About 60 residents of Fishtown blocked off the 95S ramp and Girard Avenue near Susquehanna Avenue last night for about two hours from 8 to 10pm, all demanding more police response to drugs and crime in the neighborhood. Police officers showed up on the scene, but left it to the residents to redirect traffic, while the police ordered in dinner. Most residents remarked that they didn't even know the district had that many officers.

It all started via a Fishtown Neighborhood Association Meeting last night at 7pm, called on emergency basis, to discuss problem neighbors. L&I issues were first discussed, and then the group moved on to discussing drug and crime issues.

There was clearly outrage from many residents who felt like they had come and reported the same drug houses for 4-5 years, with no response or change. Police show up, allegedly, and say there's nothing they can do. Meanwhile, the residents have told them where they can go to see drugdealing every night and they say they won't or ignore them. After a shooting in the neighborhood last week near Norris and Thompson Streets, residents asked that police leave a car there that night. They refused. A local resident in his early 50's saw a large group of teens causing a huge problem on his corner. He went out and shined a flashlight in their eyes and told them to go anywhere but not his corner. Five of them proceeded to attack him--multiple residents called the police, and when they finally showed up, the largest attacker was there and still taunting him...apparently the police wouldn't arrest him because he was 17.

An elderly woman reported four teens sitting on her car; she went out and told them to please get off it, and they proceeded to let the air out of her tires. They were still there when the cops showed up and they apparently knew the boys and did nothing.

The residents were trying to decide when to plan the closing off and decided then would be best, while the anger and momentum were fresh.

The protest ended with a visit from the captain. There will be a meeting next Thursday at the Fishtown Rec Center at the corners of Montgomery and Moyer Streets to address citizen's complaints.

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Resident of Fishtown, Moderator of Fish/No. Libs/Kenzo forum, Real Estate Agent-Prudential Fox & Roach

Um, that's great organization, but why blockade I-95? I'm missing something there- sounds more like the classi psych 101 "frustration attack response" where people lash out at the first thing near them-

Wouldn't it be more constructive to go picket AT the police district station?
At City Hall? at the Police commissioner's office?

Hal

Or with signs...or with a clear leader, appropriate chants, a set start and end date, a clear purpose, a clear goal...yes, yes.

I think residents are very angry and vocal and felt enpowered by the blockade last night...so in that respect, it was good. It did seem to piss a lot of people driving off, who were clueless as to why people were blocking the road.

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Resident of Fishtown, Moderator of Fish/No. Libs/Kenzo forum, Real Estate Agent-Prudential Fox & Roach

Damn, you guys over in fishtown really came together! Wow, I hope things work out for you all over there in terms of police protection.

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Hey, if it works then do it. You could have stood around in front of City Hall for 17 and a half years and no one would notice or care. Blockage of I-76 ramps got results and the Captain will meet with you next week.

Keep up the pressure. Neighborhood organizations are too nice in this city. There must be something about "quaker civility" or ........

True - I sometimes wonder how many are homeless, and how are anti Rizzo hunger strikers who never got the message and just never left
- sorta like the Japanese guys who were holed up in the Pacific after WWII but never got the message the war was over.

True, but it will also get you run over and beaten with a tire iron.

A better tactic would be to hop on the El have the protest down at Channel 3 & Fox along Market Street- disgruntled Fishtown residents outside protesting and throwing mini donuts at passing police cars-

Of course, you'll want to get day old donuts from the various stores, since you'll want to send fresh donuts to each City council person's office on the police committee with a nice big letter explaining why you want police to react-

You don't necessarily want to play just to the Concilmemebers, but also win over their staff- people who return phone calls and get the work done.

If you really want to win people over with a full court press, I'd get the next Fishtown block party setup, and be sure to get invitations and directions to the people who work in the various City Councilmembers offices- perhaps also the office workers in the local police district.


Hal

http://www.hallwatch.org/news/1047491796919

A great article on Hallwatch.org about getting drug houses out of the neighborhood.

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Resident of Fishtown, Moderator of Fish/No. Libs/Kenzo forum, Real Estate Agent-Prudential Fox & Roach

Maybe this is a point we are all needed to understand,
As long as the Police fail to respond to the Crime in our neighborhood, and as long as L&I continues to ignore resident complaints then action needs to be taken. I will admit that it was not as organized as it could have been, but it was effective in the sense that it not only got the meeting next week, but it also pulled about 100 reisdents together and that in itself was worth the effort. Will we get the solutins we want at next weeks meeting, probably not, should we do it again, YES, because bottom line people are not going to listen and respond unless you inconvenience them. What is the saying, "The wheel that squeks gets the oil"?
My only charge to you all is where will you be next week?

:rolling_:

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Sometimes you just have to do something.

One of my great frustrations with OCCA (Old City) was that the group had enough money to exist (so it didn't organize to raise money) and never seemed to want to get off its collective ass to protest something (like the porno/message parlors, etc.).

Sometimes you just have to do stuff to get people going - it should be focussed - not one of these everything's wrong sort of things - and it should be geared to get some results so that people can feel good about taking part.

Sounds like you succeeded on all levels. Now, on to the ultimate goal.

Can I play devil's advocate for a minute?

I found out after Wednesday night that the police captain asked to come to the Wednesday night meeting at the Rec center, but was told that he was not welcome.

Why, then, was the action taken and the (at least temporary) resolution to have a meeting with the captain? After all, he had volunteered to do that before the action was taken.

[I can think of a few answers on each side of the argument, but I want to hear what other folks have to say.]

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