NoAnnex.com's sole purpose is to help defeat the proposed annexation by the Fig Garden Police Protection District.

FIG GARDEN HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION

This leaflet is intended to give you information about the proposal to expand the existing police protection district, which is generally bounded by Shaw, Palm, Maroa and the canal. The district has been in existence for many years and has provided dedicated 24-hour, 7-day- per- week protection by the Sheriffs Department for over 10 years. The effects on crime in this area have been significant. After the dedicated sheriff patrol started, then-sheriff Hale McKinney pronounced the area the safest in California. Based on the most recent crime statistics, this is still true. Only auto crimes are higher in the existing police protection district than the safest city in California, Mission Viejo.

The Fig Garden Homeowners Association's Board of Directors has voted unanimously to support the expansion of this district. The process to determine if you will become part of this district is currently taking place. We encourage you to make your opinion known. The following are key points to consider:

Statistics

Based on crime data from 2002 and 2003, crime rates east of Maroa and west of Palm, which is outside the police protection district, are higher:

*Crimes against people: 680% higher

*Burglary and petty theft: 42% higher

*Auto crimes (burglary and theft): 18% higher

The low crime rate in the current police protection district reflects the sheriffs success using proactive policing techniques.

What Joining the Police Protection District Will Provide

*24 hour, 7 day a week dedicated sheriff protection in your area.

*The sheriff will patrol the entire police protection district but will not go beyond the district's boundaries, except under extreme circumstances.

*Quicker response times: Currently, the area outside the police protection district has one sheriff who patrols an area from Malaga to the river. According to the sheriff’s office, even a high priority call can take the sheriff 20 minutes or more to respond to. Within the police protection district, response times are normally 2 minutes or less.

Other Benefits

Those within the existing police protection district have reported lower insurance rates and higher resale values for their homes.

Cost

The cost is $225.00 per year.This assessment will be included on your property tax bill.

Public Hearing:

LAFCO (Local Area Formation Committee) will hear this item at 1:30 pm on January 14, 2004 in the Fresno County Board of Supervisors Chamber, Room 301, 2281 Tulare Street. If you wish additional information, please call 905-9277.

No disagreement here.

This is the poll we heard about. The gentleman who gave this to me (a FGHOA board member) admitted that the poll was taken at a FGHOA meeting.

I have asked the Association how they came up with the percentages for their crime stats and nobody can or will share how they how they were figured. You can take numbers from the Sheriff and come up with the figures to suit your needs.

The Facts:

The proposed annex area has about 2.5 times the properties as the core area.

Areas 1 and 2 have multiple apartments, the core has none.

Area 1 has four schools, the core has none.

This is from the Fresno County Sheriff web site: "some police departments report that one in four calls are responses to crime in and around schools."

Area 1 and 2 have a much higher population than does the core.

One Sheriff, this one is incredible!

The Facts:

There are 24 Field Officers, 5 Deputies for the schools and 5 Detectives assigned to the area. NOT JUST ONE! (source Fresno County Sheriff Web Site) The reported response time from neighbors I have spoken with is about 3 minutes or less for area 1.

Check with your insurance broker before you take this to the bank, I did and it won't make a difference. Now a New Fire Station half the distance from my current one would make me feel safer and lower my insurance. This will do neither. I thought that it was just our property values that were going up, I'm glad the core home values are going up too.

An assessment of $225.00 a year may not be much to some. For some of the elderly and people living on fixed income this could be an extreme hardship. The money could be better spent on something that is needed.

We close in agreement? Please attend the LAFCo Hearing and help fight this unfair TAX.