Friday, March 7, 2008

Core value

Back in November, I wrote a series of posts about the challenges facing one of Lincoln's fragile neighborhoods. The posts ended with Outside the bubble on November 16. It was a plea for help. There simply is no way, given the economic and social problems this area confronts, that the police acting alone can restore its health and well-being. In January, the Lincoln Journal Star published an insightful week-long special report, The Core on this same issue.

Help is on the way. Mayor Chris Beutler, flanked by the heads of a bevy of public and private organizations, announced yesterday at a morning press conference that the City is launching “Stronger Safer Neighborhoods”, an initiative aimed at attacking these issues in a more holistic manner. Former planning commission chairman Jon Carlson has been hired as a mayoral aide to coordinate the diverse activities, and he will be assigned to the police department, which will direct the project.

We will continue to devote some major police effort to this area, but the approach includes other elements, such as codes enforcement, social services, and economic development. It's going to be a block-by-block, alley-by-alley, and even building-by-building effort to identify problems, and figure out what resources can be brought to bear to improve those conditions. This could be making life miserable for a resident crack dealer, getting outpatient mental health care for a problematic tenant, training a landlord on how to do a decent background check, forcing an owner to bring a deteriorated building up to code, getting a graffiti-covered dumpster replaced, or finding a low interest loan for a resident who needs help rehabilitating a house.

Although his job title is administrative assistant to the mayor, Mr. Carlson is being assigned to the police department. We've cleared out a vacant office right down the hall from mine for his command post, and he'll be ready to hit the ground running on day one, next Thursday. He will be assigned as a member of the Southwest Police Team, because that's the place we intend to start this initiative. We've done similar work before, including Free to Grow in the Center Team Area, and the work we've been doing in the Southwest Team Area with Project Safe Neighborhoods. But this is clearly something more comprehensive than our usual problem-oriented policing projects.

Law enforcement has a clear role to play, but you might think that it's not exactly the bailiwick of the police to manage a project of this scope where social services and economic development are major thrusts. I think the Mayor asked us to take on the coordination of his initiative simply because he trusts us the most to make it happen. His faith is well placed.

Job one will be to lay out the baseline data that will be the indicators of success, and I am confident we can make a huge difference in the core with the collaboration of others, and the infusion of human and financial capital. We look forward to the challenge.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really hope Mr Carlson will ask for suggestions and listen to the officers/sgts that work in the area for advice rather then start projects that will just waste time. And another issue is he is a large landlord of "Core" properties. I hope this is a added incentive rather then a problem. The lower income people who live in this area have no other area to move to. We need more cops and programs to make a difference. I can tell a difference just when the SW team is at full capacity vs 3 down.

Anonymous said...

This is exciting! Hopefully this will spell some big changes in the Core and other areas of town that could use a little TLC. Sounds like a step in the right direction!

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to see the turn around!

Anonymous said...

I believe there is a city ordinance that states that "No more than three unrelated adults can reside in a single family dwelling".

Will that finally start being enforced?

Gun Nut

Anonymous said...

Have you read all the negative, fearful, distrustful reactions on the LJS site? Are these attitudes prevalent with the people you're trying to help with programs like these, or is it just that online comments invite negative reaction?

Tom Casady said...

Anonymous 2:49-

Newspapers' anonymous comments are hardly a cross section of public opinion. They tend to greatly over represent the most ardent anti-everything attitudes out there.

Gun nut-

That's a good example of a difficult-to-enforce ordinance that we may not be able to hammer everywhere, but we sure ought to pay attention to in our most vulnerable areas.

Anonymous said...

To continue yesterdays post about having my minor son cited for mip I will update with the following. My son has been ordered to treatment.That was prior to the mip.
Also, today, I found a chat my son had. I use webwatcher.com
So here is the skinny. My son boasts that he stole my hundred dollars. That was two years ago and he swore that a neighbor boy did it. He has, in the last two weeks taken oxycontin. His friend stole it from an aunt. He also sold about thirty of our DVDS last summer. He maintains that some one else stole them, perhaps the tooth fairy? I am all but done with his games and lies. Monday we meet with the caseworker and counselor. I am going to disclose the source of my information at that time. So my webwatcher software will be useless after that. But I think the last two years have came to a head. I dont know what the juvinile court judge can do at this point, counseling has failed and treatment has failed. My son even boasts that if he were an adult he could have paid a fine and saved thusands of dollars of the tax payers money he is a state ward). Any parenting tips is welcome at this time.

Anonymous said...

Being a cop is like being a big ping pong paddle. You just whack the problem to a different part of the city. I'm sure this project will help this neighborhood but in a couple years we will be talking about the same problems in another area of town. The ball is coming SW, Your serve!!

Anonymous said...

Maybe that "No more than three unrelated adults can reside in a single family dwelling" ordinance is something else we can use along with maintaining a disorderly house at the party calls.

Anonymous said...

Anon. 4:38PM. Sorry about your son. My sympathy is with you. Believe me I know exactly what your going through. I went through the same thing. My son is now in his thirties and still hasn't straightened up. Even after years of counseling, police involvement, boys homes, Christian schools, even prison. I sincerly wish I had some answers for you, but I don't. Sounds like the ball is pretty much in his court. All you can do is keeping loving him and be suportive of any and all postive steps he takes and hope he sees the light. He's got to want to do the right thing and until he does nothing will do any good. If you know in your heart you've done the best you know how at raising him, don't beat yourself up over it.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, the SW “core” neighborhood is a result of the parallels social stratification imposes on our community. If it’s not this area, it will soon be another. Good luck LEO’s and please stay safe in your efforts.

Anonymous said...

Anon. 4:38, My Daddy would have kicked my butt and straightened me out a long time ago.

Anonymous said...

It's probably not something you can comment on publicly, but I was wondering if you had any concerns over the Hy-Vee on Leighton street holding its lease for the next 5 years and if it will have on the University place neighborhood.

I live in the East Campus area, and I'm a bit worried about this myself. It's not that I think crime will suddenly explode in the area, but having a huge building sit vacant for five years certainly isn't something I want to see, especially when it's such a fixture there, getting lots and lots of foot traffic.