SWCC crime thread

[lbphilly]

Originally Posted by WillFulmer

More crime in the area...automobile break in on 16th b/w Fitzwater and Catherine overnight (b/w 9 pm - 8 am). Windows smashed and items in the car taken.

A good time to remind everyone -- don't leave things in the car! Yes, in an ideal world we wouldn't have to worry about folks breaking in because there might be electronics in that ratty tote bag, but we know this isn't an ideal world. Moreover, for years there have been folks hanging in the 1500 block of Catharine, down near the 16th Street corner, whose baggy pants and sullen demeanors do not inspire confidence in their trustworthiness.

[JillyS]

Originally Posted by lbphilly

A good time to remind everyone -- don't leave things in the car! Yes, in an ideal world we wouldn't have to worry about folks breaking in because there might be electronics in that ratty tote bag, but we know this isn't an ideal world. Moreover, for years there have been folks hanging in the 1500 block of Catharine, down near the 16th Street corner, whose baggy pants and sullen demeanors do not inspire confidence in their trustworthiness.

Definitely a good reminder. I especially want to remind people to remind their out of town guests (who may not be in the habit of keeping their cars bare) not to leave anything in their cars. On Thanksgiving we walked past a woman on the 1600 block of Christian getting into her car with a freshly broken window. We expressed our "condolences" and noticed she had Jersey tags. My hunch is she left something of value visible...if someone was just breaking into cars hoping to unearth something, there probably would have been more cars with broken windows...

[lbphilly]

Originally Posted by JillyS

Definitely a good reminder. I especially want to remind people to remind their out of town guests (who may not be in the habit of keeping their cars bare) not to leave anything in their cars. On Thanksgiving we walked past a woman on the 1600 block of Christian getting into her car with a freshly broken window. We expressed our "condolences" and noticed she had Jersey tags. My hunch is she left something of value visible...if someone was just breaking into cars hoping to unearth something, there probably would have been more cars with broken windows...

Along those lines, it's good to remember that as more folks move here without having spent time in gritty neighborhoods -- and as more of their friends and family come to visit -- our neighborhood becomes a richer and richer target of opportunity. This means that even those of us with street smarts may have to be more watchful because there are likely to be more folks out looking for targets of opportunity.

This is especially true in the holiday season, when more folks are likely to be walking around with cash or expensive gifties in their shopping bags. Those bad boys and girls need money for presents, too, and your shopping bag may have just the thing...

[WillFulmer]

That 16th and Catherine corner is very sketchy and hopefully someone will build on that big lot and/or buy that property where that market is and really clean up that dump of a corner, not to mention the activity that goes on there.

110% agree on the leaving things in plain sight.

[JillyS]

Originally Posted by WillFulmer

That 16th and Catherine corner is very sketchy and hopefully someone will build on that big lot and/or buy that property where that market is and really clean up that dump of a corner, not to mention the activity that goes on there.

Have you noticed how much rehabbing and new construction is going on on the 1600 block? I don't know if anything is selling, but that doesn't seem to be deterring anyone. If that corner lot gets built on and Foodbase changes hands that street could look and feel completely different...

[OutOfContext]

Car have also been broken into on the 1600 block of Fitzwater this week too for what it's worth.

[WillFulmer]

What was stolen? Window closest to the curb?

[regman]

Why was 22nd street closed this morning between Bainbridge and Naudine with a very large police presence?

[regman]

Originally Posted by regman

Why was 22nd street closed this morning between Bainbridge and Naudine with a very large police presence?

Nevermind.

Bomb Scare 22nd & South

[kdaly]

Originally Posted by regman

How many more robberies and how many more drugs need to be dealt before the police does something about the suspicious characters that litter 22nd Street between Catherine and Fitzwater? Anyone who frequents these streets knows who the people are, they hang on the corners all day throwing trash, pissing and spitting all over the place, dealing drugs, smoking weed and looking shady. Lately I have repeatedly seen a groups of 2-4 young males (in addition to the usual suspects) "hanging" around looking up and down 22nd street wearing hoods over their heads (it isn't that cold!). What can we do to get rid of these people?

I couldn't agree with you more about the problems present at this intersection and pass through it daily thinking about what we can do to change its dynamics. The issues are quite complex, and unfortunately are severely affecting progress - have you noticed how many properties have been stalled in "for sale" status on 2100 Catharine? Who would want to live near those thugs? We need The City, SOSNA, local developers, Realtors, small business owners, and entrepreneurs to work hard together to transition properties to owners dedicated to positive change in our neighborhood. These somewhat abandoned, multi-use corner properties like the ones at 22nd an Catharine sever all attempts at progress between wonderful additions to our neighborhood, like Divon and Sidecar, and the commerce on South Street. We'll beat it eventually, but I would love for it to happen sooner...like tomorrow!

On another note - to echo the safety warnings in our neighborhood, please listen to your "Sixth Sense." Cross to the other side of the street if you need to. Stay in your car a few minutes longer. Have the cab wait until you are inside. While we believe in this neighborhood, our trust was broken after a violent mugging this summer (in broad daylight). Just be careful.