Historical April–May 2018 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
On a cold night in the end of January approximately 50 of your neighbors met in an effort to breathe new life into the block captain program.
These efforts started in October after a community meeting held at New Cote Brilliant.
The SD wide meeting was arranged as a result in the uptick in personal crime seen in the neighborhood over a two week span in the Fall. Multiple carjackings prompted an urgent call for neighbors to come together.
A group of neighbors thought that a block captain program would certainly help the situation and recruited other neighbors to help.
The committee quickly identified three central themes that block captains could be instrumental in addressing. • how do we disseminate information on our blocks • how to we bring awareness to safety and security • how to we keep neighbors alert and aware of what is happening on their block and in the neighborhood.
In conjunction with SDCC, the current security committee and with the generous help of many who have led Block Captain efforts over the years, committee co-chairs reached out to neighbors already serving and solicit new block captains.
The meeting was held on 1/29 and in addition neighbors there was representation from • SLMPD • Wash U Police Department • Brian Kolde (NIS) • Deanna Murphy (NIS) • Representatives from the SDCC Board • Alderwoman Heather Navarro At the meeting the following information was shared; We currently have 32 blocks we are tracking (33 if Parkview, is counted as one entity). Eighteen blocks have identified captains while fourteen do not. Current and prospective block captains in attendance that night were provided with a packet of information and a template for gathering contact information from their neighbors.
The goals of the program include identifying a block captain or captains for each block and providing them with tools to facilitate communication between neighbors. How do we do that? By gathering contact information for their block thus facilitating communications by e-mails, texts, and /or phone trees.
These may come in the form of an urgent email about a crime, AFTER 911 has been called or it may be as simple as-does anyone want to meet for happy hour on my front steps tomorrow night?
In addition to communicating with their block the hope is that once or twice a year neighbors from each block can meet to discuss issues on their block and even walk their block, front and alleys and identify areas of concern. Is there a problem property on your block? Is there a neighbor who could use some help with lighting or tree trimming. What can YOUR block do to increase safety and security. What would neighbors like to see happening on their block.
With that information the SDCC office can help you make this happen. Communicating with one another as well as with the SDCC office, Executive Directo Brandon Sterling and Karen Kelsey is a crucial part of this initiative. Your block captain needs your HELP to do this.
The Block Captain does not have to be one person but can be numerous neighbors who work together.
These duties can be delegated by the block captain if someone offers to help.
The goal is not to make work for one person but to increase communication among many which in turn makes for a safer community. ou are interested in being a block captain for your block please contact Molly Mulcahy or Cristina McGroarty.
We will gladly share with you tools we have developed to facilitate the process of finding a way to communicate with your neighbors. So what’s next?
We need more block captains. Do you live on any of the blocks who do not have a block captain or captains identified.
If so please contact the SDCC office or Molly Mulcahy (molly.mulcahy1@gmail.com) or Cristina. McGroarty) mcgroartys@sbcglobal.net) 5700 McPherson 5700 Pershing 5700 Waterman 5800 DeGiverville 5800 Kingsbury 5800 Pershing 5900 Washington 5900 Waterman 6000 Kingsbury 6000 Lindell 6100 Lindell 6100 Waterman The next step for this committee is to focus on Blitz Day. Attendance and participation has been down in recent years and we are looking at this year’s Blitz Day as a day for neighbors to get out and meet or catch up with one another.
This is a day focused on neighbors working together to clean up their street and alleys.
A great opportunity to make sure everyone is communicating or that there is an organized communication mode.
It is also a great time to walk the alleys after cleaning them up to see what some areas of improvement might be. Contact your block captain and get involved. Don’t know who your Block Captain is?
We haven’t asked for their permission yet so we are not publishing it the list of current block captains here but contact Brandon or Karen at the SDCC office and they can connect you with your block captain.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, April–May 2018.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Source starts paragraph ou are interested, prints Directo and unmatched contact parentheses. Preserve source omissions without inventing missing wording. Full continuation on page nine retained.
Original source: SD_Times2018_04.pdf, printed page(s) 7, 9; PDF page(s) 7, 9.
