In the meantime, commuters can hop on the trolley. Completed two years ago, the Santee Transit Station ties the city to downtown San Diego and points between. Community concerns that felonious riffraff would ride the rails into the tranquil town have so far proven groundless. Placing a manned sheriff s substation adjacent to the trolley stop has apparently helped in that regard. Santee officials are proud of the city s low crime rate after Poway s, it s the second-lowest in the county.
Churches outnumber cocktail lounges by a wide margin, and gang activity is all but unheard of.
Indeed, Santee is a hotbed of wholesome youth sports activities, and the city boasts acres of well-used but healthy green athletic fields. Almost 30 percent of Santee subjects are 17 or under. There are Little Leaguers, skateboarders, Bobby Soxers and bike riders all over town. Kids shoot leisurely hoops at Santee s prize-winning Mast Park, skip rocks across the many lakes and ponds, or just grab a fishing pole and try their luck at a secluded spot along the riverbank. It s not exactly Mayberry, but it may be close.