March 2009 Meeting Minutes

Park Avenue Neighborhood Meeting on March 17, 2009 – Brief Meeting Minutes

Meeting started at approximately 6:35pm – 26 neighbors, 1 Safe Streets representative, 1 CLO (TPD) attending

Neighborhood Patrols, with guest speaker, David Cantlin, Safe Streets Neighborhood Patrols Coordinator
Neighborhood patrols are eyes and ears of TPD. Patrollers must complete Academy and become certified before they can participate in their neighborhood’s patrol. (See note below on next session.) Patrollers drive or walk throughout the neighborhood. Patrol vehicles have large magnetic signs on their doors, which say “Neighborhood Patrol.” Foot patrols have bright orange vests, which say “Neighborhood Patrol.” All patrollers work in teams, carry cell phones, notepads and neighborhood phone trees / phone lists. Patrollers document and report suspicious activity to TPD. This results in crime reduction and better response from TPD. TPD responds better when 911 calls are received from certified neighborhood patrols.

Neighborhood Reports (crime and other activity from the past month)
Break-in and robbery near corner of 63rd & G Street. Entry made through back door.
Attempted break-in or vandalism thwarted in-progress by neighbor near 61st & Park. Three young males in teal Honda were
about to throw a rock through back of home but were stopped in-progress.
Several concerns were voiced regarding junk vehicles and neighbors “parting-out” vehicles in their yards.
Suspicious vehicle appeared in alley near 64th & Park Avenue.
Graffiti recently appeared near 64th in the alley East of Park Avenue.
Many complaints voiced about suspicious activity, noise and more coming from 5614 S G Street. Neighbors want to write a
collective letter to owner, THA and Code Enforcement about the renters (and their “friends”).

Report from CLO? (Don Williams, CLO of Tacoma Police Department)
Officer Williams presented crime statistics for February 2009 (4400 calls for service). Nearly 14,000 calls citywide, for month.
House and house in back at 507 S 57th St (Yard Girls), closed for Meth. Residents have now moved out and owner is returning.
5614 S G Street is still in the process of being closed down, gang-type activity, under-age drinking, source of vandalism & graffiti, possible drug-related activity. Eviction in process but tough since property is owned by known slumlord. Owner is no longer returning calls. THA funding is currently under review in an attempt to get funding cut for renter.

What can we do? Keep on eye on neighborhood, monitor problem homes & suspected drug homes, continue to report activities to 911 and use “House Watch” forms to track vehicle descriptions, license plate numbers and suspect descriptions, submit “House Watch” forms to neighborhood group, block captains, Safe Streets, and so on.
Homes and owners, etc. can be tracked on govME.com. This is the city’s info-based website.

Neighborhood Patrol Report
Neighborhood patrols began this month. Patrols are taking place at various times during the day and the evening.
More patrollers are needed. This will allow us to increase our patrols throughout the day and evening.
Suspicious individuals and suspected drug and/or prostitution witnessed in Saar’s Marketplace parking lot.

Park Avenue Neighborhood Blog & Facebook - (please be careful what you post on the internet because it is NOT secure)
Don’t forget to check the blog, http://parkavenueneighborhood.blogspot.com. This will be used for general posting of announcements, patrol reports and activities. You do not need to register to read the blog.

Park Avenue Neighborhood is now on Facebook, it is accessible by neighbors only. It is used for communication
with your neighbors and may also give you a chance to know them better. To find us on Facebook, search for Park
Avenue Neighborhood and register.

Action Plan
1. Our phone tree is very important communication tool. Don’t forget to use it! Distributed updated phone trees.
2. Distributed revised Calendar of Events for 2009.

Announcements
Community Based Services is coming to our neighborhood. Kick-off is April 22nd at Stewart Middle School.
Extreme Neighborhood Makeover: Tacoma Edition is coming in May to our neighborhood. Date TBA.

From Darren Pen, Safe Streets
Neighborhood Patrol Academy is scheduled to begin April 7th but may be postponed to May based on enrollment.
Park Avenue Neighborhood needs your financial support. Group leaders have currently been paying all expenses themselves.

Several members donated to Park Avenue Neighborhood’s operating fund, Bounty Food Bank and Bethany U.M.C.’s heating fund.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
Meeting ended at 8:10pm