Crime-weary neighbors near the Q River said they want to be “obnoxious” toward troublemakers and lawbreakers, but they don’t want to be vigilantes.
More than a dozen neighbors spoke about their efforts to defend their area in the wake of a string of burglaries, at a Quinnipiac River Community Group at Waucoma Yacht Club Tuesday night.
They discussed how to confront people who create problems in the area without trying to act like cops.
Especially when it comes to drug use and prostitution on neighborhood streets. David Zakur (pictured) said it’s often enough to just go outside and stare at these unwelcome visitors to get them to leave.
Heather Findlay advised members of the group to be utterly obnoxious — to walk out of their homes with a camera and cell phone in hand, to take photos and call the police.
“If you can log the cars, the plate numbers, and descriptions of the people, and make any kind of pattern out of that,” and call police district manager Lt. Luiz Casanova, she said, “he’ll do something about it.”
“Police are professionals; we’re not professionals,” Chris Ozyck cautioned. “There’s a fine line there. They don’t want you going out looking” for criminals. “They don’t want you to get hurt.” He said block watches are advised against that level of aggressive behavior.
Ozyck, who facilitated this month’s meeting, said the group’s high-profile advocacy has gained the ears of top city officials, who often attend the meetings (but were not present at this one). He said the neighborhood — which spans both sides of the Quinnipiac River — is looking much better due to the group’s efforts.
But problems remain. One is the number of burglaries. Ozyck (pictured on the left with Fair Haven Heights Alderman Alex Rhodeen on the right) said his house had recently been broken into. Jerry Dunklee said his house was also burglarized, and a computer stolen.
Several people said they’d like to have a way to get in touch with each other immediately if they see illegal activity going on. There’s already an email list, but perhaps a phone tree? (No action was taken on that proposal.)
At least three of those at the meeting were new. Pat Bissell brought her friend Deborah Powell (pictured left to right at the top of the story), who both live on Lombard Street near Front Street. Powell said she lives next door to a house that was raided recently. “I’m so happy. I can sleep now; it’s quiet.”
Bissell said the noise coming from the house was so bad that the neighbors got together to sign a petition, which they presented to Lt. Casanova and to the state police narcotics squad, which took action.
Not-So-Calmed Traffic
David Zakur also noted that Front Street at long last has been reopened to traffic all the way to Middletown Avenue, which he and others said is a mixed blessing. “It’s less circuitous [to get through the neighborhood] now,” he said, “but it’s a little straighter than I thought it would be, and buses have been speeding down it.” He said no traffic calming measures had been taken.
On another traffic calming issue, Quinnipiac Avenue was striped with white lines, which enabled parking and slowed down traffic. The extra-wide sidewalks on both sides of the river will enable both pedestrians and cyclists to ride a loop between the Grand Avenue bridge and the Ferry Street bridge.
Dunklee (pictured) was amazed at the explosion of tagging (graffiti) on every available surface in the neighborhood and beyond, including on some private homes. Alderman Rhodeen said he and alders Erin Sturgis-Pascal (Fair Haven), Roland Lemar (East Rock) and Moti Sandman (Beaver Hill) have called upon the Livable City Initiative to create a quick response team to cover the graffiti as soon as it appears. This concern had already surfaced in the current issue of Grand News, a newspaper covering the east side of New Haven, which was passed out at the meeting.
Rhodeen mentioned that the PERF (Police Executive Research Firm) has found more than 30 qualified candidates to take over from police chief Cisco Ortiz. “One of the questions to them can be, ‘Do you have thoughts on building a civilian network where people can share information or be notified that information is requested?’”
Ozyck joked, “Instead of the signs you see about ‘no snitching,’ we can all be snitches.”
Ozyck also reported on the latest developments with Crosby Realty, dba Gateway Terminals. The company is opposing a zone change supported by the neighborhood from heavy industrial to business/marine, because the change would restrict their business.
“I personally think an industrial waterfront with marine-related businesses is fantastic,” he said. “I’m sick of the condos” that have proliferated along both sides of the river.
At the end of the meeting, different individuals signed up to facilitate the monthly meetings almost through the end of the year.