John & Ken Broadcast Live from Ventura’s Rally Against Vagrant Crime on May 3
Anthony Mele slaying by vagrant at a local landmark beachfront restaurant has enraged the public- Council/police are targets of their ire.
By Kevin Harris
Fed-up Venturans rallied on Thursday afternoon, May 3, 2018, to protest lenient city policies toward homeless criminal behavior, which they say led directly to the senseless murder of a local restaurant patron, while his young daughter sat in his lap, on April 18.
Anthony Mele, 35, was having dinner with his family on the outside patio at Aloha Steakhouse, on the Ventura Promenade, when a homeless man walked in and stabbed him in the neck. Mele died the next day.
Famous Southern California radio personalities John & Ken, after hearing about Mele’s murder and the public’s outcry blaming local police and politicians for creating conditions which led to the killing and to increasing local crimes, broadcast their talk radio show from the Promenade, steps away from where the murder took place. They also featured the incident and surrounding issues several times in the week preceding this show.
John and Ken took up the cause after they saw former head of Quality of Life Ventura Paul White’s editorial in Citizens Journal, interviewed him on their show and suggested the May 3 show to help publicize the situation and suggested remedies.
Watch KEYTV and Fox 11 COVERAGE
The very popular and respected hosts of The John & Ken Show, on KFI AM 640 radio, sat down, along with a sound technician, and interviewed witnesses, restaurant patrons, local residents and others who had comments about the incident or about the local homeless population on Thursday, May 3, 2018. Their radio show was immediately followed by a Rally Against Vagrant Crime, organized by Paul White, the founder and former head of Quality of Life, Ventura. which John & Ken remained onsite and broadcast for. Mr. White had been interviewed on the John & Ken Show just days prior to the rally.
Rally Against Vagrant Crime, with John & Ken
John & Ken, Live Broadcast
Quality of Life, Ventura (QOL) is a grassroots organization made up of local residents with the shared goal of improving Ventura’s quality of life by informing and educating community members about key local issues.
As for the rally, at issue are not only specific local policies toward homeless persons, but also the general lenient attitudes from the Ventura Police Department described as “dismissive.” For example, according to police reports, Ventura PD received a call hours before the attack on Mele about a homeless man “yelling and being disruptive,” but after watching the perpetrator, Jamal Jackson, on remote cameras, they did not feel the need to send patrol officers to the area. Hours later, Jackson walked in to Aloha Steakhouse to commit that terrible crime. He had a prior record.
Specific laws approved by Ventura’s City Council are also believed to play a role in emboldening the homeless/vagrants to act more aggressively toward local residents and tourists. The amount of misdemeanors police allow vagrants to pile up before being sent through the legal system is perplexingly high, though just how many the police let slide is up for debate. Some locals, including rally organizer Paul White, say that number could be around 25 misdemeanors before an arrest or court date is made.
During a rally interview, White explained his lack of support for Ventura’s current policing methods. “We have two tiers of justice. One for the community, one for the homeless. Where in the Constitution is that? We have this system where they can do 25 or more misdemeanors, before even going to court. Understandably, the local vagrants have no respect whatsoever for it, and that’s why all this happens,” he said.
White also cited several other legal/procedural issues he wants to take up with officials, including: “jail dumps,” or release procedures for prisoners from the county jail; enforcement for illegally parked RV’s and cars, homeless encampments, incident reporting criteria/procedures, policies for so-called “wet houses,” and more.
Rally Organizer Paul White Works the Crowd
Jennifer Blake’s personal experience with local law enforcement, however, differed from previous claims of leniency. Blake, 36, who has been homeless for two years, was arrested locally for a misdemeanor in March, 2018. “I’ve been in trouble one time, and I’ve been to court. One time. So to say 25 times, that they’re being lenient on the homeless, is not true,” she said.
Jennifer Blake
Rally participant and Citizens Journal Publisher George Miller helped shed some light on Ventura’s vagrancy laws, after White spoke, under condition of anonymity, with a local police officer guarding the event. The officer suggested that the 25 misdemeanors being allowed for the homeless are confined to municipal ordinances, as opposed to state laws, the latter being more serious criminal offenses.
As far as we know, no council members or police management attended the event or reached out to the rally organizers or John & Ken, although attempts were made by the radio personalities.
The other legal issue at play is what locals call wet houses — Council-approved, free housing for the homeless, devoid of any rules requiring work, counseling, or for tenants to stop drinking or using drugs. We are informed that HUD (U.S. Housing and Urban Development Agency) rules stipulate that there be no restrictions on Citizen access to federally subsidized housing for the indigent). These are in comparison to dry houses and other Panhandling Alternatives) and Alcoholics Anonymous which usually do require the above-mentioned restrictions or benefits (depending on one’s perspective). What some people find so upsetting about wet houses, however, is that there remains plenty of available beds at local dry houses, which the homeless tend to avoid.
As the Thursday afternoon rally progressed, a crowd gathered around John & Ken, mostly made up of people wanting to share their frustrations about local policies with the radio hosts on the air. Many got their chance. Along the perimeter were more rally participants, some holding signs, others wearing T-shirts that said “In Strong, Fair Laws / Out Council, Police Chief.”
Lifelong resident and sometime activist Catherine Myers attended the show and rally, sending us these comments afterward:
So how much of a bad hand do you have to be dealt in life to get a free pass to drink and drug and thieve and fight and crap wherever you want? Because I was born with birth defects, have had cancer and between the two have recovered from 14 surgeries and counting. I have helped my husband remain sober for the past 26 years, and got a bed for my brother-in-law in a detox facility on Christmas Day one year. When you want to make excuses for addicts and derelicts consider that you are talking to people who have overcome TREMENDOUS adversity and substance abuse themselves. DO NOT TALK TO US about the poor unfortunates who are stealing us blind and pissing and crapping all over the lives we have built. IF YOU DO, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!”
Susan Stock and Cathy Cunningham, both of Ventura, recently discovered the Quality of Life, Ventura group (QOL), which they learned about after the stabbing. Among other things, they are concerned about local wet houses being established in neighborhoods. Contact via: [email protected] .
QOL Members Susan Stock and Cathy Cunningham
Jake Sandel, who could be described as an interested (and interesting) passerby, said he came by to “promote the peace,” though he did have some comments on the specific issues at hand. “Calling for the Sheriff’s resignation is a pretty bold statement, but it gets attention, and sometimes the right head’s gotta fall to get peoples’ attention and make change happen. Whether or not it’s his fault isn’t really the point. Sometimes the guy that’s the head takes the blame,” he said. Sandel also believes there’s a parallel between Ventura’s lax homeless laws and lax DUI enforcement, which he said also creates deadly results.
Jake Sandel
Following is an exclusive interview Citizens Journal conducted with John Kobylt, from the John & Ken Radio Show, immediately following last Thursday’s rally:
Citizens Journal: Are you surprised by the reaction and all the support in a liberal city like Ventura?
John Kobylt: “I don’t think this has anything to do with political leanings like liberal or conservative. A guy got stabbed to death! Nobody wants to go into a restaurant and get stabbed to death! And it’s entirely preventable. It’s just incompetence and idiocy.”
Citizens Journal: So an easy fix isn’t always equated with politics. Do you think they will fix it?
John Kobylt: “That’s why I told the people, if they don’t fix it immediately, then start recalling them. They don’t deserve to have a job. I mean, these people say they walk everyday in this area, and they’re terrified. How can that possibly exist? Why should anybody put up with this? This is absurd!”
Citizens Journal: Ultimately, why do you think they’re so lenient? What’s behind it, really?
John Kobylt: “I think it’s a combination. Political correctness, and this far-left progressivism. It’s like a brain disease. This is not progress. To have people being stabbed in public. It’s not compassionate towards the people who are getting terrorized, or the vagrants themselves.
What’s the point of tolerating this? It’s anarchy. It’s violence. It’s disgusting. Why should people tolerate public defecation? It’s also, I think, stupidity, the City Council. We’ve played their tapes. I think they’re seven really stupid people. And then I think they’re exceptionally lazy. They’re not qualified to be running a city. It’s obvious! They should have been out here today, talking to all these people, admitting that they screwed up, and announcing that they’re stopping the old policies immediately. What are they doing? Hiding in a bar somewhere? It’s just ridiculous.”
John Kobylt
——————————————-
The show is a somewhat one-sided critique of the City’s performance and charges that it has made the situation worse. While the critique appears to be valid, it would be good to get some other sides to the story.
a previous interview
Even a quick search of the Internet lends credence to Mr. White’s arguments- sampling:
Search Results
[PDF]Annual Action Plan 2017 1 – City of Ventura
https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9275
Jun 12, 2017 – Ten Year Plan to End. Homelessness. Continuum of Care. Alliance. CDBG funding allocations for the program year address homeless needs are consistent with the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness objectives. Table 3 – Other local / regional / federal planning efforts. Narrative. Citizen Participation and …
[PDF]Ending Homelessness in Ventura County: What Are the Next Steps?
vcportal.ventura.org/CEO/community…/Next_Steps_for_Final_Report-Draft_II.pdf
States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) should be implemented. Such practices such as Housing First and Rapid Re-housing were recently incorporated in the January 2013 document “Recalibrating for Results: A Five Year Evaluation and Update of the 2007–2017. County of Ventura 10-Year Plan to End …
[PDF]Recalibrati A Five Year Evaluation a County of Ventura 10 Ventura …
vcportal.ventura.org/HSA/docs/brochures/pdf/5-YearEvaluation_FinalDocument.pdf
Ventura County 10. Institute for. (www.urban. Recalibrating for Results: Year Evaluation and Update of the 2007–2017 of Ventura 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. January 2013. Prepared by the entura County Homeless and Housing Coalition. (www.vchhc.org) in consultation with the ntura County 10-YearPlan …
Plans, Studies, and Ordinances – Ventura County
https://www.ventura.org/government/plans-studies-and-ordinances/
Plans, Studies, and Ordinances. Plans. 10-year plan to End Homelessness External Web Site Policy; Community Climate Change Action Plan External Web Site Policy; County Regional Hazard MitigationPlan · Flood Mitigation Plan External Web Site Policy; General Plan and Area Plans · Tree Protection Ordinance.
[PDF]2017 Homeless Count – Ventura County Continuum of Care
www.venturacoc.org/…/VC_2017_Homeless_Count_and_Survey_Final_Report_4.10….
the approach to end homelessness across the country. Successfully ending homelessness for one subpopulation can demonstrate that it is possible to end homelessness among others. These following steps are aligned with the Ventura County Continuum of Care Strategic Plan and detailed in Section VI below. They are …
[PDF]request for proposals – The Continuum
www.venturacoc.org/images/2017_18_West_County_Interim_Shelter_RFP_fillable.pdf
This funding was set aside with the intention of making progress in the 10. Year Plan to End Homelessness in Ventura County. These funds have dwindled over the years with expenditures necessary to meet the needs of winter shelter operations, with $755,000 remaining in that fund. The City of Ventura’s residents recently …
Ventura County Public Health :: Promising Practices :: Homeless …
www.healthmattersinvc.org/index.php?controller=index&module…action…
In 1988, Beyond Shelter’s Homeless Families Program introduced a dramatic innovation to the field of urban homeless, bypassing traditional “transitional housing”, to move homeless families and adults directly into permanent rental housing in residential neighbourhoods. Moving homeless families and adults directly into …
Ventura County’s homeless population sees double-digit increase
https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/…/ventura/…/ventura…homeless…/509217002/
Ventura County’s homeless population sees double-digit increase. Arlene Martinez, [email protected], 805-437-0262 Published 9:30 p.m. PT April 11, 2018 | Updated 11:19 a.m. PT April 12, 2018. CLOSE. On Feb. 22, 2018, volunteers set out across Ventura County to try to count the local homeless population. It’s part …
Ventura County plan being modified to reduce chronic homelessness
archive.vcstar.com/…/ventura-county-plan-being-modified-to-reduce-chronic-homele…
Dec 3, 2012 – Halfway through a 10-year plan to end homelessness in Ventura County, the number of families on the streets has decreased, but chronic homelessness has not, officials said Monday.
Ventura Police Acknowledge Mistakes in Handling of Homeless Man …
https://kfiam640.iheart.com/…/2018-04-24-ventura-police-acknowledge-mistakes-in-…
6 days ago – One article, written in the wake of Mele’s murder, accuses the Ventura Chief of Police, City Attorney and City Manager of being complicit in Mele’s death. The website also mocks Ventura’s failed “10-Year Plan to End Homelessness in Ventura” calling it a failed initiative. While homelessness wasn’t ended in …
May 3 Ventura Rally Against Vagrant Crime: A cause that everyone can support
By Paul D. White . . History could record that Anthony Mele’s tragic murder at the hands of a criminal vagrant was not in vain. It could record that his avoidable killing was the spark that motivated Ventura residents to enlist in a battle against dangerously inept leadership. . NOTE: Venue Moved! […]
Ventura Murderer’s Accomplices Known – But Still at Large
By Paul D. White- Only the man who stabbed Anthony Mele is in jail (more). Countless other de facto accomplices who played critical roles in his death, have yet to be held publicly responsible for their part in this tragic – and avoidable killing. The list includes the following: The Ventura Chief of Police, who created a Municipal Code […]
In Ventura, a resident’s murder could spark a ‘legacy’ of change
Kevin Harris is a reporter, editor and journalist, previous President of Cal State Northridge’s Society of Professional Journalists having worked for the LA Times and Newhall Signal. He is now also a Realtor and videographer, and lives with his two children in Thousand Oaks.
Get Citizensjournal.us Headlines free SUBSCRIPTION. Keep us publishing – DONATE
Weren’t the parking meters supposed to increase police presence in downtown Ventura City? How’s that working for us?