Public Safety

By Gabriel Orozco

Community identity, which extends to city services, is one of Downey's strengths and the thing that makes people want to live here. Local firefighters and paramedics know that they're serving their own community. It adds to our sense of cohesion. I'm open to analyzing the feasibiltiy data once it becomes available, but with a County force, Downey service could be less of a priority.

- Despite the budget crises, we must do all we can to avoid lay-offs of police, fire, emergency, and rescue personnel. We must put our citizens safety first and try to do all we can to keep our Downey Fire Department local. Downey Police and Fire are our lifelines.

- We must be tough on crime, but also support compassionate policing . Community outreach is key.

- Education is the key to prevent our youth from joining gangs or committing crimes.

- Intervention, education, conflict-resolution, and job training by government and non-profits are key to turning around at-risk youth.

Originally published from: http://www.gabrielforcitycouncil.com/issues/public-safety.html