LODI, Calif. — Lodi's seventh homicide of the year was a 15-year-old boy visiting his father for the Thanksgiving holiday. It's the latest in what police call an uptick in violence over the last several years.
Police said violent crimes have become a growing problem, and they recognize the fear and concern violent crime is causing for neighbors.
"Gangs have certainly always been here. The gun involvement and the violence and the shootings are happening at far greater rates than than we're comfortable with," said Sgt. Matt Latino, spokesperson for the Lodi Police Department.
According to Lodi police, there have been seven homicides this year so far, with six of them happening in the second half of the year. Police records show overall reported gang-related incidents are up 105% compared to last year.
"We have less gang-related shootings. We have less shootings overall this year than we did at this point last year. However... I think it is fair to say that there is a significant uptick over the last several years with random shootings, gang-related shootings or shootings that don't necessarily have a person tied to it," said Latino.
He said shootings involving homes or cars being hit with gunfire are happening at "exponentially higher rates" that concern the department.
However, Lodi police said they also have a high rate of success in tracking down suspects in these crimes, with a 70% to 80% solve rate for violent crimes.
To combat the violence, police are taking what they call a holistic approach.
"We've taken all these additional steps to proactively address these issues within our community. We've invested in our technology, we've invested in people and personnel, training them and developing them," said Latino.
He added Lodi police has increased their personnel from 70 to 81 and they've also implemented extra patrol shifts, special enforcement teams, youth programs, Flock cameras and are working with the courts to prosecute criminals.
"Our investigations unit works tirelessly on every violent crime that we experience here. So certainly, Lodi is still a safe place to visit and a safe place to live," said Latino.
The killing of 15-year-old Alan Ruiz remains one of the cases still under investigation as police seek the person responsible. While police said the teen's killing was targeted, they haven't said if it was gang-affiliated. Ruiz's aunt said her nephew was not affiliated with gangs.
For now, the family wants Ruiz's killer to be found and taken off the streets.
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