A new mayor has taken the reins in Lompoc.
Jim Mosby was sworn into office about a month ago and tells KSBY he’s already gotten to work on various issues.
Community reporter Juliet Lemar spoke with people in the community about the issues they’d like to see addressed.
“My grandson was stabbed coming home from Lompoc here in June and it was terrifying,” said Sophia Gonzalez of Lompoc.
She’s hoping Mosby will get tough on crime in the city.
“Just invest in our police department. Make the streets safer for our kids,” she said.
Many other people said they hope the mayor does more to fix homelessness.
“Well, I hope we can really work on the homeless problem, that’s the main thing I see,” said Birtha Arrdondo, also of Lompoc.
Mosby took office in January and says he’s already gotten to work on both issues.
“There was the attitude of hugs not handcuffs and I have completely the opposite attitude. A lot of these people need help and in this case here sometimes incarceration is a tool that you need to use,” Mosby said.
To get there he’s making changes.
“Well, we're going to put more positions. I know the chief wants five more. We're going to find a way to get at least three,” he said regarding police department staffing.
As for homelessness, Mosby says he’s thinking of it from a mental health and drug perspective.
“The issues we are seeing is drug addiction. I would say significant 90 plus percent of it is drug addiction,” he said, adding that he plans to start by cleaning up encampments in and around the riverbed.
“Another key issue in this town is the poverty component. This town is short 10,000 jobs,” Mosby said.
He plans to increase housing, which he says will bring jobs, more residents and more money.
“We have to bring the jobs, the housing altogether, which would bring us out of the poverty and bring the opportunities to the people... This will be significant and we're going to take our town back,” he said.
Lompoc also has two new councilmembers. Steve Bridge and Jeremy Ball were sworn in alongside Mosby at the Dec. 18 City Council meeting.
