I don’t want to use this forum to post every crime and get us as citizens of this community worked up, without offering some plan of action. I fear a lot of rhetoric will create anxiety but not alleviate the problems. However, we are all aware that there seems to be an alarming uptick in crime and especially assaults. We’ve seen friends attacked and read of worse events. I just saw a notice on the Shaw board about a sexual assault (entering into a home, potentially an unlocked door) on Marion St.
The notice reminded of this potential course of action:
If you see an uptick of drug activity or prostitution we need to ask our Councilmember and the MPD to establish a drug-free or prostitution-free zone which lasts for 10 days and gives the police increased powers to essential reduce loitering in trouble spots. Just something to remember as the temp outside starts to go up and we start too see more of these kinds of activities.
I would like to use our association meetings to start a Crime Committee with members who maintain contact with the authorities and try to research some best practices from other communites that can unite us and can serve to make us feel safer and the criminals unwelcome. But this needs our real commitment.
Bates Area Civic Association 