South Side group tackles blight and crime

The South Side Business and Resident Association meeting Oct.19 featured several guest speakers who addressed blight and crime issues.

Tamara McRae, city blight officer for the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth wards, told the group how to report blight and provided before and after pictures of blight that has recently been eliminated.

"The South Side Task Force has been a tremendous help here," McRae said. "They brought in a dumpster and helped residents clean up," she said.

Art Wenzlaff distributed property referral documents. The group has used this form to help McRae identify neighborhood properties that need attention. People can call the blight hot line at (810) 237-2090 or bring the form to City Hall or Wenzlaff at International Academy who will deliver them to the blight office. Residents can remain anonymous but need to provide the address and a description of the possible violation.

David Caswell introduced the group to Code Red, a network of computers, cell phones and home phones used to report crime in neighborhoods.

"Code Red is a service provided by local vendors that has been in use for the past three months by members of the College Cultural Association Crime Watch," Caswell said. "The group has 50 residents involved in the project at a cost of $15 month. They are taking steps to connect Mott Community College Police to the network and exploring ways to connect the city's 911 call center," Caswell continued.

According to Caswell, the group is going to expand to 100 users. The system has a capacity of up to 400 users.

"Code Red is the eyes and ears of the Flint police," Caswell said. "If suspicious activity is observed, the first call is to 911, the second call is to Code Red to advise connected people about the potential danger. Any individual in the network can initiate a call when they observe criminal activity in the neighborhood. A second 'all clear' call is advisable after the criminal activity is abated," Caswell said.

Raynetta Speed, Genesee County Land Bank, said that by the end of October her group would have completed a second tour of the city to cut grass and clean up debris at Land Bank houses. She also reported a number of burned out homes on Jane Street will be coming down soon.

Elise Benveniste, a research assistant with a Michigan State University sociology project, updated members on the three-year project that examines interaction between the biological environment and social change at McKinley Park and two other Flint sites.

Different types of grasses were planted to determine which looks best and has the least maintenance. Then residents in a 45-block area were surveyed about the changes. Information gathered by project members will determine if the change will affect the sociability of the neighborhood.

The project leader is Dr. Thom Nikolai, an academic specialist with the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology.

In a Flint Journal interview, he said that the team hopes to combine the attachment value embedded in lawns with growing and maintaining healthy turf to build community capacity and help contribute to Flint's economic recovery.

Flint Police Officer Chris Bigelow commented on the mayor's comments earlier in the day stating that more than 50 employees could be laid off, many of them in public safety, if the administration, unions, city council and voters don't agree on a plan to achieve necessary budget savings.

"I'm sure all of you have had to wait when you have called the police," Bigelow said. "There are not enough of us to go around. High priority calls go to the top of the list, lower priority calls go to the bottom.

"But if you look at the total calls, you can see that the South Side Task Force is having an effect on call volume in its area," Bigelow said.

Asked by a Blue Badge volunteer if responding to a house alarm call would be appropriate, Bigelow said it would be unsafe and that volunteers lack arrest powers.

The group will meet next at 11:45 a.m. Nov. 16 at Applegate Chevrolet, 3637 S. Saginaw St.

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