law enforcement in an informal atmosphere Thursday.
The latest installment of “Coffee with a Deputy” will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Thursday, October 11, at the Lemon Leaf Café, located at 653 West Lancaster Boulevard in Lancaster.
The Coffee with a Deputy program is designed to create a comfortable atmosphere where community members can meet with deputies from the Lancaster Station to address problems facing them in their community, or simply get to know them.
Team members from the City of Lancaster’s Public Safety Office will also be on hand to provide information about the Neighborhood Watch program, as well as contact information for other city services.
The Coffee with a Deputy program is held on the second Thursday of each month and rotates to a new spot each month to highlight a different business.
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FIELD COLLECTORS says
WE ALL NEED A LITTLE HELP FROM TIME TO TIME AND SOME OF US DON’T HAVE FAMILY, SO INSTEAD OF STEAL, THEY ASK FOR HELP. I THINK YOU SHOULD GIVE WHAT YOU CAN AND SAY A PRAYER FOR THEM. THEY ARE PEOPLE JUST LIKE US. WHAT WOULD GOD WANT YOU TO DO? TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.
Rob says
The proliferation of motorcycles with loudly altered exhaust systems is most annoying and certainly an issue affecting the quality-of-life in my neighborhood. If these riders are so scared they require everyone to hear them miles away, then they should get a car.
Trying to get by... says
I understand the problem with the motorcycles..We had a problem with a ATV on our street and were able to get rid of it. The “Have Coffee with a Deputy” is a great way to air your problems and get ideas how to put a dent if not a stop to some of the things that are affecting a person’s way of life.
Everyone is welcome…The 2nd Thursday of each month at the Lemon Leaf Cafe on the Blvd. 8am to 10am. If any of you can’t make it please reply back with your concerns and I will be sure and bring up the motorcycles(need a location) and any thing else next month. It can’t hurt.
QHR says
I wish I could be there. I would ask why is it everytime I go shopping in Lancaster (In N Out Burger, Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Lowes just to name a few) I get approched by a homeless or beggar person soliciting for some money. I hate to see people in poverty roaming around the streets. Can the city do anything to clean this up? It is for this reason, I go shopping in Valencia. My family does not feel safe in this type of environment. I can say the only place that I feel is clean and safe is Costco. I praise Costco management for not putting up with it.
Wylda Rose says
Wow, zero compassion?? A lot of people in this country (and especially here in the AV) are just a paycheck away from being homeless. If you dislike the “beggars” so much maybe you should go live in Valencia…or maybe you can’t afford to? I bet drive a used Hummer or some other such useless thing and have hair extensions and think you are the [removed]. Nice fake Prada/Coach/Chanel bag/glasses/shoes…loser.
QHR says
Wylda,
I’m sorry if I offended you or anyone else. As I mentioned “I hate to see people in poverty roaming around the streets”. Of course I feel bad for them and just asking why the city does not help them.
I was approached by an individual at In N Out on Ave I about two weeks ago, I refused to give him money. However, I bought him a double double meal. He threw it in the trash in front of my face. He was only seeking money for some booze or drugs.
Since that day, I do not know who is real or not. I just pray for them and trust my church to assist those in need of food and shelter (not booze and drugs).
Ty says
lots of people in Valencia are just a paycheck away from living in the AV too. Let me tell you!
chris says
Be careful about where you go in Santa Clarita, they too have tons of homeless especially in Newhall, Saugus, Castaic and Canyon Country. This economy is bringing people to places they have never been before, and unfortunately you cannot really escape it. To be honest, I have lived in Newhall, and Newhall feels much less safe than Lancaster.
Here we go again.... says
Not sure it would do any good to bring that up, I think it is up to the store managemant to deal with this problem. Maybe if you tell the store you won’t be coming back there to shop until you feel safe..Couldn’t hurt to say something, you never know, if enough people say something the store may take some action.
really says
Wylda, our country is a great one. We have safety nets for the poor. We have medi-cal, ebt, wic, section8, ssdi, homeless shelters, soup kitchens and the list goes on. Most of the people who beg can be divided into three groups:
1 Those with an addiction (which medi-cal will pay for residential drug treatment)
2 Those who are lazy opportunists ( they already recieve the above mentioned govt aide, but want some easy money to buy things not covered by the aide)
3 The mentally ill (Several years ago, laws were past that made it very difficult to keep the mentally ill isolated. When the ill arent monitored they go off their meds and have serious issues. The most law enforcemnt can do is order a 72hr hold. Drs medicate the ill then release them in accordance with law)
There are very few people that are homeless just by happenstance. It is sad but the reality is most of the homeless will always be that way. There was a documentary where the director put 1 million cash in a briefcase and put it in a dumpster. When a homeless man found it he was told he could keep it provided they could document his life. They offered him a free financial advisor. He declined tha advisor and was homeless again within a short amount of time.
Oprah Winfrey interviewed the man and he said he wanted to be homeless. Oprah was shocked and said maybe a lot of the homeless choose that life. The homeless man agreed.
The bottom line is you cant help those who dont want help and the panhandlers will always be around because the courts feel sorry for the homelss and impose minimal if any sanctions.
Adam Chant says
DON’T FEED THE ANIMALS!
I have found that by giving to and supporting local charities you are doing the most work for the most people. This is honest and an acceptable justification for refusing to patronize to a panhandler.
The real reason people panhandle is because it works. As soon as everyone realizes that and stops giving money to panhandlers then the problem will subside.
Panhandling alone isn’t enough to sustain a person unless they are really good at it, but when it’s supplemented with a recycling route you have a fully sustainable lifestyle. Thousands of people live like this every day and CHOOSE to for a number of reasons as @really pointed out.
DON’T FEED THE ANIMALS!
LMK says
I WENT TO CORNER STONE CHURCH AND THEY SAID THERE NOT A FOOD BANK, BUT THEY WERE PREPARING FOOD BAGS FOR THEIR CHURCH MEMBERS AND I MEAN THEY WERE PUTTING IN GOOD FOOD LIKE MILK, EGGS, CHEESE, BREAD, MEAT, CHICKEN, FRUIT, VEGTABLES. THEY MAKE IT A ROUTINE TO GIVE TO THEIR MEMBERS WHETHER THEY NEED IT OR NOT, BUT I NEEDED IT AND WAS TURNED AWAY. I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. SO, NOW I GO OTHER PLACES WHEN I NEED IT, OR I TRY TO SELL SOMETHING TO EARN THE MONEY, BUT PEOPLE LOOK AT ME LIKE I WANT THE MONEY FOR DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND I NEVER GOT INTO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, IM JUST TRYING TO GET BY, SO I FOUND SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE LIKE AND I MAKE IT AND SELL IT, BUT I ONLY DO IT IF I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO. FOR MILK, FOOD, GAS..
I SAY TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED, WE NEED HELP SOMETIMES SO GIVE WHAT YOU CAN AND SAY A PRAYER, IM NOT AN ANIMAL AND IM NOT HOMELESS. IM A SINGLE MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER, MY KIDS FATHER HAD A STROKE, AND MY MOM AND DAD ARE PASTED AWAY, SO THIS IS WHAT I DO FROM TIME TO TIME. I DON’T BEG, I ASK NICELY IF THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HELPING ME OUT BY GIVING ME A DONATION FOR MY PRODUCT THAT I MADE AND MOST OF THE TIME, THEY HELP ME. I DON’T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. I TRIED THE SWAP MEET BUT THEY CHARGE TO GET IN.
really says
LMK, why are you not on calfresh?
really says
Also there was one time that I saw a rather industrious homeless guy. At Del Taco at the time they had a 800 number survey on the bottom of every receipt. He got a few receipts from the trash, used the payphone to call and bada-bing he was rolling in bean burritos
Here we go again.... says
LMK….It sounds like you need some help from some place. Maybe you can ask your church for help, if you don’t already belong to a church maybe you should think about joining the Courner Stone church or another church, it couldn’t hurt. Good Luck!