Police Promise Increased Presence At Kendrick

Community Relations Officer Charlie Kine promised added police coverage of the at an advisory council meeting earlier this month.

"All of our officers are aware of the situation," he said. "They know the problem areas and I promise more police, it will be taken care of."

According to meeting attendees, the police only respond to the recreation center eight out of 10 times they are called.

The problem, Kline said, could be that the issues at the rec are of low priority.

"If other things are going on, officers might have to go there first but they will come and check it out," Kline said.

Residents, who were at a meeting in November, said all the issues at the rec center are being done by local teenagers.

"The problem is kids today just don't care," Beth Strain-Berry, a Roxborough resident, said. "We need a cop to come over here and lock them up, put them in a paddywagon because people are afraid to come here."

At the November meeting, attendees discussed a number of ways to improve the situation including moving the playground equipment to the front of the building to make it more visible from the street, extend an invitation to the police to attend the committee meeting to better understand the issues or adding more light or video cameras to the outside of the facility.

To address some of the issues, a safety committee was formed at the advisory council's December meeting that will, according to Morgan Cephas, of Councilman Curtis Jones office, "be the eyes and ears of the community."

The goals of the newly formed committee are to establish a phone tree, engage the local town watch and attend 5th district meetings.

"If we're at those meetings, they can't ignore is," Cephas said, adding that instituting a time log for patroling police officers will help in documentation of certain incidents.

"The safey committee will be very critical," Cephas said. "The safety committee will allow us to be more organized as of what crimes are being reported and making a plan."