Sean C. Morgan
Editor’s Note: This is the first of a three-part series on how Sweet Home neighborhoods that experience high rates of crime and unneighborliness are dealing with the problems.
Of The New Era
Some residents of the neighborhood surrounding the intersection of Nandina Street and 13th Avenue say they are fed up with criminal and disorderly activities in the area; and they say they’re ready to do something about it.
As part of the solution, the residents are looking at something that has helped another area, one that had a poor reputation in the past – Mountain Shadows Trailer Park. Resident manager Duane Davis with the help of the park owner, has managed to reduce the problems that park has had in the past, through Neighborhood Watch and new policies.
Mountain Shadows is an example of how Neighborhood Watch can help solve problems, and Linn County Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Jo Ann McQueary views the park and its Neighborhood Watch program with pride.
Judith Moulton, a resident of the 13th-and-Nandina neighborhood, appeared before the City Council last month to explain what’s going on around her residence there, and another couple residing in the area sent a letter to the council asking for help.
The problems they identify range from outright criminal to merely annoying.
Among them, Moulton said, are yelling, “screaming fights” all hours of the night, drug dealers, ex-cons, drug users, motorcycles revving, threats against residents, unlicensed and dangerous dogs, and illegal fireworks, along with speeding.
She gave credit to Sweet Home police for their “wonderful response, patience and public relations” and their “genuine understanding and compassion in dealing with our frustrations, created by the continuous criminal activity and general lawbreaking in our area.”
“How can we citizens assist them?” she asked. “We know they are shorthanded. Many of us are willing to do our part to help. Many of us are frustrated by the constant theft and damage to our vehicles, homes and personal property and threat to our personal safety. The police cannot be everywhere at once. We all have to take some responsibility.”
Moulton told the council that other residents were also getting tired of the problems in the area.
Jay Byers, a resident of the 13th and Nandina area who signed the letter to the council delivered by Moulton, said he would like to see the area cleaned up. He and his wife moved there a year ago, and since then, they say, they have had hundreds of dollars worth of property stolen.
The first weekend after moving in, $300 to $400 worth of lures, binoculars and ammunition were stolen from his pickup, Byers said. His pickup was ransacked.
He complains of theft and fighting in the street, and bar patrons on the weekends don’t help the situation. His main concern is with the drug users, particularly a handful of specific homes.
“The police, you call them up, and they know exactly where to drive to,” Byers said. To stop the problem, the meth and drug issues need to be addressed, he said.
“How do you stop it?” he asked. “How do you correct it? I don’t know. I wish I did.”
Police Chief Bob Burford met with Moulton and another resident, who preferred not to be identified, to talk about the problems.
In 2005, police responded to the four blocks extending from the intersection 275 times, Burford said. That number includes all calls to the area for any reason. As of June 15 this year, police had responded 51 times to those same blocks in 2006. In 2001, they responded to the area 111 times.
In comparison, police responded two nearby blocks of Nandina Street, 1000 and 1100, 21 times as of June 15 in 2006, 24 times in 2005 and 13 times in 2001.
Moulton told Burford that having police officers working in the area has made a difference and that “they have a wonderful rapport with the public, and I think that’s made a difference.”
“I think this goes back to how do you eat an elephant?” Burford said. “The answer is, one bite at a time.”
Police can do three things to help, said Burford, who gave copies of the letters to the City Council to his patrol staff. Police are already doing one of them.
When police believe they have a dope house, they can target patrols in the area, and violations can get special attention.
Second, Burford said he would contact the landlords of problem houses in the area and talk to them about the problems. He said he hopes landlords can influence tenants’ behavior.
Third, regarding vicious dogs running loose, Burford said that Linn County Dog Control will cite owners and encouraged the neighbors to call, although the agency does not respond to anonymous calls.
The problems in this area aren’t as simple as talking to the neighbors causing the problems, Burford said. In another neighborhood, a resident can often solve problems by just going to a neighbor and explaining that his children are playing the stereo too loudly.
He welcomed the support of the neighbors and encouraged the formation of a Neighborhood Watch group.
“Law enforcement is not effective by itself,” Burford said. “The public by itself can’t do it. When we work together, we’re pretty formidable.
“If it’s an unlawful act, be good witnesses. Call us. Give us specifics. Stay on the line with us.”
Next: What Mountain Shadows did to clean up and get its Neighborhood Watch programs operating.