Report from the Safety Committee
We are pleased to chair the Safety Committee of the Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association and look forward to the coming year. In heading the safety committee for the TLNA, we want to help improve the quality of life in our area. As home owners in the neighborhood, we are aware of the challenges that face us in this part of the city. In facing them, we hope to dispel the biases that exist between homeowner, landlord, and renter, and encourage the commonality of being residents of the same neighborhood.
Calls to the Police and Other Authorities
Each of us, alone, does not have solutions, but can make a difference as a group. In our own dealings with the city and the police, we find it important to communicate actual incidents (for example, vandalism, excessive noise, verbal abuse, physical attacks, etc.) so that those in positions of authority have an idea of what might be happening in our neighborhood. We encourage you to call the police when necessary. If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 911; for other matters, call the non-emergency police number 255-2345.
Some of our own neighbors have expressed fear of making calls, since they do not want to bother the police. However, unless the police know about a situation, they cannot do anything. When you call, make certain to state at the beginning whether or not it is life-threatening, and then proceed to state the problem clearly. Some situations may merit an officer immediately, while others may take longer to handle or, as often occurs with vandalism, may be covered with a self- reporting form.
Looking out for Each Other
We can also help each other by watching for potential problems. If you see something happening to your neighbor or your neighbor’s property, lend a hand by helping or calling for help. It does no good to stare through the window while something serious is happening; nor is it useful to remain silent when you know something is wrong.
Lights
We can also assist ourselves and others by taking precautions. A well-lit area is often safer, and as winter approaches, we need to keep our houses and other dwellings lighted. Porch lights and other area lighting can help to discourage intruders. You may want to observe your home at night to see if any places need to be illuminated. At times, it is possible to redirect a floodlight to assist in illuminating a driveway or other area.
Street lights are critical for neighborhood safety. Please note that the city does not monitor street lights to see if they are functional, and it is up to residents to report outages. If you notice street lights out in an area, please call the city about the problem (266-4767 for the Department of Traffic Engineering/Traffic Signs/Signals and Street Light Maintenance) In case of emergency, call the police, and for your own power problems call MG&E. Yet problems with city lights need to be handled by contacting the city directly In our own experience, we’;ve learned that the city only responds when residents call; let’s make certain our neighborhood is safe by doing so!
Future Plans
As we mentioned at the November meeting of the TLNA, we plan to invite the police officers responsible for our neighborhood to the February or March meeting. At that time we would like to hear what the police are doing for safety and also to make the police aware of concerns that are important to us as a neighborhood. We hope that this results in effective communication that will improve things for all of us. (We will announce the meeting in the Newsletter when plans are in place.)
How to Contact Us
We also would like to know about situations that affect the neighborhood so that we can bring concerns to light within the TLNA and, if need be, other groups. It is best to send e-mail or to leave a message on our answering machine. Again, we look forward to working with you this year!
Sal Calomino
Jim Zychowicz
255-7954