Break-In Highlights Area’S Challenge

In/Around: East Central

Minutes before last week’s meeting on crime prevention in East Central was to begin, a janitor hurried into the community center conference room.

“Somebody broke into the candy machine,” she told police officers attending the meeting. “Couldn’t have been five or 10 minutes ago.”

An officer sighed, shook his head and followed her to the lobby, where crushed candy dusted the carpet.

East Central neighbors met for the second time last Thursday, struggling to find ways to curb crime in their area.

“Mainly, it comes down to establishing some kind of community,” Spokane Block Watch Executive Director Debbie Davis told the group.

“You have a part in this. It all starts with the neighbors.”

More than 100 people attended an initial community meeting in February, when the neighborhood was still stinging from a pair of shooting deaths on East Pacific Avenue and the murders of several local prostitutes.

About 25 people came back for last Thursday’s follow-up. COPS East Central President Tom Bernard said he’d expected a bigger turnout, but he still called the meeting a success.

“People - those who were there - got to talk to police officers and to whomever else about what they need to talk about,” he said. “Everybody’s concerns were addressed, and that’s what we’re worried about.”

City officials from Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers to code enforcement officer Scott Emmerson attended Thursday’s gathering. Stations were set up according to topic, and residents wandered from table to table, talking about their concerns.

A dozen neighbors, eager to share addresses of drug houses and frustrations about prostitutes working their streets, clustered around police officers.

“We have a whole blockful of people wanting to do something,” said one woman, hugging her young son. She told police of a drug house on the same block as her home.

“People stagger by drunk and who knows what else,” she said. “And my son has to walk to the bus stop with this?”

Officers encouraged neighbors to take control - to document prostitution and other crime, then call Crime Check and their neighborhood resource officer.

“You need to be calling,” said Davis. “You need to be documenting.”

NEXT MEETING East Central residents will meet again on Wednesday to discuss prostitution problems in the area. For more information, call COPS East Central at 625-3330.