Dana - 2007: SB Gang Fights

Santa Barbara’s Gang Problem

On the afternoon of March 14th, a sunny Wednesday, Santa Barbara locals and strolling tourists were shocked by a brutal gang fight that occurred right on the sidewalk of downtown State Street. The rumble began as rivaling East and West side gangs threw signs at each other, and ended with the fatal stabbing and bludgeoning of a boy. By the time the victim, 15-year-old Luis Angel Linares, staggered to a parking lot behind Saks Fifth Avenue to die, police had arrived and handcuffed the roughly 25 teenagers involved in the brawl, before taking them down to the station for interrogation. Ricardo Juarez, a barely 14-year-old boy with extensive gang ties, was accused of murdering Linares, delivering the fatal blow with a seven-inch blade. Other weapons, including baseball bats, metal pipes, broken bottles, and knives, were present in the fight and added to the chaos; fortunately, Linares represented the only casualty. (Since then, the incident has received a good deal of media attention, striking up articles in local newspapers, online blogs, even some national publications, and now, Cate School’s El Batidor.)

The gang fight has disturbed many, including our very own headmaster, who deemed it unsafe to visit Santa Barbara immediately following the stabbing, resulting in a week of State Street-deprived Cate Students. It is unlikely that downtown SB was actually more dangerous in wake of the attacks (perhaps the contrary, with increased law enforcement patrolling the area), however Mr. Williams’ concerns are understandable. The frightening outburst poses many questions, and makes public a latent but very serious issue, that of gang violence in Santa Barbara.

To the unknowing tourist visiting the array of high-class retail stores along State Street, lunching at a restaurant, perhaps enjoying a ride on a whimsical quadricyle by the beach, Santa Barbara is nothing more than a pleasant, albeit expensive, shopping destination. A beach town with palm trees and scenic views, a nice stop between Los Angeles and San Francisco. However, most tourists do not cruise down Milpas Street after they finish shopping at Luis Vuitton. They therefore would never suspect that Santa Barbara has a severe gang problem that has been festering for the last decade. 

It is difficult to determine exactly why gangs have become increasingly widespread, however the city’s large populace of low-income families (residing primarily in the area east of Milpas St.) plays a large part in the prevalence of the violent groups. As of the census of 2000, 14.3% of Santa Barbara’s population was living below the poverty line, just above the state average, 14.2%. It is also much higher than the poverty rate of, for instance, Ventura, 9.2%. Furthermore, if one compares per-capita income to the very high cost of living in SB, this figure is considerably higher. This comes as a shock to those visitors who see a few homeless aging free-spirits on State Street as the extent of the city’s problems. The issues are much deeper than that. With thousands of impoverished families, and many more barely scraping by (both parents holding up multiple jobs), Santa Barbara’s gang problem is not a huge surprise, for low-income teens, more than any other social demographic, tend to gravitate toward gangs. There are certainly other factors besides poverty that contribute to gang violence (perhaps racial tension, societal trends, lack of education, or teenage angst), however they are less obvious and more difficult to pinpoint.

In addition to the low socioeconomic status of many Santa Barbara families, the city has done little to solve the growing problem. For the past years, officials and Mayor Blum have almost ignored the gang issue, simply creating a few programs to help educate teens against violence, which have proven ineffective. In the weeks leading up to March 14, authorities at local high schools did not take the growing incidence of gang violence seriously enough, and watched as they amounted to the tragic stabbing on State Street. Accepting the reality of Santa Barbara’s gang issues would be a blow to the city’s image, that of a quaint, intellectual beachside getaway. Now it is difficult for city officials to deny the problem. The event was somewhat of an eye-opener, and in the month since its occurrence, many City Council meetings have been held to discuss how to more effectively deal with the issue at hand. 

Hopefully Santa Barbara’s gang violence will decrease in the future, but the problem is more complex to solve than officials speculate. They feel that by putting more time and money into teen anti-violence programs, gangs will quiet down. It will take more than this. The circumstances in which the recent gang fight occurred are a perfect reflection of the odd economy of this city, perhaps the root of the problem. A group of poor, Hispanic teenagers armed with glass bottles and baseball bats met another gang on downtown State Street, confrontation ensued in clear view of the members of the luxurious Spectrum Fitness Club across the street, then a bleeding boy lurched around behind Saks Fifth Avenue to meet his fate, as shoppers, ordained in jewels, purchased thousand-dollar dresses. The irony is undeniable. 

(Whether or not the teen gang members intended this incongruity is debatable. They probably chose to rumble on State Street because it is the true center of the town-neutral territory. All perpendicular streets, upon crossing State, experience a change in name (ex..West Haley becomes East Haley), and hence West of State is considered territory of the Westside gangs, and East of State is considered territory of the East Side gangs.) 

The irony of the city has always been there, but never has it been so in-your-face. It was only a matter of time before two gangs emerged from their neighborhoods and fought in view of the wealthy shoppers and tourists. The reality is that Santa Barbara is a synthesis of the exquisitely rich and the poor. With not much in between; the city’s middle class is miniscule. Why is this? Well, there is essentially no industry. There are few places for a middle class, educated resident to earn his living, few jobs above the low-pay level. So, there are simply the retired rich, very rich, inhabiting the hills behind the city and the wooded slopes of Montecito, in multi-million dollar homes with ocean views, and there are the poor, working for minimum wage in the shops that the upper class spend their weekends browsing, and then returning to their mansions with Gucci and Juicy shopping bags in hand. A large part of Santa Barbara’s labor force, operating tollbooths and working in gas stations, in fact, chooses not to struggle with the city’s absurdly high cost of living and lack of subsidized housing, and commutes from Oxnard and Ventura, where affordable homes are more readily available. Perhaps it is not the chasm between social classes that produces the gangs, but it certainly makes for interesting situations, sets the stage for such ironic clashes between lifestyles.

To combat the issue of increasing gang violence in Santa Barbara, I believe those unfortunate, poor members of the community must first be relieved of their poverty-stricken circumstances. No small task, I know. I realize that for this to rapidly take place, a Mao Zedong-like, communist dictator must first overthrow the Santa Barbara government, and then continue to take from the rich and give to the poor, in the fashion of a violent revolution. Yes, it is difficult to deal with issues of the penniless, in such a capitalistic and greedy society. But change can come, even if slowly. The city needs to recognize this, and spend its time making life easier for its impoverished residents. For, up until now, city officials have been in denial of the problem, preferring not to face the fact that Santa Barbara’s economic structure resembles that of a plantation. To help lessen the gap in between social classes, the city could start by providing cheaper housing and higher wages. With fewer poor families, and therefore fewer teenagers likely to become involved in gangs, violence will subside, and the concerned Cate parent can rest at ease, assured of his precious child’s safety.