Stockton Leaves Its Crime-Ridden Past Behind

Once rife with crime, Stockton is taking baby steps towards reducing the crime rate and attracting development to one of the Central Valley's burgeoning population centers.

1 minute read

June 27, 2006, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

Major developments are planned for the city, which has struggled for decades with one of the highest crime rates in the state. On line for Stockton are a 5,000 seat baseball stadium and a 10,000 seat soccer and concert arena.

"Working-class Stockton (population 279,000) has California's highest crime rate and a long way to go. But if it once exemplified how a city could be overwhelmed by crack and gangs, defeatism and grime, it is now a case study in how small victories over blight, decay and criminality can refurbish a municipal image."

"The city applied the 'broken windows' theory, championed by Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton first in New York and then in L.A.: Clean up the minor blight â€" broken windows, abandoned cars, graffiti-scarred walls â€" and more serious issues of crime and decay will start to fade."

FULL STORY: California's Latest Cutting-Edge City: Stockton?

Sunday, June 25, 2006 in The Los Angeles Times

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