People in Pacific Beach took a stand Saturday against crime in their community when dozens of residents and supporters walked the neighborhood holding signs and demanding tougher legislation on repeat offenders.
NBC 7 spoke to residents who said they don't feel safe in their neighborhood. They fear crime rates are going to climb over the next few years if changes aren't made sooner rather than later.
Out of all the neighborhoods in the City of San Diego in 2018, Pacific Beach was ranked number one in residential burglaries with 143 incidents, number one in rape and number two in aggravated assault behind East Village, all according to the Automated Regional Justice Information System.
Pacific Beach resident of 20 years, Anabelle Petersen said her husband’s triathlon bike was stolen right out of their garage in 2016. She said the crimes will only get worse.
“It’s not the homelessness to me. It’s more of the drug and alcohol that I can see is a more scary situation when we encounter that,” Petersen added.
“We’re fed up. We’re frustrated with the high crime in Pacific beach. We want to take our community back from the criminals,” said Brian White, President of Pacific Beach Town Council.
“A lot of our politicians don’t live out here and know the reality on the ground, the unsafe situation the residents basically live with every day,” White added.
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Resident Jeanne Lenhart, born and raised in Pacific Beach, said, “I have friends come to my house and I’ll walk them to their car. Isn’t that ridiculous? Because they feel insecure here.”
