City Attorney To Citizens Worried About Crime: ‘Lock And Load’

San Bernardino, California, has a crime problem, and the city attorney is telling residents that they need to exercise some self-help perhaps in the form of gun ownership.

The second largest city to ever file for bankruptcy, San Bernardino had to lay off about 80 cops as part of its spending cutbacks and downsizing. Residents, however, are “up in arms” about the increase in violent crime and police response time.

According to CBS Los Angeles, City Attorney Jim Penman, who has been on the job for over 20 years, addressed the rising crime issue at a city council meeting where he acknowledged there just aren’t enough officers on duty anymore:

“The city attorney said approximately 150 residents came to a council meeting to voice their concerns about recent crimes in the area, including the murder of an elderly woman last week …

” ‘Well, if I remember right, I told them to ‘lock their doors and load their guns,’ Penman said.

” ‘I’m not advocating that people go out, who don’t have any training, and buy firearms. I certainly strongly caution anyone who has children at home not to have a loaded gun in the house,’ Penman said.”

San Bernardino and at least one other city has filed for Chapter 9 in part because of runaway salaries, benefits, and pensions for public sector workers. The state of California is also teetering on insolvency for the same reasons. According to 24/7 Wall Street, California — which is controlled completely by Democrats — is the worst-run state in the country

There have been 45 murders in the city of San Bernardino in 2012, a 50 percent increase over last year.

Watch an interview with San Bernardino City Attorney Jim Penman: