Complaint Lodged Against Clean and Safe Program Employee

Israel Puente, a retired Marine Corps veteran, appeared before the San Diego City Council on May 17 to express his disappointment with a Clean and Safe Program employee during an incident that occurred over the past weekend in front of the Balboa Theatre.

According to Puente, he witnessed a man who was bleeding on Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. He said he promptly stopped a safety ambassador from the Clean and Safe Program and asked him to call the police.

“This man, who was a safety ambassador — with an orange shirt and a bicycle — refused to call the police department because he said that he had prepaid minutes on his cell phone,” said Puente.

Puente said the safety ambassador “didn’t react” to the fact that a man was bleeding and that the employee left the scene even after he was told that a complaint to his supervisor would be made.

“That’s ridiculous,” said Puente. “You would be upset…if that was your family member.”

Although the safety ambassadors are employees of the business improvement district and aren’t subject to oversight by the city, Puente expressed his displeasure in how the matter was handled and pointed out how the Clean and Safe staffer didn’t have a radio to use for emergencies.