Are absentee landlords part of Stockton's crime problem? | Crime

STOCKTON, CA - City council member Paul Canepa owns a business so close to one of Stockton's most violent neighborhoods, he and his employees can hear the gunfire.  

Monday morning, just a few blocks from the location of the latest homicide, Canepa was quick to suggest absentee landlords as part of the problem

"When you have people who don't care about neighborhoods, they're renting to people and they don't see what's going on, it's the main root of the problem," said Canepa.

He said more than half of the rental properties in the city are owned by people who don't live in Stockton.

"It's quality of life issues.  When people don't care about their environments, they don't care about other people's lives," said Canepa.

A large apartment house, located across the street from Sunday's murder, was a very good example.

A Bay Area property owner who wouldn't provide a name acknowledged his building isn't in good shape. 

"I could probably do more, but it's a challenge when you're not from the area," he said.

When asked if he looked at his property with pride, the man shook his head and said "no."

Stockton police said there have been 8 homicides in that neighborhood since 2010.

By tdaly@news10.net