Neighborhood Diary
This is a diary of the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood in Southeast Minneapolis. There has been increased sidewalk and street traffic and strong evidence, based on police reports and neighbors' accounts, of drug sales and trafficking, prostitution, petty theft and robbery.
This diary is an online dialogue of "first-hand" experiences, reflections, analyses, ruminations, etc. Please try to speak only for yourself. This diary should be a compilation of what the neighborhood sees and thinks and not a place for speculation or un-supported opinion.
This diary is an online dialogue of "first-hand" experiences, reflections, analyses, ruminations, etc. Please try to speak only for yourself. This diary should be a compilation of what the neighborhood sees and thinks and not a place for speculation or un-supported opinion.
posted by Randall Davidson at
12:39 PM
41 Comments:
Found a brown leather purse at 9am this morning belonging to a young woman. Contents included personal effects. Digital camera missing from case. I contacted the woman and she had already placed a police report. Purse was stolen when her car was broken into on Friday, Jun 9 between 9-11pm on SE 6 St between SE 7 Av and SE 8 Av.
The informal group calling themselves the Citizen Patrol met this evening to discuss their reactions to the weekend's patrols.
1. 311 reports will be very important in documenting derelict properties. One of Friday's patrols discovered three abandoned houses. It appears that some of the properties is occupied by squatters.
2. The "311 buddy" will work closely with the public safety officer in the precinct. The patrolistes need to commit themselves as property champions. Contact Tom Steinmetz if you want to be a champion.
3. The Patrols will set 2-3 priorities for the next four weeks. The "buddy" will coordinate 311 reports with the public safety officer. The "champions" will watch specific properties and will be a resource to the public safety officer.
4. Late evening patrols would be more productive.
5. 729 SE 8 Av is a wholesale hub: warehouse, bank, crashpad, laboratory.
6. Personal safety of the patrol is paramount. Watch out for each other.
7. Our patrols should check the two public parks (Turtle, Marcy Open). Look for trash, hypodermic needles, etc.
Did anyone attend the Mayor's walk and talk through the neighborhood today? I understand that there were some people with name tags walking up 8th Av towards 8th St.
I'm not sure if this is a good place for this but dead animals continue to appear in my parking lot. There is a dead crow on the road at 4th St SE in front of the bookstore a cat, squirrel and possum in the parking lot. Normally not alarming but the number of these seem high. I had the City environmental inspector come out a couple of weeks ago, she could not contact the DNR, animal contral removed carcasses from premise. Does anyone else see this as a problem outside of the 4th and 35W area?
Here is a recent post that I would like to share with the "Neighborhood Diary."
"I'm writing to get some feedback and reaction from people about the tactic we took with HELLO NEIGHBOR this morning. As you all know, we decided to follow him. The result was a foiled drug deal and an even more heightened awareness of our presence. I was leaving my house later in the morning with my 3 year old girl - HELLO NEIGHBOR and a big, scary guy were crossing 6th street at 8th Ave. They slowed way down, saw me coming down my sidewalk and get into my car. They glared at me quite menacingly. So, they now know where I live and what my car looks like. Not to mention my daughter. It kind of freaked me out. Is what we did this morning agreed upon as the right strategy? Upon reflection, it seems a bit more like the NECP approach. Not sure what to do cause it felt right at the time.
I want to fight and don't mind being known, but it did make me take pause...Thoughts/reactions??"
I have some thoughts in reaction to the writer's specific experience and I also have thoughts that I've been ruminating on for the last couple of days.
The NECP approach mentioned is an aggressive, confrontational citizen patrol tactic used against those seen as perpetrators of crime.
At this point, I believe we have a creeping, low-grade crime wave in Marcy Holmes. The perpetrators of crime are doing little to disrupt residents' lives. There is petty theft, street traffic, a little graffiti, increased pedestrian traffic and a few unsavory people walking the streets.
I believe that the perpetrators are shopping for a neighborhood. Lake Street is making significant improvements with LRT and the development on Lake/Chicago. Central Avenue is beginning to replace Lake Street as the site for the criminal life that has typically resided on Lake.
Near Northside crime is being challenged along Broadway. NECP is having some effect on crime in Nordeast.
I wonder if we are seeing a geographic shift of some of the crime in other neighborhoods to Marcy Holmes.
What this means to me is that we may be facing a much more serious and long-term challenge to the public safety in this neighborhood.
So far, the strategies of the CP have been to observe, notate and share information. We have just begun this process. Our first step has been to identify buildings that are sites of the most frequent complaints. The next step, begun this past week, is to identify individuals who are doing suspicious activities.
I wonder if we aren't making a mistake by focussing too quickly on individuals. Should we be observing, noting and sharing information about patterns of suspicious or delinquent behavior?
We have already identified at least a few individuals through this method: CUCKOO, CABOOSE, HELLO NEIGHBOR (male and female).
Following individuals (or suspicious cars) seems to be stepping over a line from observation to intervention.
On the other hand, I believe that putting ourselves in the position to observe patterns of behavior will necessarily mean that we will begin to identify individuals and they will begin to know who we are.
Our personal safety and confidence requires that we take special precautions. These are my suggestions:
1. refer to each other and ourselves by first name (only)
2. always note who is in the street when you arrive home or when you leave the house -- be thorough and take extra time
3. always lock your house and garage doors
4. leave porch and backyard lights on all night
I wonder if there are more things to consider. I could create a downloadable document from this site of TO DO items if there are any more suggestions.
Any more thoughts?
18 Jun
Someone ransacked the glove compartment in my unlocked car. The car is a beater and I don't have anything anyone would want except there was license registration information in there. I'm locking my car now.
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/news/20060615RPOWorkshop.asp
There is a workshop for rental property owners on Jun 22. Topics discussed will include how to rid your property of drug dealing. Information at the URL above.
15:37 AA male 5'11" - 6' tall. Attempted robbery with a knife. 811 4th St SE. Black hooded sweatsuit, white tennis shoes, white gloves, grey/black/white paisley bandana covering from bridge of nose to neck. Entered in rear wash room, left from rear press area. Stated "do what I say and you won't get hurt". Wanted to know where the safe is . No evidence of drugs, eyes clear, no drug odor. Good english skills.
21 June
Good news: Spoke to two residents sitting on the porch at 501 SE 5th St. Both of them have been there for a few months and related the short history of bad residents being evicted in the last month or so. The building is a "boarding house" and can have 19 people in it. The new renters are Mormon missionaries.
Did Gopher Cleaners make a 911 report?
June 19 = found a spent fire extinguisher at the corner of 6th St SE and 7th Ave SE that had "810" written in marker on its side. Returned the fire extinguisher to 810 SE 8th St to the caretaker who said his name is JIM (has some very nice Tats) and has been let go as of July 31 -- speculated that he was fired because he has been talking to the CP. He is moving to another property along 8th Ave SE and is looking for other caretaking duties in the neighborhood. He suggested that #22 in 814 SE 8th St may be involved in prostitution and that there is a lot of traffic back and forth to 729 SE 8th Av.
June 21
9.45-10.15pm
Observed the following:
• 5 AA individuals (male and female) standing around the stoop at 810 SE 8th St for about 15 minutes.
• 3 AA males sitting outside 8th St Market for about 20 minutes.
• AA male, 20s, 5'10" 170 lbs with dew rag on head walking very slowly along Univ Av SE between the 35W bridge and 7th Ave SE while talking on a cellphone. At the same time, an AA fem pacing up and down SE 8th Av nr 801 Univ Av SE.
• Many individuals walking their dogs, jogging, walking through the neighborhood.
• Basketball game ending at Marcy Holmes Park @ SE 3rd Av and SE 5th St. Many individuals getting in their cars.
June 21, 2006 ~18:50 Herschel, who has not entered this store for over a year, entered the front door to ask for change for a twenty just moments after my employee left. He kept a close eye on the cash drawer.
More info on AA male perp from robbery attempt. Suspect has an athletic build, long thick curly eyelashes. Smooth dark skin. Hood on black sweatshirt has a white inner lining. Mild mannered, soft spoken. Strong heartbeat, strong steady hands, firm grip.
23-June-2006 07:45 Herschel waiting at bus stop. Waiting for ?? Asked how I was doing; watched me for a couple of minutes over his shoulder. Bus came and left he walked toward University on 8th Ave SE.
*NOTE: 4th street has numerous AA males doing odd hand/hat gestures. Not sure who is watching. Seen at bus stop, seating at Santanas, in front of the bookstore, 806 4th St SE and in front of 718 4th St SE.
Either these men have serious problems positioning their hats and brushing/smoothing their face and clothing or they are sending hand signals. Any sports gurus? One example: 3 short lifts of the hat, one sweep across brim, two fingertip brushes of left cheek one hand brush of left thigh one pat on right knee.
June 25
Witnessed two incidents this evening from 1-3am. One at an apartment nr 8th St SE and 6th Ave SE - a noisy party. #2 a squad following an SUV going east on 6th St SE. A second squad trolled west on 6th St SE nr 8th and 7th Ave SE a few minutes later.
I met our buddy Hershel tonight. Outside 801 UNIVERSITY SE. I was out for a bike ride at about 3:15 a.m. He originally was in an argument with a white male, but went inside. I called 911 to report suspicious activity and for documentation. On way back around the block I ran in to him and had to play stupid. I asked him if he knew where "the stuff was" and he told me "whatever I needed he had". I proceded to bike/walk with him for about a block. We headed straight in to the direction of 729 8th SE. I split off from him, playing stupid. But there is a definite connection between properties and a definite need to keep up the CP.
Jun 26
{Wisc 922 XXX} Silver hatchback seen outside the SE Univ Av Dunn Bros is the same car that purchased drugs from HERSCHEL near Aveda.
20:10 - Odd call from a person who identified himself as living at 8th Ave and 8th St. He asked what time the store closed because he "has laundry that needs to be done". When I stated 7:00 he snapped back with "then what the hell are you still doing there?" I told him I could wait for him but he said he would wait until morning. He then asked when I would be in I told him the store opens at 7:00 but he again asked "what time will YOU be there." I reiterated that the store opens at 7 and that I would be in late but the "boys" could help him, "they should be in about quarter to 7". He asked if he could pay by credit card, then said he would call the credit card in to me in the afternoon and have his sister, girlfriend or brother pick up the order since he works late. I told him it would be easier if he just prepaid. He said he would be here in the morning. Could be nothing but I've had a couple of drug deals go down behind the store and there are currently people hanging around from that area. ALL of these people know my hours and know I am here early and late.
anonymous on June 17th wrote, The NECP approach mentioned is an aggressive, confrontational citizen patrol tactic used against those seen as perpetrators of crime.
This statement is unfounded and incorrect. I've been walking the NECP 20 hours/week for 3 months. We are not confrontational. We wave, smile and hand out literature. We report code violations. We make friends and gain support. Even some of the bad guys are friendly, before they yield to their addictions. Come out with us sometime and you will lose your misperceptions.
We don't have to be aggressive. As some of your own have noticed, merely being visible near the bad guys makes them disappear, interrupting whatever they're up to.
All of us must appear serious and focused. The more you and I are seen defending our neighborhoods, the more we become targets for frustrated thugs. Awareness is what will keep us out of the hospital.
Mark Fox
NECP
ANA President
I appreciate Mark Fox's comments of July 1. Just to make it clear, this blog is not moderated at this point and so what may appear to be a critical comment directed at the NECP is allowed to appear here as a function of an open dialogue. Mark's response is both helpful and instructive: the 2nd precinct is a safer place because of the good efforts of citizen patrols.
I would encourage members of the Marcy Holmes CP to continue their efforts to make their analyses and observations constructive. As Mark and Shelley suggest, "we are all in this together."
July 5
Channel 5 10 o'clock news made a report of college students robbed at gunpoint by a small group of teenagers near Dinkytown around 9.30pm. One 16 y.o. was apprehended by Police while the rest of the escaped. No other information was available.
2 things: The incident at 8th street market the other night was troubling but the police response was massive. I counted at least 6 squad cars. Did not know the response time or even what it was for until later.
7/6/06 11:00 a.m. the red ford explorer leaving 729 heading south on 8th. I know this car has been involved with many things and has been spotted by many people.
7/5/06 Two patrol cars pulled up in front of 729 as an apparent sex worker walked away up 8th, looking back at them.
That was 12:35 pm.
Today we saw an AA male (30s) driving a green Ford Explorer down 6th SE going East - he was driving extremely fast, flew through a stop sign, etc. He parked behind the house at 814 6th St. SE. License plate # LFM 488
Hi,
I am so grateful that we have a blog to share our experiences. Here's something that happened to me. I was jogging on 6th Ave SE around 7.30 pm about a week ago (would be the week of July 10). Between 5th and 6th St. an AA male riding a bicycle with a white bandana on his head veeeery slowly passed me by. We exchanged Hi's. A second later he asked me if I had something. He had a tough accent so I said "Do I have what?". I will not repeat his words here again but he said if I had a large "p...."- of course he used another word for it. I said "Go to hell, freak" and kept on jogging.
I spotted the same guy a couple more times cruising on his bike slooowly like that day on 6th avenue area and changed my route to avoid confrontation.
Minor incident may be but sure IS annoying. Could be troubling for families with kids. Please post here if you also noticed this guy.
Thanks
1. 320 2ND AVE SE is a complex of seven small buildings and a High-Rise bounded by 4th St., University, 2nd Ave. and 3rd Ave. This gigantic complex contains Marcy-Holme's only high-rise. It has one owner and is becoming a major problem property.
I passed by this property at the intersection of 4th ST and 3rd AVE at 10:50 on 7/22/06. At least five AA males were loitering in the parking lot around a vehicle blasitng loud music. Loud pops were going off at a rate of at least five per minute. I could not tell if these were firearms or firecrackers. Either way they are illegal past 10PM by Minneapolis noise ordinance.
I should have called the police but was not sure whether I should call for shots fired or noise disruption or both. Plus by the time I got home and logged into the Hennepin County website to look up the address of the property, the incident was at least 20 minutes passed.
2. Here's an ugly truth whether we like it or not: Marcy Holmes is in a rapid state of white flight. Just riding down 5th ST SE I am astounded by the number of single family homes that have either sold or been put up for sale in the past year.
Sure, there are new condos going up (like Mill Trace on 8th street and I-forgot-the-name at University and Central) and these will likely fill up with white professionals, but neighborhoods can have expensive condos and unsafe street activity -- just look at the Warehouse District as well as parts of Downtown.
1. 320 2ND AVE SE is a complex of seven small buildings and a High-Rise bounded by 4th St., University, 2nd Ave. and 3rd Ave. This gigantic complex contains Marcy-Holme's only high-rise. It has one owner and is becoming a major problem property.
I passed by this property at the intersection of 4th ST and 3rd AVE at 10:50 on 7/22/06. At least five AA males were loitering in the parking lot around a vehicle blasitng loud music. Loud pops were going off at a rate of at least five per minute. I could not tell if these were firearms or firecrackers. Either way they are illegal past 10PM by Minneapolis noise ordinance.
I should have called the police but was not sure whether I should call for shots fired or noise disruption or both. Plus by the time I got home and logged into the Hennepin County website to look up the address of the property, the incident was at least 20 minutes passed.
2. Here's an ugly truth whether we like it or not: Marcy Holmes is in a rapid state of white flight. Just riding down 5th ST SE I am astounded by the number of single family homes that have either sold or been put up for sale in the past year.
Sure, there are new condos going up (like Mill Trace on 8th street and I-forgot-the-name at University and Central) and these will likely fill up with white professionals, but neighborhoods can have expensive condos and unsafe street activity -- just look at the Warehouse District as well as parts of Downtown.
I hope we can caution ourselves and each other against notions of “flight” and a sense that the neighborhood is or inevitably will be abandoned to crime and disorder. This is self-defeating. The struggles of Marcy-Holmes are no different from any other neighborhood in the city and I for one am proud to live amongst a group of people who choose to try to solve problems and uncover their causes rather than react, blame, or flee.
The roots of the increased crime in the neighborhood are complex. We can look to an unpredictable confluence of a changing rental market, the U of M’s building of more student housing (in part a reaction to what they heard from the surrounding neighborhoods including Marcy Holmes), city policies which contradict one another, a disproportionate placement of Section 8 housing throughout the city (how much is there in Linden Hills and Kenwood I wonder?), the state’s awful liberal concealed weapons laws, and a housing market which makes it difficult and expensive for people to purchase homes in the neighborhood and fix them up as owner-occupied. We should be angry and frustrated and we need to let our elected officials know this----often.
More than anything I want Marcy-Holmes to be a safe and wonderful place for all kinds of people to live, especially families, because diversity is the lifeblood of any city.
The solutions are there but they require different approaches, operate on different timelines and take varying levels of skills, connections and commitment. It takes involved and committed neighbors to keep the “flight” from happening and to keep Marcy-Holmes the pride of the city as Minneapolis’ first and most interesting neighborhood. We need to be positive, active, and supportive of each other.
This neighborhood and the wonderful people living here are well worth the effort and activism it takes. We already are a successful model for how community thrives and functions in a democracy. We should not lose heart but keep moving forward, determined and proud.
Morning of the 20th 8:30 AM one AA Male Red t-shirt with some logo walking down the street began on 4th street walked untill 8th street looking in cars as he walked down the middle of the street,(8th Avenue) He went into an apartment on 8th street and 9th avenue, later seen walking with his girlfriend.
Do not leave valuables in your car!!
Called 911 this afternoon to report that a man (with bicycle, beard, red cap) was lying down on the up-ramp of the foot bridge (on the west side).
I think there may be more activity at 501 5th Street. Around 9:00 pm
tonight (Friday) Brian and I saw a man who fits the description of the 7/26
burglary suspect (no shirt, bald, medium build, very muscular, African
American male) coming from the direction of the Tita house. He met a heavy
set larger woman on the sidewalk, whom I believe may live at 501, they
greeted each other and he proceeded to go into the building.
Charlie who works at the Pizza place (I believe he is the caretaker) was
jumping off the porch and looking in a basement window. I didn't know who
he was so I inquired as to what he was doing. While we were talking another
woman and larger man exited the back door. Hershel came riding up on his
yellow racing bike. He confronted her, she said something along the lines of
"don't be coming around here". The woman and Hershal continued to argue, he
threw the bike up on the lawn got in the car and several minutes later the
three of them drove off. License plate # FPA 987?. Didn't look good to us.
Seems very active at the house tonight...
When we turned the corner to go back home, about 15 minutes later the woman
who spoke with the burglary suspect was still waiting on the steps.
We will all continue to keep our eye on things.
Why no posts in the neighborhood diary? Heck no more posts anywhere.
On 9/14/06 there was activity at Marcy Open school that attracted many children and their parents.
Older children (2 young white skateboarders, a hefty latino kid and two young black men -- all high school age) were using the playground through the evening. They appear to all be friends and/or social familiars. Call them "Group A."
"Group A" was confronted by three large latino-looking adult men in their twenties at around 8:10PM ("Group B.") These men hastily parked a car illegally and walked to the playground, evidently intent to resolve some business. The two groups gathered in close proximity and it appeared as though tense negotiation was taking place. Both groups then left the school grounds and reconvened to continue their discussion in Marcy Park. "Group B" then left the confrontation and "Group A" continued to loiter in and about the park. It is not clear how if and how the confrontation was resolved.
"Group A" was joined by at least two light-skined teenage females and continued to loiter at the corner of 3rd ST SE and 5th AVE SE at 8:30 PM.
At approximately 8:30 PM, two white female parents with three small children ("Group C") passed by "Group A" on the way to their parked cars. Someone from "Group A" made a remark that caused one "Group C" woman to remark "you need to learn some respect."
After this, a young black man (Jon Doe) with a blue shirt and a bicycle in "Group A" started hurtling profanities at the woman "fucking bitch etc . . . " and other members of "Group A" moved to restrain him. The verbal altercation lasted at least 15-seconds, at the end of which Jon Doe was heard to verbally threaten to shoot the woman. Jon Doe appeared to be performing to impress and/or gain credibility with other youths in "Group A," who knew him by name.
The other woman in "Group C" stood by her car with all three children nearby and called the police on her cell phone. While a police officer took roughly ten minutes to arrive, the threatened woman approached loitering "Group A" and had a direct conversation of unknown content.
"Group A" dispersed as soon a police officer arrived. Both women in "Group C" and another unidentified male witness appeared to speak with the officer for about three minutes. Then both women in "Group C" left for home and the officer left the scene, perhaps to file a report.
Loitering multiracial groups of youths are an increasing occurrence in the vacinity of Marcy Open school and Marcy Park. As Marcy Open is a K-8 magnet school that attracts students from across Minneapolis, it seems possible that "Group A" may have consisted of current or former students, though they seemed a bit older than 8th grade . . . perhaps 9th or 10th.
"Group A" had confrontations with two groups of adults ("Group B" and "Group C") in less than one hour.
Because it was diverse in race and clothing, "Group A" seemed to consist of youths who formed friendships of convenience across interests, leading to the speculation that they attend the same institution or live in the same area.
Marcy-Holmes does not have a particularly large teenage population. This seems to result in diverse groups of unsupervised youths with nothing to do whose primary bond is age. They cluster together in a landscape dominated by college students, young urban professionals, and nuclear-family homes.
It is clear that members of "Group A" know the identity of Jon Doe who verbally threatened lethal violence to the woman in "Group C." It seems unlikely that he will be identified unless outed by a peer in "Group A."
This is the old (September) prowling incident I was speaking of this past Saturday night:
Thursday night (9-7) at approximately 9:30 an AA male was observed walking slowly next to the building/windows of Andrew House, West to East (700 block 4th Street side, Building D). He remained walking close to the building/windows for about 10-minutes and then crossed the street (South) and stood just off the sidewalk and on the driveway between 714 & 718 4th Street. After a few minutes he walked towards 8th Avenue, turned South towards University Avenue and out of view.
At approximately 10:00 pm this same person was again seen on 4th Street walking West from 8th Avenue. Once again he stopped on the driveway side of 718 4th Street and he was then seen walking into the front yard of 714 4th Street. He was observed on a small porch and peering into the lighted window at the northwest corner of 714 where he remained a couple minutes. I lost sight of this person for several minutes after he walked away and then observed him standing well into the driveway/alley between 714 & 718 where he remained about 15-minutes. I walked to the back (North) portion of the empty church lot (4th Street @ 8th Avenue) and observed this person walk out of the driveway/alley and back onto the property at 714. My wife was able to observe this person as he was walking off the small porch where he was earlier seen peering into the window. He walked onto the sidewalk and proceeded West on 4th Street.
This male walked to 5th Avenue and turned West and then walked into a driveway at the rear of an apartment building located at the northeast corner of 5th Avenue & University Avenue. There were windows, lights on, in this driveway/ground level area. I didn't see this person again after he entered this driveway.
I contacted the PD (911) once this person was observed peering into the window at 714 4th Street and an additional 2-3 times as he changed his direction while he was being observed. On subsequent 911 calls I was advised the officer had been in the area and no one was observed, the officer was unable to be reached or the officer had been on a "hit and run" call. It was at least 30-40 minutes before a squad met me at the intersection of 5th Avenue & University Avenue where I briefly reviewed this persons activity with the officers. Officers, in their car, checked behind the apartment building on 5th Avenue at University.
During the entire time this person was observed he was walking slow and he gave the appearance of speaking on a cell phone.
Description -
AA male
late 20's - early 30's
6'2" guessing medium build
Wearing a very large (oversized) white football jersey with the number "80."
*****
This past Saturday I also made a statement indicating that the owner of the property on 5th Ave SE and 4th St SE and his Father have/had more than 30 cars registered to them. I reviewed my print-outs and noted even though there are 43 "hits" for vehicles registered between the local resident and his Father, there are, as I didn't recall, duplications in the information reported to me. As of August 2005 M.G. Tita had 16 cars/trucks registered to him. Fourteen list 501 4th Street as his address of record; two list 4311 Garfield Ave, Minneapolis. Registration dates were expired for these vehicles and their current status is not known.
12/15/2006 23:00 - 23:10
The security cameras at the rear of the laundromat and drycleaner were removed from the building. The individuals have been removing monies from and breaking machines in the laundromat for many months. They are nocturnal with 1 to 3 of them working together at a time. The cameras taken were installed with masonry screws at 15' on the outside of the building. We do have video of the activity as well as a full shot of a third lookout person that watched the front. These individuals seem to always be a couple of steps in front of or behind me which is frightening, especially since I am typically alone. I have a request in to Santana's for their video since they nearly always come from that direction. I asked the 2nd precinct to have someone study the video files and was handed a telephone number. To date the cameras in the back of the building have been the most helpful in identifying criminals. The doors in the back of the store are often open during working hours for ventilation and to keep the production area from getting too hot. These individuals carry tools inside their garments.Since they do seem to know my every move they surely know that I check those cameras prior to leaving the store.
Spring has sprung and things are starting to happen again in the neighborhood.
Yesterday afternoon, 3/31, I noticed that my garage door was open and ran out to discover that two good bikes were stolen. Put in a police report last night to at least make a record of the theft. The bikes are gone gone gone.
Just a few minutes ago, a little before 3am, my wife went to turn off a light in our son's bedroom and looked out the window to notice someone entering my car that was parked in front of our house.
I threw on a sweater and ran barefoot out the door. I motioned for him to get out of the car (all the doors were locked but the driver's door). He jumped out and started explaining that a friend was coming to pick him up.
I asked his name and he said, "Romey." I introduced myself. He smelled of alcohol and kept insisting that his friend was coming soon. I let him know that the police were on their way, too.
After about a minute, Romey pushed me off of him and maced me while he tried to run away. That wasn't going to happen and we spent about another minute on the ground with his mace hand pinned under one of my hands.
Within another 30 seconds a squad arrived and arrested him for entering my car without permission. The police gave me the citizen's arrest. One of the officers told me that Romey had recently come from The Conga.
It is now 4am and I'm still pretty jacked up.
Happy "April Fool's" Day.
Where do all the black people who loiter around the Marcy Park basketball court come from? Do they live in this neighborhood? I was driving along 2nd AVE alongside the park late at night when four blacks (3 black males, 1 black female) who had on no reflective clothing were loitering in the street. After I stopped about 15 feet short of hitting the woman, she put her arms up above her head and yelled "yeah BITCH!" before crossing to the other side. These hostile characters do not help promote a sense of safety and civility in the neighborhood. They are hostile in response to normal encounters . . . I mean if you stand in the street at night with no reflective clothing, cars are going to almost hit you.
The problem property at 813 SE 5th Street (at the West foot of the 35W footbridge) has been under scrutiny for the past month.
A member of the MHNA was in a meeting today with the Manager of Hennepin County Street Case Management Projects at which it became clear that the tenants in 813 SE 5t SE will be evicted on 5/2/07.
Although, it is good to see that the housing codes are still able to be enforced, it is not clear that the tenants at 813 SE 5th St are the cause of the sudden and serious rise in crime in MH.
A neighborhood meeting will be called for later this week to discuss the sudden and serious rise of crime. More than the number of incidents, guns are increasingly being used in the commission of crimes which now range from burglaries, house break-ins, and car break-ins.
A CRIME ALERT for Marcy-Holmes neighborhood was released today by the 2nd Precinct. Here is the body of that notice...
Marcy Holmes Neighborhood April 30, 2007
Facts:
From April 26-30, there were 14 burglaries and attempted burglaries of dwellings in the Marcy Holmes neighborhood. Half of these were garage burglaries; the rest were burglaries of apartments and houses. The suspects entered by cutting screens in windows, through unlocked doors, prying doors and windows, and breaking windows. Losses included money, jewelry, CDs and DVDs, bikes, laptops, and other electronics. The locations of the crimes were:
4xx 6th Ave. SE
4xx 7th Ave. SE
4xx University Ave. SE
6xx 5th St. SE
7xx 5th Ave. SE
7xx 6th Ave. SE
7xx 7th St. SE
7xx 8th St. SE
6xx 11th Ave. SE
7xx 13th Ave. SE
7xx University Ave. SE
8xx 5th Ave. SE (three on this block)
What you can do:
• Lock your garage, home, or apartment doors and windows at all times, even if you are in the home or the yard.
• Install high-security strike plates, secured with 3" screws on exterior doors. Also install deadbolt locks on all exterior doors. These locks should have a 1" bolt throw, case-hardened cylinder guard, and tie screws on the inside.
• Secure overhead doors with padlocks in tracks, hasps and padlocks, or electric openers.
• Secure windows permanently, or use pins, keyed locks, or grillwork.
• Cover your garage windows so no one can see inside easily. Consider placing bars on your garage windows.
• Leave both an outdoor and indoor light on if you go out for the evening. Consider using light timers, so the lights go off and on when you are away from home. Also, leave a radio or TV on when gone.
• Never open your door until you know who is there.
• Introduce yourself to your neighbors. Start a block club. There will be a Block Club Training on Thursday, May 17 at Webster School, 425 5th St. NE. Please call Carol Oosterhuis (612-673-2874) to RSVP if you plan to attend.
• Call 911 when you see illegal or suspicious activity such as a stranger trying to open your neighbor’s door.
• Consider having a home security premise survey. Call Crime Prevention Specialist Carol Oosterhuis at (612) 673-2874 to schedule.
Who calls these emergency "neighborhood" meetings and why am I not on the list?
I feel sorry for those new condos that went up on 8th ST. It's just not the nicest spot to live in with all the activity on that street. I imagine that they are losing money.
There is a low-income pocket that has been developing in the set of apartments between 4th, University, 1st Ave and Central Ave. This is in the area of the abandoned and boarded-up bank along University, and Kitty Corner to Aveda. I don't know if the landlord for these buildings has increased the percentage of Section 8 units or what. But they are definitely lower-income and, incidentally or not, mostly black.
Marcy Park continues to become a more dramatic place to live around with each passing year. It is very poorly lit at night. It too often attracts a motley crew of teenage boys who have nothing to do but loiter, mutter threats under their breath, wear flamboyant clothes and do stupid things to impress each other. Where are their parents? The crime in the neighborhood can not be unrelated to this social dynamic.
In the above post, I meant to say between 4th, University, 1st Ave and 3rd Ave.
2.33am Sunday, 5/27/07
Shots fired (12-24); heard between 5th St SE and Main St SE; 8th Av SE and 4th Ave SE.
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