Partners Against Crime, District II 1-18-01 Meeting Notes
This was the first meeting of the year 2001. The purpose of the meeting was to set agenda and goal items for the year.
2001 Agenda
PAC II over the pervious year has concentrated efforts on information dissimulation. The purpose of the this focus has been to increase community awareness in city, county, police and community efforts that effect crime prevention, quality of life issues and building stronger communities. During this period we have set-up a PAC II web-site as a repository for information, a listserv to promote community communication and the Neighborhood Crime Information System to dispatch timely crime statistics out into the community. PAC II has also purchased a auto-dialer system located at the substation which has yet to be implemented.
Recommended focus for the 2001 year has to do with enhancing and strengthening these systems. We have put together systems that need enhanced connection points of information into the system and information out of the systems.
* Police Connectivity to Information Systems. The District II substation needs help with accessing and developing their own protocols for using the PAC II listserv and auto-dialer system. Newman has agreed to stay on this front and work the District II police in setting up systems.
* Focus on Integration of Information Systems to the Neighborhood Level. PAC II has focused on developing information systems based on computer based technologies. There has been full awareness that not all PAC II residents have access to computers. PAC II has found volunteers to develop these systems with the idea that neighborhood associations would become responsible for dissimulating the information at the block level.
Auto-dialer: Where the Neighborhood Crime Information System is used to relay information of reported crimes the auto-dialer will be used to relay information of concerns and the possibility of criminal activity. PAC I and III have also purchased auto-dialer systems. There is an effort underway for members from these districts to work together to develop systems for the auto-dialer. It is not possible to call everyone in the district with late breaking news of possible criminal activity so the idea is being floated of using the Neighborhood Watch System as a method of getting this information out into the community. There will designated individuals per neighborhood (Block Captains) that will receive the call from the substation and it will their responsibility to get the information out to their neighbors.
Neighborhood Watch Programs: What actions can PAC II take to facilitated strong Neighborhood Watch Programs in District II? Some of the discussion centered on the issues that what we are building is strong communities. Ideas that were generated were:
* Build Awareness: Marketing to Organizations and new homeowner through closing attorney or realtors, TV or other media.
* Systems Package: PAC II now has systems to offer neighborhoods to help connect their Block Captains to the District II substation. These include the PAC II Listserv and Neighborhood Crime Information System. Soon to be implemented auto-dialer system and enhanced Operation Identification (see Block Grant Money Allocation below).
* Keeping the Interest Ongoing: Yearly event focuses, effort to enhance community connections through block parties and other activities.
* New Visibility: New Community Neighborhood Watch Signs.
Block Grant Money Allocation District II Block Grant allocations for Feb. deadline $5,000 total.
* District II Substation Printer: Which will also print the PAC II agendas.
* PAC II Administrative Items.
* Operation Identification: A digital camera, 2 engravers, and 1000 door stickers. The idea is for citizens to document and identify their possessions. This help in three ways, it enhances a communities target hardening characteristics. If anything is stolen, they can make more complete crime reports and if the stolen goods are recovered, then they can more easily be reunited to their owners. Being able to return stolen goods to the crime victim’s results in the police solving crimes. Third it helps with insurance claims for items not located by the police. Officer Adams pointed out that the police auctions held two and three times a year consist mostly of unclaimed stolen goods. These items will be available to any resident to check out and use for some time the items will be kept at the District II substation. Neighborhood Block parties that focus on marking and documenting items can be encouraged with the Neighborhood Watch Program.
Speaker request for the year 2001:
* Housing Code Enforcement: Understand the code enforcement process. February Meeting.
* Nuisance Abatement Tactics: Methods, procedures and does it work. * Neighborhood Watch: From the community perspective.
* Hope Six Project: Few Gardens public housing is going to be demolished or revamped and 240 families will be displaced
* Zoning Enforcement: Planning Department, (Karen Bird, Pratt Simmons)
* Animal Control: PAC II had an Animal Control Officer in the 2000 calendar year. The request came up again.
Next meeting is Feb. 19, 2001 at E.K. Powe Elementary School on Ninth St.