'We own the night'
STOCKTON, Jan 27, 2013 (Menafn - The Record - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --Eighteen-year-old Netta Nagle was one of a few dozen area residents who gathered Saturday night at Oak Park for Taking Back Stockton 2, the second event organized by We Own the Night.
Nagle and some friends were trying to change a tire in the Big Lots parking lot at East Hammer and West lanes July 14 when she was shot twice in the leg and once in the face.
Nagle still bears the scars from her injuries and admits she is sometimes scared to go out in public, but she delivered a defiant message to the criminals who sent Stockton screaming to a record 71 homicides in 2012.
"We own the night," Nagle said. "We're not going to let this happen anymore. We're going to stop this."
Residents shared their fears, frustrations and hopes for a city plagued in recent years by soaring murder rates and other violent crimes.
Grace Ortega, a Neighborhood Watch president in the Oak Park area, said Stockton residents must stand together against a criminal element that has made Stockton one of the most violent cities in the United States.
"People are really not feeling safe, but we're coming together as a community, as a city, and we're going to take it back," Ortega said. "We're here as a community to get strong and protect our neighborhood. I can't do it by myself and you can't do it by yourself, but we can do it together."
Michelle Nagle, Netta's mother, said it is heartening to see peaceful gatherings like Taking Back Stockton, which drew more than 200 people to Fremont Square for its first event Nov. 5.
"It's nice to see the support," she said. "It's nice to see the community coming out and saying, 'We're tired of the violence. We're tired of the killings and the shootings. We're not going to take it anymore.' "
A number of residents said they were encouraged by the efforts of police as Stockton marked its 30th day without a homicide Saturday. Ortega said the killings have slowed partly because community members and law enforcement officials are working together to make criminals feel unwelcome.
"They know we're taking our city back," Ortega said. "We're tired of it. We're done. These young kids need to respect our city or leave. They have a choice: Either you can work with us to make our community better or you've got to go."
Contact reporter Jason Anderson at (209) 546-8283 or janderson@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/crimeblog.
___ (c)2013 The Record (Stockton, Calif.) Visit The Record (Stockton, Calif.)
at www.recordnet.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
Copyright (C) 2013, The Record, Stockton, Calif.
