-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2002 8:49 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [Mpls] Why we're losing the Northside
[Mel's] reply
I think it is unfair to mandate disenpowered landlords who do not have
a badge, are not trained or allowed to carry, are not deputized, are without backup,
and have limited access to 911 in their effort to provide police services
which they have already paid for.
They must also endure having their livelihood threatened by the
bean counting RECAP UNIT. A department that even counts non 911
traffic stops and medical emergencies and holds them against landlords.
The RECAP department counts and limits the number of 911 calls allowed
to an address.
How can anyone believe it's fair to limit a resident in a 50 Unit building
to 1/50 of the police services that his single family neighbor is entitled?
Officials cannot answer how far they expect landlords to do police work.
Some answers have been, to the sidewalk, to the curb, to the center of the street,
to the far side of the street, to the end of the next block, etc.
When government fails, they attempt to shift their responsibility to the private
sector.
Landlords are in a catch 22 situation. If they evict, or refuse to rent, they
risk having their livelihood being threatened with discrimination by the uninformed
left.
If landlords don't succeed at controlling behavior when our police and justice
departments cannot, they risk the loss of their livelihood
from the Gestopal Type CCP SAFE POLICE, the misguided right.
The time has come to eliminate CCP SAFE and return them to real police work,
answering 911 Calls.
"SOMETHING IS WRONG WHEN YOU CAN GET A CAB FASTER
THAN THE POLICE."
Thank God for our, overworked, rank and file police, and ask him to give wisdom
to those who direct them.
Mel Gregerson
Whittier
I also live across from a party house (with drugs too probably) and I live in
Kingfield, an area I thought was outside the crime containment zone. It has
taken years of 911 calls and threats against the landlord to finally shut
these people up (and who knows when they'll start up again?).
I have a few tips for Dyna but she'll have to be prepared to make this a
second job for a while and even then can't be sure of the results. First, is
there a landlord? They can have their licenses to rent pulled if they are
maintaining a public nuisance (this is an ordinance - I can't remember which
one but it's probably on line. Read through the whole chapter dealing with
rental property - it may have provisions relevant to your situation). First
write a letter to the landlord citing all of the things he's doing wrong
under the law (you can get his or her name and address from the County
Recorder, Floor 6A of the Government Center). Then go to the housing
inspectors office; it's in the building next to the Federal Courthouse and
kitty corner from City Hall. They don't like to work anymore than the police
do so be prepared.
Also, a public nuisance can be prosecuted by the City Attorney. I think there
has to be a certain number of 911 calls or a certain number of arrests within
a time frame (1 year?). My neighbors had something like 20+ calls a year. The
cops hardly ever showed up after my calls (I don't know about the other
calls). About the only time I would see them is when several squads showed up
and heavily armed cops rushed out and surrounded the house. They would drag
someone out of the house and then drive off. You can talk to the cops at the
public safety building about a program they have for dealing with high call
houses. I tried this and they never called me back after I left several
messages.
Also, are there any children? You can call Child Protection although I pretty
much agree with Jim they probably won't do anything for a low income black
child. I almost tried this route when I saw the baby (now about 5 years old)
being tossed out of a car during a drunken brawl at 3 in the morning. You can
also investigate the tenants if you can get their names - check them out in
Hennepin County computers. They have databases for criminal, civil and
housing court. One thing I did was collect license plate numbers - there was
a steady stream of traffic day and night. I too was struck by all the nice
cars and SUVs. I drive a jalopy and work 40+ hours a week. The law now only
allows attorneys to get the names and addresses from plate numbers so you'll
need to make friends with a lawyer. Or you could actually get the police
interested in this problem and they'll look up the plates for you (ha ha just
a little levity here).
All in all, I think threatening the landlord is the way to go. They actually
have something to loose. Plus, if you only get rid of the tenants, they'll
just rent to someone else. I was on the verge of doing this and had actually
made my first visit to the Inspectors' office when suddenly the people moved
out. There was a lot of coming and going and what looked liked an effort to
clean the place up (I heard from one of my former neighbors that the inside
was almost destroyed). To my great disappointment they then moved back in but
haven't been nearly as noisy. With any luck at all I'll have until next
spring before I have to start all over at square 1. The people on the other
side of them now have their house up for sale.
Good luck Dyna! And contact me off list you have any questions.
Linda Mann
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_______________________________________
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