Positive
Rewards Program
The Safety Committee's
proposal for a "positive rewards" program won a $500.00 award from
the Madison Safe Neighborhood Coalition.
In this program, the Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association will work
with the Madison Police to give safe drivers positive feedback. This Summer, the police will target good
drivers in the neighborhood and reward their behavior with gift certificates. Please practice your own safe driving
so that you can become eligible for a reward! If you have any comments about the program, please contact
Salvatore Calomino or Jim Zychowicz.
Strategies
for Nuisance Houses
At various times this
Spring, several neighbors have contacted the Safety Committee about problem
houses. One person feels personally
threatened in the evening and early morning by partygoers who get carried away
and behave recklessly. This often
results in loud, rowdy behavior and vandalism. Doorbells have been rung at late
hours, and sometimes one finds people urinating in front yards. One person discovered that her terrace
planting was lifted and dumped onto the street in broad daylight during
Memorial Day weekend. All of this
is disturbing behavior that erodes the confidence of residents about the
stability of the area. We've recommended that the people call the police
whenever this occurs, and the Madison police have assured us that this is
appropriate action. As we mentioned
at our meeting with the Madison police, if the first call does not merit a
response, call again. In addition,
we suggest calling the landlord or rental company about any problem
tenants. If the names and phone
numbers of landlords are not known, consult the city directory at the public
library or use the internet site for the Madison assessor's office to trace the
name and address of the property owner.
It is possible to search by street address. (The Madison Assessor's site is: http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/assessor/assessor.html)
When calling landlords, state the problem clearly and outline your desired remedy. When known, identify names or, at least
apartment numbers and reference any police reports. State the desired action and indicate a time for completing
it. Unless landlords know of these
problems, they may never receive the attention they deserve.
Eliminate
the Ostriches
For everyone's safety, it
is important to keep an eagle eye out for problems and not to leave the
solution for the next person. If
you see something that seems wrong, call your neighbor and, if your neighbor is
not home, call the police. Too
often, we've heard some neighbors tell us that they don't want to be
involved. We've also heard a few
neighbors tell victims not to bother the police when something serious has
occurred. It is natural for ostriches to bury their heads in the sand, but not
good neighbors. Get involved! You would want someone to watch out for
you, too!
Salvatore Calomino
James L. Zychowicz