Batman is not running for mayor

Last week we discouraged voters from treating the president like he’s some sort of hero, there to solve everybody’s problems.

After a few days of responses to our questionnaires of our mayor and City Council candidates, it looks as though residents are falling into the same trap for local candidates.

While voters nationally may be looking for Superman as president to fly in and save us all, for the city it looks as though folks want Batman to be in charge — billionaire business leader by day, crimefighter by night.

We can see no other logical, rational explanation for comments by voters and readers (and sometimes the candidates themselves) who seem to think the mayor and City Council candidates have some direct role in fighting local crime and placing local businesses.

We’ve already written about the city’s role (and the limits thereof) in actually bringing in new development, so let’s focus on fighting crime. It is true that the City Council plays a leading role in dealing with crime by controlling the police department’s budget, establishing some policies and guidelines, and hiring and evaluating the performance of the police chief and city manager.

And that’s about it. Everything else is a matter of indirect influence and discussion, not authority. The mayor doesn’t have any control over the types of people who come to Barstow. The City Council can’t force the courts to throw low-level drug addicts or other unpleasant folks in jail for us, nor can the police chief or sheriff. To be blunt, given California’s prison overcrowding and dire financial situation, unless a crime has a direct victim, it’s unlikely a criminal arrested in Barstow will serve much, if any, jail time and there’s nothing the city can do about it.

The “somebody do something!” mentality that has infected the relationship between citizens and elected leaders has ultimately resulted in voters holding leaders responsible for problems far beyond their control. No, we’re not helpless in this situation. Certainly we should expect our justice system hold people accountable for crimes (and by this, we mean actual crimes, not people doing things to themselves and their own property that we don’t approve of).

But, if your expectation is that the person you elect to the mayor’s seat or on the City Council is going to actually make a decision that directly reduces crime in Barstow, you’re bound to be disappointed with whomever you choose. That’s simply not how the city nor the justice system works.