CITIZENS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT WORKING TOGETHER • DURHAM, NC • DISTRICT 2

Home • Minutes • Resources • Forms • Outreach • Grant Information • City of Durham

Our apologizes for not getting last month's very important meeting minutes posted to the listserv. Pam Spaulding broke her finger and was unable to take the minutes. This event has shown us how dependent PAC II is on few key people. It is always that way in volunteer organizations but we are at a point where we could use a few more folks to shadow or co-work a few positions to reduce this problem. Meeting secretary is a very important position for which we need back up. If anyone is interested in sharing this position with Pam please let us know. We will provide the electronic equipment to allow you to take the minutes electronically at the meeting so they do not need to be transcribed into the computer after the meeting. We want to thank Pam for her efforts at this meeting as well as Captain Morris for explaining in detail the issues surrounding ABC licensing and Gilles Meloche from Animal Control (AC) for working with the PAC II community to find solutions to the dog pack problem. Animal Control is a county agency therefore solutions being fielded by PAC II should benefit all of Durham County.

--New PAC II Initiatives

* Partnership with Animal Control (560-0630, 560-0633 [f]; email animalcontrol@co.durham.nc.us)

At last meeting there was vigorous discussion of animal control issues (wild dog packs, cats, organized dog fighting). Pam Spaulding was not present to take minutes at the July PAC2 meeting, so a similar discussion actually took place on the listserv. Kim Willis was able to address many of the questions regarding available AC resources over the listserv as well as the meeting. As a result, a few people have agreed to work on this issue from the community perspective. Sean Haugh (286-1052, seanhaugh@mindspring.com) and Annie Jarabek have met with Gilles Meloche, Animal Control Administrator to work out ways in which the community can help with the dog pack problem. They are going to develop methods for tracking of vicious dog packs in the county. We will pull together all the reports of the incidents; we will give animal control the information that will help AC reduce the problem. The dog pack problem in PAC 3 is out of control as well; sharing information with them on their listserv would be helpful (pac3@yahoogroups.com, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pac3).. Pam will work with Sean to design a reporting form for on the PAC2 web site for submission of dog pack sightings The kind of information to be tracked: number of dogs, time and date, location, descriptions of the dogs (rather than breed), and what kind of nuisance activity (e.g., cat killings, property damage) has occurred. A secondary issues at hand. Animal Control doesn't have enough officers to handle the dog packs, and they don't have enough funding. We need to support their efforts, along with the county commissioners, to take care of the problem. We hope this kind of community volunteerism will encourage other residents to participate in initiatives to take care of the community problems. Gilles Meloche reported at the meeting that all open positions in AC have been filled but the AC personnel are not yet out on the streets.

--Liquor Licensing Procedures

(http://www.pac2durham.com/resources/alcoholpermit.htm) Officer Mark Sherman handles this process for District II, but was not available. Community Liaison Officer Tony Scott <toscott@ci.durham.nc.us> has been fielding the current batch of permit requests. Captain Morris explained how the police handle the community feedback. The police have been frustrated by the fact that community feedback has not been successful in stopping the issuing of licenses. There are several establishments that, after being given a negative recommendation from the police, still got their license from the state. It turns out that the police department has no jurisdiction over the final decision to grant a permit. There has to be a record of volatile criminal action within the business itself for it to be denied a permit. There was a general amount of dismay in the room at this revelation -- what good is getting community feedback if it is basically a rubber stamp process for the state? General crime statistics for the area, number of day care centers, or concentration of the number of permits granted in a neighborhood is not sufficient grounds to deny the license. ABC doesn't have a standard for how many permits in an area are too many. Policies at the state level need to be changed for community input to be effective; concerned citizens must get on local ABC boards to have any effect on giving power back into the hands of neighborhoods. In Walltown, trying to get an establishment on Knox St. denied was nearly impossible to do -- even after the community talked to City Council, the County Commissioners, and the ABC -- all with little success. The District 3 PAC worked to have two convenience stores busted for fencing operations. These charges were pleaded down at the at the legal level, now the community is having a hard time proving to the ABC board that a crime took place at these establishments.

So the only way to affect this issue is to get on the ABC boards to change these policies. Captain Morris said that PAC2 has a distinct advantage on making a public impact with its listserv. It provides an archive and documentation of requests and makes it easier for the police to communicate and gauge public reaction to permits that are being requested. Brooke suggested that PAC2 invite someone from the local ABC board to answer questions about its procedures and policies regarding community input.

-- PAC II Follow-up

* Auto-Dialer: Crime Prevention Officer Jim Adams's <jadams@ci.durham.nc.us> files for neighborhood watch have been purged of old data and it can be imported. *National Night Out Events There were six that occurred: Duke Park, Trinity Park, Whippoorwhill Park, West Durham, Walltown, Old North Durham. There was a great turn out and there was a good opportunity to get neighbors talking and meeting each other. Whippoorwhill Park had about 300 people attend, and they had a raffle. Contact information was taken and they are going to have a neighborhood meeting to get more community involvement from this.

*PAC II By-laws: Brooke wants to have these in place by October, we need to have a structure in place so that there is consistency and continuity with new facilitators.

Operation Identification: Jim Adams and Jeff White have the CD Writer and digital equipment to let residents check them out to record possessions of residents so that they have an inventory.

---Updates

 * Neighborhood Crime Report. This will be distributed some time within the week. On the web site there will be a report each month for the crimes, along with a year to date map. There will be definitions of the different kinds of crimes listed as well.

* Housing and Community Development: A property on 202 E. Club came up before Community Life Court. Lynwood Best and Cynthia Mebane-Watts have been working really hard to get neglected housing into code compliance. The city has asked for PAC participation in developing a running list of businesses and residential dwellings that need code enforcement. Email Cynthia <cmebane-watts@ci.durham.nc.us> or Mike Shiflett <labacm@gte.net> with addresses and cross streets of properties that are substandard. Newman asked if anything could be done about the abandoned Eckerd on Markham and Broad. Unless the building is falling apart or is a hazard, it can remain an empty eyesore.

* Interdepartmental Team Meeting -- Billy Smith: Solid Waste -- he cannot come on an individual basis to do cleanups at homes. A neighborhood association can request a cleanup. Reuben Wall, Parks and Rec: after-school program has started. This is free. Walltown Community Center afterschool program has started and is free.

* Community Concerns:

--A reduction in service for school buses has meant high school students often ride three to a seat and it seems that this is an unsafe way to travel. There is a lot of bullying going on aboard the bus. A resident's daughter is afraid of being on the bus because of the bullying and overcrowding. She talked to Sheriff Evans in the Riverside district. Lt. Blake suggested talking to Dept of Transportation to address overcrowding. On August 30 at City Hall there will be the next gang initiative meeting and the topic will be schools. People suggested that those concerned with this issue attend the meeting. Another suggestion is to attend the school board meeting and voice opinions there. The bus system is a mess in Durham and this mother would not likely be the only person who has complaints about this problem. Lt. Blake reminded people that the school IS responsible for children´s' safety at the school and to their door, and that the principal should be made aware in writing about the problems. Other suggestions:

* With municipal resources tight, ideas like having retired citizens patrol the area to be able to call problems might help.

* Have various mothers meet the children at the stops to alleviate the burden being on one parent.

 --There have been shootings by young people in the 1000 block of Onslow in Walltown generally terrifying neighbors by firing rifles.

--INC is sponsoring a bond referendum on the schools, EMS, libraries 2 Tuesdays from now and will have speakers on the various issues.

--If there are any community members willing to serve on Crimestoppers, they are looking for funding and volunteers. Crime Stoppers must generate all funding they give for rewards as none of the money confiscated from crimes goes to Crime Stoppers, all the money goes to the public schools.

--Rebuild Durham: they need an alternate board member to serve. The organization purchases abandoned homes and renovates them for rental use. Next Gang Forum August 30, City Hall. Topic: Schools.Next PAC2 meeting is scheduled for September 17.

ADJOURN

Minutes submitted by Pam Spaulding

***

IMPORTANT PAC II Contact Information

Web site: http://www.pac2durham.com/

Listserv: pac2@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe: pac2-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe: pac2-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

District 2 Chairs: Brooke Whiteford, 683-6736,
brookewhiteford@yahoo.com; Newman Aguiar, 956-9812,
newman@nc.rr.com

Webmaster/listserv admin: Pam Spaulding,
pspauld@yahoo.com

Commander: Capt. Tommy Morris, 560-4582;

Community Services: Tony Scott, 517-7139,
toscott@ci.durham.nc.us;

Crime Prevention Officer: Jim Adams, 560-4582,
jadams@ci.durham.nc.us

Dept of Housing/Community Development: Cynthia
Mebane-Watts, cmebane-
watts@ci.durham.nc.us, 560-4570; inspectors: Kevin
Easter, 560-
4570/ext.246; Nixon Alexander, 560-4570/ext. 224.

Durham Impact Team, 560-9137, x266

Durham Animal Control, 560-0630, 560-0633 (f);
animalcontrol@co.durham.nc.us

Durham Animal Shelter, 560-0640, 560-0643 (f)

Durham Affordable Housing Coalition: Lorisa Seibel,
683-1185, x25,
lorisa@dahc.org

Durham Public Works/Urban Forestry: Chuck Harris,
560-4228,
charris@ci.durham.nc.us

PAC Grants Coordinator: Valerie Anderson, 560-4309,
560-4899,
vanderson@ci.durham.nc.us

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Sex
Offender
Database: http://sbi.jus.state.nc.us/sor/MainText.htm

Top