Police, immigration dominate debate

The need for more police officers and how to handle illegal immigration are becoming usual topics in this year's Costa Mesa City Council election.

On Friday, affordable senior housing was on the lips of the six candidates vying for two spots on the council.

The reason? Their latest forum was held after lunch at the Costa Mesa Senior Center on Friday.

But while the candidates all agreed that more needed to be done to address the growing need for affordable housing for seniors, it was the usual topics that fired the panel and riled the audience.

"Cops aren't just retiring, they are leaving our city," former Councilman Mike Scheafer said of the state of the city's Police Department, which he called "deplorable."

Scheafer noted that he has a son who is a police officer in Irvine and accepted the job because the city offered a better package than Costa Mesa.

Along with Scheafer, the candidates vying for the two seats in the Nov. 7 election are businessman and author Chris Bunyan; business owner Mirna Burciaga; planning commissioner Bruce Garlich; parks and recreation commissioner Wendy Leece; and Mayor Allan Mansoor.

All agreed that something needed to be done to attract and retain more police officers.

Garlich said the city has to offer a more competitive package to police officers.

Mansoor said that on Oct. 3, the City Council will discuss approving funds for police recruitment.

Bunyan said the city needs a better marketing plan to attract officers.

Questions at the forum came from audience members. Among those asked were one to Scheafer and Garlich about the support they are receiving from the Return to Reason group — both adamantly said their votes would not be swayed by their connection to the political action committee; one to Burciaga about how, as a business owner, she would find the time to serve — she pointed out she knows how to manage her time; and a question to Garlich about his support from industrial business owners on the Westside — he denied there would be any conflict as a result and dismissed the idea that they are polluting the city.

And then there was a question about how illegal immigration has affected the city. The candidates unanimously voiced opposition to illegal immigration, but only Mansoor and Leece said they support the city's plan to train police officers to check the immigration status of suspected felons.