Noise, vandalism addressed at meeting

Noise and vandalism were hot topics Monday night at the neighborhood watch meeting hosted by the Bloomington Police Department.

BPD is trying to make itself more noticeable and get more input from citizens on how it can better serve them through meetings like this and iniatives such as Cops in Schools Expansion, which assigns officers to middle and high schools around the area to form trusted relationships with the students.

In addition to making itself more noticeable, BPD has created Web sites and programs to get the community more involved. One program called the Expanded Community Outreach lets citizens ride along with officers if they want to see the inner workings of BPD.

“Trust me, it’s not like you see on (the TV show) Cops,” said BPD Sgt. Scott Oldham said.

Attendees at the neighborhood watch meeting were given cards to write down their concerns within their neighborhoods and what more they want from the police department. Oldham and BPD Sgt. Pam Gladish hosted the event and hoped to make communication and organization between the police department and residents more efficient and effective.

Oldham stressed the importance of the residents being comfortable telling police confidential matters about concerns in their neighborhood.

“We want to know who’s supposed to be where and when so we know exactly what’s going on,” Oldham said.

The meeting basically let concerned community members voice their concerns and ask questions as to what the police can and cannot do. There was a concern about people loitering on Kirkwood Avenue outside of the Monroe County Public Library who attendees believe drink heavily throughout the day. Oldham said they have been instructed by the library to not remove them from the property, but they can arrest them for public intoxication.

“Some people have probably got more times in jail than I’ve had times in Kmart,” he said.

Overall, the meeting was helpful, said Bloomington resident Bob Baird.
“I came here wondering a little more about the procedures and how things worked, and I got my questions answered,” he said.

Vickie Provine, a representative of the organization Housing and Neighborhood Development Services, answered questions regarding specific programs in neighborhoods. She said it’s nice to see involvement with the community in conjunction with the police department.

“We’re able to see what services the neighborhoods need by working with the police and organizing what needs done,” she said.

The powerpoint presentation created by BPD showed residents where most crime and problems happen, which tended to be around 17th Street-N. Dunn Street and the Walnut Avenue-College Avenue areas. However, Oldham said BPD does not see a noticeable difference in the amount of calls received when students return to Bloomington.

“Most students are sticking around for the summer, so nothing really changes when only a few thousand come back,” he said.

For more information on how to get involved with your neighborhood, you can visit the Housing and Neighborhood Development Web site at handsinc.org or contact BPD at 339-4477.