CITY'S SAFETY RATING SMALL COMFORT; SANTA CLARITA RESIDENTS DOUBT STATS, WORRY ABOUT GANG PRESENCE.

Byline: Stacy Brown Daily News Staff Writer

Santa Clarita residents live in one of the nation's safest cities, but still have fears about crime, particularly about gang activity on the city's east side.

The Daily News asked readers to share their perceptions about the the city's darker side.

``I feel there is an increased number of gang members living (in Canyon Country,'' said Valencia resident Shirley Vercelli. ``And the crime stats are misleading because there is a cancerous segment of Santa Clarita out there, and the community leaders and law enforcement had better take note.''

Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Tony Miano said there are 375 to 400 gang members in Santa Clarita and that authorities, residents and city government are working hard to combat gang activity.

Miano said residents also have taken the lead in the fight against gangs. With the Pride Committee - a group of residents who eradicate graffiti - and bike patrols, authorities said, gang activity is kept to a minimum.

``Not long ago the citizens of Saugus stood up and decided they were the taxpayers and the homeowners and refused to allow gang members to take over their neighborhood,'' Miano said. ``Gangs prey on fear, and a lot of people based their fear on what they read or watch on television.''

Still, residents worry that Santa Clarita can't escape the gang problems that have ravaged so many cities.

``The gangs, I hope they don't grow,'' said Thea Smith of Canyon Country. ``If the problems I see now aren't taken care of, it will be a problem.''

While many residents expressed fear about gangs, others appeared more relaxed.

Rolland McNeil, a machine shop operator from Saugus, said he is happy to live in the fourth-safest city in the country.

``The only problem is growth,'' he said. ``We continue to build, and I wonder how that'll affect us down the line.''

Conspicuously, residents failed to express fears about the crime of aggravated assault. In statistics released last week, the FBI said there were 511 reported incidents of aggravated assault in Santa Clarita in 1997, far outdistancing the combined total from Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, the safest and second-safest cities in the nation, respectively, according to the FBI.

More than 16,000 law enforcement agencies from cities, counties and states all over the country supply the FBI with data on the number of crimes by category.

For many in Santa Clarita, though, being the fourth-safest city is still something to cheer about.

``This is a great place to live, a great place to work and to raise a family,'' said sheriff's Capt. Don Rodriguez. ``Although our population is growing, we still have that small-town feel.''

``We did very well in the rankings, and that's what counts,'' said Gerald Glenn of Valencia. ``But I am afraid when I hear about the gangs in Canyon Country, because who's to say they won't spread all over this valley?''

Lisa Marie Hoining, a legal secretary from Santa Clarita, echoed Glenn's sentiments.

``Maybe I will start considering relocating to places like Simi or (Thousand Oaks), because gangs have always scared me,'' Hoining said.

Miano counters that the city is battling its fledgling gang problem, refusing to let it get out of hand. Miano is part of Santa Clarita's gang task force, which joins with probation officials to do random searches of the homes of gang members.

``We have so many programs such as the Action program, where kids who are at risk receive counseling along with their parents,'' Miano said.

The Action program was introduced by Saugus High School Assistant Principal Laurel Bear, who successfully instituted it in the San Gabriel Valley.

``It works,'' Miano said. ``There are a couple of kids who have turned away from gangs because of this.''