Recently, a group of community members joined to celebrate the completion of a renovation project at Six Mile Dam. The area was named in honor of a popular local biology teacher. It was a positive moment, recognizing improvements made to a beautiful area named in recognition of an outstanding individual.
Within a day, someone had shot at the plaque honoring the teacher. Plaques can be replaced, but this brazen violation of a monument honoring a highly respected educator was extremely frustrating, to say the least.
A much more serious issue took place last Friday, when thousands of families turned out for Carlsbad’s annual Homecoming game. The Cavemen won the game, but the celebration was certainly soured by the fact that there was gunfire reported in the neighborhood adjacent to the high school campus during the game. As word of the shots spread, a large pack of children fled the stadium due to their own heightened concern.
Thankfully, there were no injuries, but hundreds of families went home discussing their fears instead of celebrating a Homecoming win.
These are certainly not the only two crimes to have ever taken place, but there certainly appears to be the perception that there is a large amount of high profile illegal activity happening at once, ranging from online scams, to burglaries, to diesel theft, to drug use.
Let’s make one thing clear, the Carlsbad Police Department and the Eddy County Sheriff’s Department are outstanding organizations. The men and women who serve in these organizations are professionals who have dedicated themselves toward serving and protecting.
They are just fighting a plague that, at times, seems to grow with a life of its own.
We should all be mad and disgusted by these examples and many others. Hundreds of football players, cheerleaders, band members, dancers, coaches and volunteers devoted most of their week preparing for Friday night’s game. More individuals spent their week preparing for the Homecoming Dance, which was cancelled due to safety concerns.
We want you to know that the City of Carlsbad takes this and other issues very seriously. So do the Eddy County Sheriff’s Department and Carlsbad Public Schools.
We must renew our commitment to all do more to assist members of our law enforcement community. That means reporting suspicious behavior to the Carlsbad Police Department’s Crime Stoppers or other law enforcement agencies, when possible. There are online reporting options available, as well as opportunities to report anonymously. Also, we need to be aware of the activities and whereabouts of our children and grandchildren at all times.
These crimes are unacceptable. We must work together to support our local law enforcement agencies.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway