Fire Camp 8 (Top of Las Flores Canyon Rd. and Rambla Pacifico) was at risk of being taken over by the Department of California Corrections. This blog was created for the purpose of raising community awareness to the impact it might have on families in close proximity to the camp. This blog is now being used to keep the residents in the Rambla Flores Peak area up to date on issues that impact our community.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
"TOO CLOSE" TO FAMILY HOMES
According to real-estate agent, John Snyder, there are approximately 450 homes within a 3-mile radius of the proposed prison.
Consider the number of family homes in close proximity to where the inmates would be housed
Speaking on behalf of the majority at the meeting last night...we all want to BE VERY clear that the residents support the inmate fire camp program in UNPOPULATED areas...We, however, STRONGLY oppose ANY INMATE CAMP in close proximity to ANY residential areas especially where school children play less than 100 yard ways from the razor wire fences.
After some research, I counted approx 450 homes within a 3 mile radius. New Roads School is approx 2 miles away. Way too close to all of us and the school.
When an inmate escapes (which they will), do you think he will brave the terrain on foot through heavy brush, walk one of the obvious roads in plain sight (Las Flores, Rambla Pacifico or Piuma, or break into a home to steal clothes, possessions and a vehicle?
@anonymous: i'm with you on that...or threaten the next one of us driving down the hill... i actually walked all the way down las flores once. took me exactly 90minutes. i doubt a prisoner would wanna take that risk...
Steve - Thanks for the map, I hope it educates the general public and decision makers on how close the Prison would be to our homes. My property in on Paloma Blanca and faces the Fire Camp 8 and my property line goes down to Las Flores so my kids would be less than 40 feet from the Razor Wire and Inmates! Do we have any Day Care Centers or Home School kids in the area that we need to be worried about?
OK, so let me get this straight. You people are in favor of having these men defend your homes, sometimes closer then 100 yrds away cutting line so you're community doesn't burn, but housing them at a secure location is some kind of blasphemy? Are you people serious? If so, next time you get a major brush fire don't call Camp 16, nor Camp 13. We wouldn't want those low risk supervised inamtes to be too close to you're homes.
Here's you're problem, you want the benefits of fire protection and services, but you don't want to have it in you're "backyard" so to speak. That's a double standard and you can't have it both ways. If these guys were murders and rapists, you wouldn't get any disagreement from me, but these are hard working low risk inmates who actually LIKE doing this job!! Yes it shaves time off of their sentances, but you have to be some kind of person to go up against fire eye to eye. These guys are closely watched not only by the CDC staff, but their Fire Captains who will have them thrown off the crew if they don't work at the expected pace. It's a shame Chief Freeman bowed to political pressure and nixed the deal. You people are blowing who and what these inmates are WAY out of proportion.
Anonymous....You misunderstood the issues of the residents. We are BIG FANS of the program! Our understanding is that all in the program are convicted felons serving sentences longer than 1-year. Your assessment may be they are low risk. However, does low risk also include everyone that will visit the inmates in this remote community with our children attending schools and playing in Las Flores park without the benefit of nearby police protection? Our research found an inmate escaped from an inmate fire camp, broke into a deputy's house, stole his weapon, uniform and vehicle. That story is posted below in the blog.
We support the program and are more grateful than you know for the work these men and women do and the risks they take! We believe there are better places with better roads away from heavily populated communities for these crews to reside.
Lee Fox is a Social Media strategist and founder of youth empowerment website KooDooZ.
Steve Beauregard is founder of REGARD & REGARD Venture Solutions a Santa Monica mobile software apps company that developers BlackBerry, Android and iPhone apps.
Together Lee and Steve actively coach youth sports and sit on the council of the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club. Along with their 3 Webster Elementary children they live about 1 mile from the proposed fire camp...and one of the fire trails leads directly to their property.
Followers
Are you in favor of fire camp prisons in residential areas?
Speaking on behalf of the majority at the meeting last night...we all want to BE VERY clear that the residents support the inmate fire camp program in UNPOPULATED areas...We, however, STRONGLY oppose ANY INMATE CAMP in close proximity to ANY residential areas especially where school children play less than 100 yard ways from the razor wire fences.
ReplyDeleteAfter some research, I counted approx 450 homes within a 3 mile radius. New Roads School is approx 2 miles away. Way too close to all of us and the school.
ReplyDeleteWhen an inmate escapes (which they will), do you think he will brave the terrain on foot through heavy brush, walk one of the obvious roads in plain sight (Las Flores, Rambla Pacifico or Piuma, or break into a home to steal clothes, possessions and a vehicle?
ReplyDelete@anonymous: i'm with you on that...or threaten the next one of us driving down the hill... i actually walked all the way down las flores once. took me exactly 90minutes. i doubt a prisoner would wanna take that risk...
ReplyDeleteSteve - Thanks for the map, I hope it educates the general public and decision makers on how close the Prison would be to our homes. My property in on Paloma Blanca and faces the Fire Camp 8 and my property line goes down to Las Flores so my kids would be less than 40 feet from the Razor Wire and Inmates! Do we have any Day Care Centers or Home School kids in the area that we need to be worried about?
ReplyDeleteJim Townsend
jtproducer@aol.com
OK, so let me get this straight. You people are in favor of having these men defend your homes, sometimes closer then 100 yrds away cutting line so you're community doesn't burn, but housing them at a secure location is some kind of blasphemy? Are you people serious? If so, next time you get a major brush fire don't call Camp 16, nor Camp 13. We wouldn't want those low risk supervised inamtes to be too close to you're homes.
ReplyDeleteHere's you're problem, you want the benefits of fire protection and services, but you don't want to have it in you're "backyard" so to speak. That's a double standard and you can't have it both ways. If these guys were murders and rapists, you wouldn't get any disagreement from me, but these are hard working low risk inmates who actually LIKE doing this job!! Yes it shaves time off of their sentances, but you have to be some kind of person to go up against fire eye to eye. These guys are closely watched not only by the CDC staff, but their Fire Captains who will have them thrown off the crew if they don't work at the expected pace. It's a shame Chief Freeman bowed to political pressure and nixed the deal. You people are blowing who and what these inmates are WAY out of proportion.
Anonymous....You misunderstood the issues of the residents. We are BIG FANS of the program! Our understanding is that all in the program are convicted felons serving sentences longer than 1-year. Your assessment may be they are low risk. However, does low risk also include everyone that will visit the inmates in this remote community with our children attending schools and playing in Las Flores park without the benefit of nearby police protection? Our research found an inmate escaped from an inmate fire camp, broke into a deputy's house, stole his weapon, uniform and vehicle. That story is posted below in the blog.
ReplyDeleteWe support the program and are more grateful than you know for the work these men and women do and the risks they take! We believe there are better places with better roads away from heavily populated communities for these crews to reside.