Partners Against Crime District II Minutes
E.K. Powe Elementary School, 6:00 PM
February 19, 2001
PAC II
* Introductions
* Update on Grants Written for Feb 28th Deadline. –Total of grants for supplies, Palm/keyboard, digital camera, and engravers is less than the total amount available to PAC II. Newman is working on a grant for the printer for the district substation.
Mike Shiflett proposed and a motion was made and passed to have maps of the district mounted so they can be taken around for display. The city will pay for the maps, PAC will just have to pay for the mounting with the grant.
[Amendment to minutes from Mike S. on the maps: Looks good, however I have to make one correction to the minutes regarding the map grant I've been working on. I don't think we should expect to get these maps from the city for free, but for a minimum cost. I apologize for giving that impression. In working through this grant application, it was my intention not to pay "thru the nose" for these maps.
I believe that we will be able to get 3 District II Maps with street names, waterways, railroads, fire stations indicated on them with Neighborhoods underneath and 3 City Wide Maps with similiar characteristics for close to $150 from the city.
This seems very reasonable to me. I think it is right and appropriate to pay something back to the city for the time (it may be over 3 hours of computer time) and materials it will take for them to produce these maps.
In speaking with the Planning and GIS departments again yesterday, I found them to be very cooperative and helpful (eventhough it was obvious they were very busy). They took the time to speak with me over the phone and again later while I was in both departments to follow-up those conversations. In speaking with Rob Cushman (sp?) in the GIS department for over 20 minutes we were able to work out the final details for the maps. He estimated the cost very close to the $150 ballpark we were shooting for.]
CATT team requested funds for a computer. A motion was made and passed for the computer. Brooke noted that Durham domestic violence program ARISE (Ada Gregory, executive director), seeks funds for motion detector lights from any or all PACs. There was a motion passed to give remaining funds to ARISE.
Streetlight List for District II
* Update on Previous Request from Year 2000. Tony Scott says that it takes between one and three months; if they are not in place, call Terry Thompson, 560-4366.
* Starting a New List for Year 2001. Brooke said that that people need to drive around their neighborhood and in places where there is criminial activity and to make requests for those blocks.
Community Concerns
* J. Holmes, Watts-Hillandale, near Sunset, has known of or reported 7 break-ins in the area since August 2000. She lives in the area near Guess Rd. In November, she heard gunshots, very loud, and close to their home. In December, a neighbor who lives 3 doors down, had someone come in their house and assaulted her. In another incident, someone else had a purse stolen from their home when a door was left ajar briefly. The Centura Bank has had several robberies recently, and in one incident, three suspects were seen running through the front yard of this resident. She made an attempt to get in contact with the DPD, she called 2x and no one called her back. Tony Scott was surprised that no one answered the call, and offered his contact information so that the matter can be handled.
A Durham librarian at the meeting, Nancy Scott, 560-0250, says that programs can be planned that DPD and the Sheriff’s department to give residents tips. She will help set these up if people contact her with interest.
There was a mention of a drive by shooting at Green, it didn’t show up on the daily crime report. It was on the 500 block of Green, a green van pulled up and shot at a juvenile. This was confirmed by Lt. Blake. There have been several crimes in this No Man’s Land area (neighborhood without an association, between Trinity Park, Duke Park and Old North Durham), including a murder and house that was burned down. There was also mention of the Clark Street/Green Street area as havens for criminal activity. Jim Adams updated on 3 reports of youth criminal activity that have been forwarded to Sgt. Montgomery. There is a limit on what kind of action can be taken on juvenile criminals. Residents say that these juveniles can be identified and they want to know what kind of action can they take to make things happen. CATT is aware of the Clark/Green street area and that uniformed officers are passing through to observe activity. It was noted that the neighborhoods surrounding this area met 2 years ago to take action and nothing much has changed. What can be done to help the situation, since the people from No Man’s Land, tend to move away and cannot come to the meetings? There was more discussions about graffiti on the side of West Durham lumber that is still around 14 days after a request; the resident said that he emailed Capt. Morris and Jim Adams, and received not response. Jim Adams went back to the substation and passed the email onto Tony Scott, who said to contact him directly to receive action on matters like this. A recent victim of a break-in said that the delay of transmitting an incident report from District 1 to 2 is unacceptable — after a week – he called and checked and it hadn’t gotten to District 2.
* City Budget Limitations Talk of Eliminating the PAC City Liaison from the Department of Housing & Community Development. Letters of support for the position should go to the director of the dept.: Charlene Montford, 101 City Hall Plaza
District II Spring Clean-up
* Spring Clean, March 24 Dist 2, at Durham County Stadium 10-3. There will be a new feature, a swap shop: any items not quite ready for landfill can be brought and left and others can take it away. You can, in turn, pick up any items you see that you can use for free.
Updates:
Neighborhood Crime Report
Newman Aguiar explained the role of the listserv and the autodialer. It has been decided that only block captains will receive messages from the dialer and we need to get the list winnowed down to find out if these people still want to be contacted. Those who are currently listed as point people are already in the system.
* Autodialer Programmed Bulletin Board numbers: 1010-British Woods 1011-Duke Park 1012-Duke University 1013-Northgate Park 1014-Old North Durham 1015-Old West Durham 1016-Riverforest 1017-Sparger Rd 1018-Trinity Park 1019-Walltown 1020-Watts Hillandale 1021-Whipporwill Area 1022-Bragtown
* Housing Code Enforcement: Richard Valzonis, Housing Code Administrator, Kevin Easter, Housing, Bennie Fields, field supervisors They gave a slide presentation on the code enforcement process. (This presentation will be placed on the PAC II web site upon receipt – http://www.pac2durham.com/) -Repair only process Court action process takes up to 150 days -Repair or demolish process Process for this takes about 150 days. Six months is not unusual.
Since November of 1999, the dept has been more proactive vs. reactive. Kevin Easter hit the 300 block of Trinity, and this is the new philosophy — targeting blocks, not individual houses first to get maximum impact on an area. The vacant house list is being used to do rehabs and demolitions. About 200 properties are going to get on the next vacant house list.
A question was raised about slumlords that have many properties –is this effective for them? Valzonis feel that it will hurt them in the wallet.
* District II Police Report: printed police crime reports were made available for those not on the listserv.
END