Emergency Meeting In San Jose Over Recent Gang Violence
SAN JOSE (KCBS / BCN)-- San Jose police and city officials held an emergency meeting Monday evening in response to a spate of violence in the city, the most recent being the gang-related murder of 18-year-old Hugo Gutierrez on Friday.
Residents were invited to discuss the crimes and help identify ways to prevent future violence.
KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports:
The death of Gutierrez, who was shot Friday afternoon near El Pollo Rico, a restaurant on Story Road, marks the city's seventh murder this year.
Police arrested a 17-year-old in connection with that killing.
"We take this very seriously and actually quite personally here in San Jose," said Mario Maciel, a superintendent in San Jose's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department. "We pride ourselves on being one of the safest large cities in the nation."
The meeting, hosted by Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen, was held at the Santee Neighborhood Action Center at 1535 Santee Drive.
Representatives from the Tully-Senter, Lanai-Cunningham, West Evergreen and Alma neighborhood associations, along with Sacred Heart Community Service, Catholic Charities and members of the Franklin McKinley Children's Initiative were scheduled to attend along with members of the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force.
Staff from the city's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services department were also there, along with members of the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force and the San Jose Police Department.
(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report)
