NEIGHBORHOOD TAKES BACK THEIR STREETS AND WANTS TO SHARE THEIR SUCCESS! MERCED, CA - Residents declare their crime fighting efforts a success as they celebrate reclaiming their neighborhood. Residents have invited local officials and have planned a neighborhood street fair to celebrate their success. Its been almost a year since Les Faulkner and other residents of the Rivera Mobile Estates started their partnership with the Merced Police Department as part of their community effort to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in their North Highway 59 neighborhood. Residents approached the police department regarding conditions in their neighborhood that were causing fear and anxiety. The condition included drug dealing, intimidation, prostitution and thefts. The residents said that repeated complaints were made to management at the complex, but conditions did not improve. The residents were told about the police department’s “Operation Safe Streets Program” which guides residents through using the Civil Court process to work with property owners to eliminate criminal activity and to clean up nuisance properties in neighborhoods. Owners and property managers are encouraged to be responsible owners by working with residents to reduce crime and evict problem tenants. Owners who knowingly allowed criminal activity and nuisances to exist were advised that the Safe Streets group planned to sue them in civil court. Lt. Matthews, who coordinates the department’s Safe Streets program, said that each tenant and every person in the tenants household can file suit in civil court for up to ten-thousand dollars in damages. Often, a “Safe Streets” group consists of ten through twenty residents who are willing document criminal activity and wiling to sue unresponsive\negligent property owners. Matthews said with that number of residents (10 -20) participating, negligent property owners could suffer substantial financial losses if the civil court agrees with tenants and find that negligent property owners allowed or ignored criminal and nuisance activity on their property. Matthews said Safe Streets differs from the neighborhood watch approach in that neighbors identify a specific problem property that is having a negative impact on the quality of life in the neighborhood. Neighbors first notify the property owner that there is a problem and try to work with the property owner(s) to restore stability to a neighborhood. If the property owner does not resolve the problem, then residents provide written documentation about the specific activities that occur on the problem property and advise the owner that they plan to file suit in civil court unless the owner takes action to prevent the criminal activity and or nuisance. Often, property owners evict problem tenants once they are advised of criminal activity and or once they are shown the documentation of activity that is occurring on their property. Over the last year, a core group of residents attended both neighborhood watch meetings in the neighborhood and Operation Safe Street meetings at the police department. As part of the Safe Streets meetings the group kept logs of criminal activity and nuisance activity that they observed at specific properties in the neighborhood. The group met, weekly, at the police department to evaluate their progress and develop strategies. The group adopted the motto “the squeaky wheel gets greased”, so they were persistent in tactfully making sure that police officials and property management stayed informed and aware of their concerns. One of the “Safe Streets” group’s spokespersons, Les Faulkner and the group secretary, Patti Patton said at times it was hard to keep the group involved in both a Safe Streets meetings and Neighborhood Watch meetings. However, they felt two separate meetings were needed because people responsible for drug dealing and other criminal activity around their homes would sometimes show up at neighborhood watch meeting and intimidate residents who were working with police. As part of the Safe Streets process, notice was given to all property owners regarding the neighborhood concerns. Once all property owners, with an interest in properties in the neighborhood, were notified they hired Judy Price as a property manager. Mrs. Price the neighborhood residents and police representatives met and developed a partnership established goals to work together to address criminal activity and neighborhood nuisance issues. Many of the residents are senior citizens, some with limited financial resources, and initially some were concerned that addressing the problems in their community might result increased cost that they could not afford. However, the property owners and Mrs. Price worked with the residents and together they came up with some low cost and no cost methods of addressing nuisance issues. To address crime issues the management hired private security for certain hours, police officers increased patrols in the area and based on information from residents, officers identified those involved in criminal activity and were able to make arrest. The Rivera Mobile Estate Safe Streets group serves as an example of what happens when residents get involved, what neighbors can accomplish when they also participate in the effort to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood and how to work as a partner with law enforcement to reduce crime. The October 25, 2014 event is the group’s way of celebrating what their hard work, over the past year, has yielded, A neighborhood they are proud to call home. New Property Manager: Riviera Holiday Mobile Estates Judy Price Property Manager 2500 North Hwy. 59 Merced, CA 95348 209-626-5352 Office 925-997-2380 Mobile
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 02:45:31 +0000