Community continues to discuss Vista shootings

By: STACY BRANDT - Staff Writer | Wednesday, August 24, 2005 11:36 PM PDT ∞

VISTA ---- Community members and city officials stressed the need for unity Wednesday as they continued the discussion of three recent fatal shootings by deputies in Vista.

Several residents passionately spoke of the deaths and other problems in the Townsite area at the monthly meeting of the Vista Townsite Community Partnership's board of trustees.

About 30 people went to the Townsite Community Center for the event, which was initially intended to help the board draft a letter to the City Council urging an independent investigation into the shootings. Since the council unanimously agreed Tuesday night to request an outside review of Sheriff's Department policies, it became a time for community members to express concerns and work toward unity, said board member Edith Saldivar.

"It also helps the community heal from all of the tragedy that's been happening here lately," Saldivar said after the meeting. "And it also gives (people) a role to play in the community."

Alecia Barrios occasionally held back tears as she spoke of bad experiences with deputies in Vista. She said she has lived in the city for 27 years and has seen other incidents similar to the shootings that killed three Latino men in separate incidents between July 28 and Aug. 1.

"I'm very upset with what's going on," she said angrily. "I will never call another police officer. I don't trust them."

City employees at the meeting said building the public's trust in the Sheriff's Department is very important to the city. Though no department personnel attended the gathering, Sheriff William Kolender said Aug. 8 at a meeting with about 300 concerned residents that he wants to do everything possible to preserve the public's trust.

Silvia Ramos, whose son Sergio was shot to death in 2003 by deputies in Vista after he allegedly charged them with a steak knife, said the community needs to make sure the killings are not forgotten.

"We always have complaining ... but I don't see anything being done," she said in Spanish at the meeting. "We have to unite to do something."

Councilman Frank Lopez, the only council member who attended the meeting, stressed the importance of working together to curb drugs and violence as well as the importance of educating youth.

Lopez said reviews of policies and the shootings would come, but it would take time.

"It takes a while," he said at the gathering. "But we will follow things."

The Sheriff's Department and district attorney's office are conducting multiple investigations, which are expected to be completed in three to six months.

Though Lopez said it was unfortunate that it took these shootings to bring the community together, he said he thinks some good will come from the incidents.

"We will learn from this, " he said after the meeting. "We will be a stronger community."

Residents again brought up the need for more Spanish-speaking deputies in the city, which is almost 40 percent Latino. Two of the three shootings took place in the Townsite area, a low-income, predominately Latino area near the city's center.

Sheriff's Department personnel have said the department is trying to hire more bilingual deputies, but it has been difficult because of the high cost of living in the area.

The Vista Townsite Community Partnership is a nonprofit coalition of Townsite residents, social services agencies, city employees and sheriff's personnel. It's board of directors is made up of 18 residents and 10 organizations. More information about the partnership is available on its Web site at www.vtcp.org.

Contact staff writer Stacy Brandt at (760) 761-4414 or sbrandt@nctimes.com.