July-August 2005

Syracuse United Neighbors: We're taking back our streets

By Philip Prehn
 
Ask any Syracuse United Neighbors (SUN) leader about their number one concern and you will hear the same answer – the streets aren’t safe. Too many neighborhoods in Syracuse are overwhelmed by a frightening combination of drugs, gangs and guns. Too many young people have lost their lives to this menace and too many neighborhood residents live in fear that a family member will be next.

Amanda Pascall, of Syracuse United Neighbors, leads tour of community trouble spots.

SUN has long had a successful “Hot Spot” card program to give anonymous information to police on drug houses. In the early 1990s, SUN convinced the city to create a Nuisance Abatement law to shut down houses with three or more drug arrests in a two-year period. In the past year, SUN put that law to work, organizing residents to testify at numerous Nuisance Abatement hearings. The results have been impressive, with sanctions levied on nine problem properties, including the closure of a corner store that had 14 arrests in the past year.

Still, too many people were afraid of certain corners and blocks that had reputations as bad as the Wild West – shootings, drug dealing, fights and vandalism. After being inspired by this year’s National Peoples Action conference, the anti-crime committee decided to hold Syracuse’s newly appointed police chief accountable. At a May 24 public meeting, over 100 SUN leaders packed the cafeteria at Beard School to make sure that Chief Gary Miguel understood that the old ways of dealing with crime problems weren’t working.

Lori Covington lives on the city’s southside and is the only homeowner on her short block. There are also three vacant houses, a house owned by the neighborhood’s worst slumlord and a problem corner store that attracts loiterers and drug dealers. Lori laid out SUN’s main demand: an officer with some power that will work with SUN to develop alternative policing strategies for specific blocks and street corners. SUN believes combining information from residents of the block, the clout of the police chief’s office and the efforts of other agencies, such as code enforcement, health department, probation and child protective services can put a serious dent in entrenched drug operations.

Despite the chief’s initial attempts to sidestep the question by saying the police department already had a working relationship with SUN, the commitment was finally made. In addition, the police chief committed to educating the public on how the police department’s Family Services Division deals with crimes committed by youths under the age of 16 and to establish a class that will teach officers to communicate with Spanish speakers.

Since that meeting, Deputy Police Chief Frank Fowler was appointed to work with SUN and has already gone on a tour with the leaders of SUN’s southwest neighborhood. The tour investigated what neighbors refer to as the “Southwest Crack Trail” – a series of pathways behind several vacant houses where drugs are sold and used. The anti-crime committee is excited to have direct access to a police officer with significant clout and who is very receptive to working with the community. SUN is working hard to take back our streets.

(Philip Prehn is a senior organizer with Syracuse United Neighbors.)