Delusional

The city council and the mayor of Lancaster, CA are scary...and delusional.

The city is looking at an ordinance that would require all 'pit bulls' and Rottweilers to be spayed or neutered, including mutts that have the "predominant characteristics" of the two types of dogs. 

The city is also looking at ways of identifying "potentially dangerous" and "vicious" dogs -- a measure that I would support, if done fairly and logically - -something the city seems not able to do well.

The ordinance mandating spay/neuter of 'pit bulls' and Rottweilers is being aimed at dealing with the community's problems with gang activity.

"I want gangs out of Lancaster," Mayor R. Rex Parris said. "I want to make it uncomfortable for them to be here. Anything they like, I want to take it away form them. I want to deliberately harass them....If they move on to cats, I'm going to take their cats."

"It's really like (gangs) having a weapon that they are allowed to display and intimidate people. If they have a pit bull, they may as well put a sign on their head saying, 'come get me'".

The argument, of course, is delusional.

Let's assume at first that gangs really are a problem in Lancaster. Gangs participate in a wide variety of activities: illegal gun ownership, murders, drug dealing, violation of conceal and carry laws, etc. There would be no reason at all to think that all of a sudden making a dog law will cease this kind of activity. They are already doing illegal things -- most carrying felony penalties -- a dog law is not going to stop them. And, if you take away their dog, they will get a new dog. It really will be that easy.

Meanwhile, the most delusional part of the entire ordinance is the enforcement of it. Does Mayor Paris really want animal control officers fighting the city's gang problems?

Stopping gang activities requires experience and trained police personel...and often SWAT teams. You DON"T go after gang activities with animal control officers, most of whom can't even carry a gun. You're just asking your animal control officers to get killed trying to enforce the law.

So no, the law won't be effective at being able to be enforced....because no animal control officer in their right mind will take on inner city gangs with their small pistol and law mandating the dogs be spayed or neutered.

Instead, the animal control officers will go after safer people and harrass responsible owners that won't shoot at them for showing up on their doorstep -- which is why people are upset about the law. 

I don't want to underscore the problems with gang activity. I know that it is a problem in many urban areas of the United States. I know that often these people own dogs -- and even gravitate toward easy-to-get dogs with a "mean" reputation. But you CANNOT solve the problem by creating animal control laws...in fact, it is completely delusional and irresponsible to think that you can.

During a pilot sweep of the program, the Lancaster animal control officers responded to 283 complaints about pit bulls -- 'most of them strays or at-large' -- in other words, the vast majority of the calls they responded to were dogs they could get by just enforcing the city's leash law.

I'm simply amazed at times at how ignorant people can be about what the real problems in society are and the ridiculous "solutions" they try to come up with for them, even while ignoring the position of every group of animal experts in the country on the lack of effectiveness of BSL.

I also would be remiss if I didn't note the role that race may play in this -- and that race may be the real issue vs gangs. Lancaster is one of the 10 fastest growing communities in the United States. In the 2000 census, the city was about 63% white -- but more recent data is showing the city to be 52% white. Yet, every member of the city council is white. I'm not saying it is a motive -- I have no way to know for sure. But I think those numbers, combined with Mayor Paris' statements sure seems like he is targeting a select group of people.

Comments

[Dawn]

"Instead, the animal control officers will go after safer people and harrass responsible owners that won't shoot at them for showing up on their doorstep -- which is why people are upset about the law."

This is EXACTLY what Skeldon does. He never bothers the drug dealers or dog fighters because he knows they'd put a hit on him.

[Adam]

So the plan is to ban these dogs, to curb gang activity? Well I suppose we can all expect the gang members to line up and hand over their dogs right? That's backwards thinking. I mean cops are still get killed by assault rifles aren’t they? Isn’t about time we see some legislation aimed at the criminals instead of the ‘citizens’?

Worse off is an elected official boasting that he realizes the law will unfairly punish responsible law abiding citizens, and that he could care less.

[EmilyS]

"owning a pit bull while black/Hispanic"... the new version of "driving while black"

[Slappy]

Maybe they should outlaw food... I hear gangs need food to survive!!!

[KC KS Kills Dogs]

That is the logic used in Kansas City, KS. Capt Breshears head of the KCK police dept, has stated to AW groups challenging the current "pit bull ban"; that the law is needed to go after the drug dealers and gangs that own these dogs.

Yet KCK AC never goes after those owners, because their lives would be in danger. The KCK AC are not police officers, even though they are under the umbrella of the police department.

[Selma]

Over at No Pit Bull Bans, where I read the alert, the Mayor is quoted as saying he's doing this to deliberately harass a group of people because citizens want him to do that.

Just run that around in your head for a second.

Also, I think we've all questioned whether these people think banning dogs will eliminate crime.

Hint: It won't.

Is it a bone to throw to their base of clamoring ninnies? Probably.

Whatever it is, it's insulting to anyone's intelligence, dangerous as you point out and akin to magical thinking.

I heard they were planning to use the fabled DNA tests just in case their ACOs have trouble identifying 'pit bulls' and 'rottweilers' lol. In case?

So, while the law is about physical appearance, apparently it's breed lineage that counts. Two different concepts in one insane package.

I say sic President Obama on all of 'em. That'll fix 'em.

[Brent]

In all fairness, Lancaster's crime rate is quite a bit higher than the national average (the numbers are on the same link as the current demographic data).

But regardless, either they are going after people who aren't problems just to harrass them (which they've admitted to) or for some reason think that animal control officers, who, as KCK Kills points out, usually don't have full police powers to deal with gang problems. Neither option is a legitimate solution to whichever problem they think they're trying to solve.

[MichelleD]

Yes another example of how MOB RULE is ruining the freedoms so many have fought and died over the centuries...in fact, we have soldiers dying daily for our supposed freedoms and yet THEY can't even have a pit bull on base.

WHERE the hell is the ACLU OR NAACP!? People are flat out saying they want BSL to harrass people of color and yet because it has to do with animals no one can make the mental leap.

Of course, like everyone said, when it actually gets implemented they go after people with just enough money to pay the fines but not quite enough money to fight them in court.

[BrianC]

Just replace "gangs" in the Mayor's quote with "black and hispanic people" and we'll all get to the root motivation of these ridiculous actions. So much of these proposed regulations on "vicious dogs" are racially motivated. And I know some people would say I'm "playing the race card" but the truth is the truth. In community after community (and I've seen it firsthand in Whitehall, Ohio) you have white City Council members or Mayors going after the "gang problem" by targeting vicious dogs. You hit the nail on the head Brent with your explanation about targeting the wrong sources of this problem.

[Donovan]

What a shame.

[Marc]

Brent...you and I have discussed this before. It seems people are begining to figure it out. I am not a fan but let's bring out the Sharptons on this one. Might kill BSL once and for all.

Marc

[doug]

This is the perfect city to try my BSL/DOL Dangerous Owner Law.....

If as you say we have an all white power group who is afraid of the black/brown man....

And the city counsel is going to pass the measure no matter what....at least slip in some of my ideas so its not a total loss for the Anti-BSL people......

Or you can see back and yell your slogans...its not the breed its the deed...until your blue in the face and then lose on all grounds.

[Brent]

Doug, I don't want you to confuse your legislation with good legislation, but if you have an entire city council full of delusional, and potentially racist, people, then at that point, it wouldn't be any worse that what they'll do on their own.

[doug]

Help me out here....

Which part of the story led you to believe there was a racist slant...

I read it twice...

Also arn't we all Potentially Racist...
Arnt we all Potentially Pro BSL
Arnt we all Potentially Anti BSL
Arnt we all Potentially Something....

Now who is trying to slant stories are be biased when reporting...

[TEH]

All of this is a response to fears.....and folks like this mayor and other legislators play on that. We are a country obsessed it seems with our fears. We do not want government interference with our life, until something happens that we perceive as disrupting that life....then we want the government to fix it.
It does not matter that the average person has little to no connection or interaction with gang-members or associated criminal element. It is the perception of violence, of dogs running amok, of our life in jeopardy.....
If anyone remembers "Forbidden Planet".....we fear the monsters of the "Id"......
And until we address and recognize this.....nothing is going to help us......

[MichelleD]

You can't get to these gangs on weapons charges, drug charges, exotortion charges, vandalism, parole violations...but yeah, let's target them with an ANIMAL CONTROL ordinance enforced by unarmed ACOs.

The people of this city should be pissed that the Mayor is wasting time and tax payer dollars on DOGS instead of addressing the cities real issues with increased police force.