|
|
Linda
Rufft (left) and Shirley Richmond (right) stand
in front of a Neighborhood Watch sign they had group
members
post on their windows after the city dragged
its feet on yet another issue.The women responded
by
making their own signs.
By:
Tony Stieritz
Working In Neighborhoods Action Organizing Project
North
College Hill, Ohio
The Working In Neighborhoods Action Organizing Project’s
members are taking their neighborhoods back in the city of North
College Hill, and their list of victories on blight and crime issues
keeps growing.
The group is teaching its city officials that it doesn’t work
to say no to the residents. When city officials gave WIN Action
Organizing Project members a “No” to any of their demands
for safe and clean neighborhoods, the organization fought harder
to get a “Yes.”
“We have been able to establish communication between the
police, fire, and city officials that we never had before,”
said Pat Hendricks, a WIN Action Organizing Project leader and North
College Hill resident.
Earlier in the year WIN Action Organizing Project members decided
to initiate a Hot Spot Card Program so that crime watchers could
remain anonymous, and the police could be held accountable on their
progress in addressing crime. At first city officials balked at
the idea because they wanted total control of it, but WIN Action
Organizing Project decided to implement the program anyway. Now
the program is so successful that police and code enforcement officials
are asking how they can get more cards.
The group also won Neighborhood Watch signs at every city entrance
and park to advertise their strength and vigilance in fighting crime.
WIN Action Organizing Project members got a local bank to pay for
the signs because the city claimed that it did not have the funds.
When the city started dragging its feet about putting up the signs,
the group went back to the bank manager to let her know. As a result,
residents saw the signs go up the next day.
“We believe these issues are important to maintain standards
in our community,” Hendricks said. “We take a stand
on issues and we nag city hall about them. In the end, we have gotten
positive results from our actions.”
This past year the group also convinced the city to allocate $10,000
towards blight abatement. The day their city council was to vote
to cut the code enforcement position, residents packed the meeting
and changed the council members' minds. They testified why fighting
blight and vacant properties is essential
to the city’s future. After giving countless campaign promises
to listen to their residents, city council members realized that
listening to WIN Action Organizing Project was essential to their
future.
After flexing so much muscle over the past year,
WIN Action Organizing Project is getting results and city officials
are eager to please the organization’s members. Now through
the Hot Spot Cards and a successful “blight tour” through
the neighborhoods, police and code enforcement officials are continually
cracking down on blight and crime. They even bring reports back
to the group monthly on their progress. WIN Action Organizing Project
members are not only reducing crime, but teaching their officials
to say yes to their own residents!
|
|
|
