Pretty scary event. I have eaten at the China Café. How much longer before they come in and rob a restaurant and also the customers? Violent crime is here in Mountain View. It’s time for the City to step up protection.

Yes, this sounds like a really scary event. Glad no one was hurt!

We can't have police in every place of business all the time. But we can have cameras and we can encourage cash free transactions. Technology can help. For example, auto thefts have halved in the last decade, as cars have become harder to steal.

A common misconception is the police will protect citizens from crime. That belief is both false and dangerous for two reasons. First, the police cannot and do not protect everyone from crime. Second, the government and the police owe no legal duty to protect individuals from criminal attack.

You can Wikipedia on Warren v. District of Columbia for more information. There are many other cases like this.

Where did we get this misconception? Probably from watching TV and movies.

Yes, it's a sad state of affairs. The police have no obligation to protect the citizens. Not that they wouldn't like to, but they're stretched pretty thin raising revenue via traffic citation. Somewhere along the line, their purpose was subverted.

All the Donut shops have more than enough police protection. Wonder why.

Actually, China Cafe is at the Mountain View/Los Altos border. And I too have eaten there many times.

I hate to say it, but it seems like it was targeted at a quiet neighborhood where people are assumed to have money.

Thing is, people with older money are generally more spendthrift; and I doubt that the guy made away with much. But still, a safe robbery for him, being in a nice, quiet neighborhood, near several schools and quiet homes.

Just depressing.

If the government could understand reality instead of "logic" that the more law abiding citizens carrying concealed handguns, we would have LESS crime because criminals are inherently stupid, weak, and cowards. Criminals will not go up against those that have the ability to harm and/or kill them. That's why so-called "gun free zones" are actually the most dangerous places to be as they are the most attractive targets.

I will have to agree with Martin Omander about the cameras.

A successful robber will have planned a crime, so carrying a gun will probably be more trouble than it's worth in this type of case.

Banks planned to be robbed, so they keep a very small amount of cash on hand and have security cameras and insurance to cover losses. The cash is easy to trace back to the robber (or maybe I have just been watching too many TV shows about bank robbers).

So what causes crime? People need money to live. Far too few jobs in Mountain View and housing is way, way too expensive. I moved to Mountain View when rent for an apartment was $300 and in 20 years, the same roach-infested unit went up to $2,500. If the city planners balance out the jobs/salary/housing cost equation, who would risk criminal activity? People who can afford living expenses would not want/need to rob others.

@Steve(Sylvan Park)- The purpose of police was never about individual protection. The police protect the community in general. They are not our bodyguards and never were meant to be.

What has been subverted is the concept that each person is responsible for their own protection. The courts have ruled that we are responsible for our own protection many times but for some reason the government doesn't want us to actually protect ourselves. We're expected to call on a police force that is legally NOT bound to protet us. Not to mention their only minutes away when seconds count.

Strange position we find ourselves in these days, right?

"people who can afford living expenses would not want/need to rob others."

no, people commit crimes because they think they can get away with it. see enron--those executives had plenty of living expenses but they still robbed others.

Parents are the first line of defense against crime. Parents are the prevention part of the eternal good v. evil war. In a free society, a policing agency and the rest of the criminal justice system cannot make the population behave well. They can only deal with the 1 in 1000 exceptions. When the community fails to raise up the children into good, strong men and women who understand right and wrong and who are constrained by conscience, the courts become overwhelmed and the police turn their backs on the Constitution in order to get the job done.

The Mountain View Municipal Corporation has an appalling lack of fidelity to the Constitution. I can prove it, and I intend to prove it.

What we need is more civilian police trained units. Due to the fact that we don't have a 1:1 ratio of police officer to citizen, I suggest that those willing to take on the task of "packing heat" with a CCW do so with police equivelent training.

Also some diversity programs to help all ethnicities come together and bond would be nice as well. Integration is the way for a peaceful society.

Must have Been a White Guy, Blacks and Hispanics never do these crimes. Is that Politically correct enough not to get my post pulled. Cuz when you quote the article and mention the perp is a Hispanic Person or a black person and all you are doing is stating correct data, you get called a racist. The Problem is all the working white people just want more and keep robbing gas stations, 7-11's, Chinese Restaurant? No Wonder we do not have any new business in the City. Those damn white people!!!!

"people who can afford living expenses would not want/need to rob others."

no, people commit crimes because they think they can get away with it. see enron--those executives had plenty of living expenses but they still robbed others.

_____________________________________

My mistake, jt:
Steal $100 with a gun, go to prison.
Steal $100,000,000 with a pen, get out of jail free!

@cartman

No, the reason your comments probably get pulled is because you're a racist.

Isn't Cartman just a statistician rather than necessarily a racist? Or should we just ignore numbers and stats if they tell an uncomfortable story?

There is a liberty point here. The correct (according to First Amendment jurisprudence) response to racist speech is to respond to it, not to silence it.

The pesky censors here usually mean well. But the censorship is paternalistic and insulting. It is part of the dumbing down of America. Rather than muzzle and filter the citizens' ability to converse, this paper should provide an uncensored forum and let the community rise to the occasion. How can we learn to interact in this environment in which we are treated like children?

Unfortunately, censoring is necessary here because posters are effectively anonymous, even if the discussion is limited to registered email addresses, because anyone can obtain an anonymous email address.

@Nick

Not really, I don't think anyone disputes that certain ethnic and racial groups commit certain crimes in greater proportions. That still doesn't mean cartman isn't a racist.

@Mike - Unless you are subject to the Uniform Military Code of Justice you are a civilian.

The police are civilians. Originally we all had police powers. If someone saw someone else breaking the law they could effect an arrest.

We just paid some people to do this as their full time jobs.

Over time those powers have been eroded away to almost nothing. You can still do a citizen's arrest (in limited cased) but it's a fine line between arresting someone and kidnapping. You could be the one ending up arrested.

Turns out the police don't want any competition.

@Todd, I think you are the racist. You don't even know who I am or what I look like. All I did was state the ethnicity of Perp/Criminal and you objected to that. I am sorry if the truth hurts, but maybe if we ID the people most likely behind the crime problem we can fix it through proper enforcement, Programs to help keep kids out of trouble ETC. For some reason you want to hide/censor the truth. Why? What purpose does that serve. BTW, this is a Free Country still. I have lived in Mt View for 50 years and seen many changes and surges, and this crime surge being committed by certain ethnic groups is getting scary. What is next, armed gangs storming restaurants on Castro Street. I feel real sorry for small business owners who can't even scrape a living out, having to deal with this now. Maybe if you are a victim in the future you might change your tune.

Mountain View police spend too much time trying to charge/convict minorities that they can't even "protect" their city. I've seen it too many times during the many years I've lived here. Their presence means nothing anymore. People don't have any respect for them and I understand why. Mt. View has more robberies/burglaries than East Palo Alto does nowadays (before anyone comments on this statement, I have lived in both cities).

@Cartman. You ARE a racist! You keep mentioning "crimes committed by certain ethnic groups". White folks commit crimes too. What is wrong with you people? Oh, stereotyping. I am a black woman, have a good job, have never stolen anything since I got busted stealing gum at 5 years old (and after getting a good spanking), I pay my taxes that pay the lazy Mt. View police. I say lazy because I too see them lounging around at local stores/donut shops. We pay them way too much to lounge around giggling at each other when there is a burglary/robbery almost daily in Mt. View these days.

I don't like MVPD because they are racial profilers. Like I don't belong in their city. I wish all minorities moved out of Mt. View and then they would have to reduce the police because our tax dollars would move with us.

I kept getting pulled over by the MVPD with their stating that my registration was not valid in spite of my having proper matching tags and paperwork. I went to the station and talked to a Sgt telling him I would sue them if they kept harrassing me because I'm black and drive a 1978 Chevy Caprice Classic and guess what? I haven't been pulled over since and that was over 20 years ago. One of them was pretty cool though, he asked what I had under my hood, I told him a 350 and he was impressed, he loved the color as well. Anyway....

Everyone being able to carry a gun WOULD most certainly reduce crime. I don't care who you are, if you think you may get shot and killed over money in a register, especially not knowing the amount, you WOULD think twice.

@What?---

You hit the nail squarely on the head. Thank you. I've lived all over this country, and Mountain View is definitely the most racist town I've ever lived in. The convergence of whites and Asians in the tech sector results in both groups' anti-black bias reinforcing itself. Given the vast concentration of wealth and genius in this area, one would think that this self-styled "tech elite" would've accepted the challenge of transforming East Palo Alto into a model of what can be done to eliminate poverty in this country. Instead of lobbying for more and more H1B visas, the "tech elite" should be concentrating on educating the impoverished children of East Palo Alto and preparing them for good jobs in the tech sector.

But this accursed Valley has no heart.

The worker at China Cafe should have stopped the thief, by using some Kung-Pow chicken. Gangnam style.

@Captain_America and @Mike

I haven't mentioned my view of this in a while, so I guess after reading your post, now's a good time.

Sorry sir, I think concealed handguns are a bad idea. Big old can of worms go with it.

I've no problem with empowered citizenry, citizen's arrest, personal defense, etc. If you want to be self-defended or self-policing, wear your gun on your belt (or on a bandolier or whatever). Bullets and speedloaders too. The Second Amendment gives us the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, not the Right to Hide Arms and Brandish Then Bust A Cap Suddenly and Stealthily If Sufficiently Provoked.

Walk around with your shotgun on your shoulder if you like. I don't mess with you now, I wouldn't mess with you then. But I'm not comfortable with having to size up every single person I encounter by looking at which of their legs is bearing more weight than the other. That's not freedom. That's an unhealthy level of paranoia.

@What? You sound more racist the anyone here on this board. "You People" . First off can you give me examples of recent Strong Armed Violent Type Crimes that have been reported in Mt. View. that were committed by "white folks". The reason the MVPD spends so much time trying to " Charge/Convict" Minorities is because they committed the crime. Should the MVPD not arrest a criminal because he is black? That is ludicrous. Are you listening to yourself. Also I am 50 y/o white guy. I have been pulled over several times on Rengstorff and El Camino for my License Plate light not being bright enough, ETC SO please drop the feel sorry for me attitude. I have no Problem with anybody except law breakers.

@Cartman. I said "you people" meaning those that think "crimes are commited only by certain ethnic groups", it was not targeted at any race. I say white folks, I say black folks, maybe I should say Caucasian and African American, would that be better? You nor I know the statistics around who commits the most "strong armed violent type crimes" in Mt. View. You think it's only minorities that commit crimes in Mt. View? You are a clueless RACIST! I agree, MVPD should arrest ALL criminals, any city for that matter. You are missing my point. When you got pulled over by them it was for legitimate reasons. If you re-read my comment, they had no reason to pull me over, it was racial profiling plain and simple. When I asked the Sgt to check my records while I was there to complain he showed my registration was vaild in their very own system. I reiterate, after I talked to the Sgt I have not been pulled over since. They were pulling me over because of my skin color and the car that I drive. Law breakers come in all shapes, forms and fashions - even white folks - my point was they focus more on minorities and minorities get harsher sentences for the same crimes. Just like minorities get paid less to do the same job, not all, but the vast majority. It's how this country was fashioned. There is still a lot of racism in the US and you are living proof!