Once again drawing attention!

If you look at the posting dated 7/21/09, you'll notice a black Acura in the video, which has links to 412 Sassafras street, and is seen frequenting known drug and gang areas in town all hours of the day and night.

I'm told earlier this evening this same black Acura was being detained by local authorities on a motor vehicle stop, and a police canine was seen going through the vehicle! Hopefully illegal narcotics were found and these people were removed from the community, even if for a short while!!

It's not hard to figure out if you have time to run the streets day and night, hang with known drug and gang dealers, and drive around looking ghetto fabulous in a car you obviously cannot legitimately afford, you're probably going to draw attention to yourself!! Smart... Real Smart...

Drug house?

I've learned there may be a home in the 100 block of North 6th street (near Sassafras) selling illegal narcotics. I randomly observed the home in question the past week or so and observed quite a bit of pedestrian/vehicle traffic coming and going, sometimes with a "lookout" that remains outside. The owner of the home does have a history of criminal charges and arrest.

Anyone that may live near or pass through this area should take note of people making brief or frequent visits to any particular house.

I am aware of the exact address, however I will hold off on posting same until further information supporting neighbors' suspicions is available.

I will be mailing out informational postcards to some of the other residents in this area to increase awareness, and hopefully provide authorities any solid leads on illicit activity that may be ongoing.

Reduce Opportunity, Reduce Crime

Most criminals are opportunists. They look for flaws in security measures, or quick access to items of value in measuring their chances of success before committing a crime.

People can reduce criminal activity in any given area by taking simple steps to minimize opportunity and temptation criminals thrive on:

Keep valuable items such as money, GPS units, purses or music cd's out of plain view and secured when your vehicle is parked. Always lock car doors, even if running a quick errand. I am still amazed how often I see empty cars with keys in the ignition at local stores!

Keep shrubbery trimmed and clear of home windows. Heavy landscape growth near windows provides concealment and time for the criminal to tamper with locks to gain entry. Do not leave tools and equipment lying around the property or in unlocked sheds and garages.

Keep outside lights on to eliminate dark areas the thief or drug dealer can use to blend into an area unnoticed. Drug dealers and thieves dress in dark clothes for a reason, they try to hide their presence from authorities and watchful residents. If a light is on them you can almost guarantee they'll be moving along.

Neighborhood Groups to meet Sept 23 at 7PM

The various neighborhood groups will have their monthly meeting at the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, 22 N. High Street tonight at 7pm.

There is a lot of good information to be shared. Please attend, speak up, and meet your city leaders.

Walking Security Salesmen

There's been some people walking door-to-door all over town selling home security systems. In South Millville recently a company called Apex Security was making the rounds. If a resident showed interest, they had a van literally sitting at the end of the street that would pull up and get to work. I was told by a friend near the Columbine Ave. area that his neighbor declined the service, and his home was burglarized literally within a few days! Probably a coincidence but makes you wonder!

This week I had a representative come to my door saying he was from Pinnacle Security, and offering all kinds of great deals if I act right away and sign a multi-year monitoring contract.

I did some searching on Pinnacle, and found quite a few consumer affairs complaints against the company.

Be aware and do your homework! Especially when they come to you. Too many shady people and criminals sizing up their next score to be inviting strangers into your home! Especially when it involves laying out your home's vulnerability and security procedures to a person you just met five minutes earlier!

My theory has always been: If you truly have a good product or service, you'd be too busy to come knocking on my door to let me know about it!

412 Sassafras

The resident of this property has once again made the local news!

Apparently this time Mr. Mclean was acting unruly and resisted arrest in some sort of incident that began a block from his house, ultimately ending at his address. Another person was arrested as well.

Mclean regularly shows a total lack of regard for the community, his neighbors or anything other than his own selfish wants. 412 Sassafras St. hosts known gang members and drug dealers, has been the recipient of numerous police calls for noise, domestic disputes, suspicious activity - the list can go on!

The constant delinquent behavior by Mr. Mclean and the crowd he hangs with is something one would expect from a rebelious teenager who lacks guidance, not a grown "man" who should know better, or have even a remote sense of right from wrong. Unfortunately, trash like this do not rehabilitate or change their ways - they just spread their own self misery and low self esteem to others.

People like Mr. Mclean thrive on annoying decent people around them. The only thing they respond to is: 1)harsh penalties they cannot afford and the knowledge that consequences will continue at every turn, or 2)getting a good beating until common sense sinks in and they stop their crap! Back in the day the belt was a powerful tool on a child to deter development into what you see at 412 Sassafras St.

Since beatings are obviously not legal or politically correct these days, city government should work hard to make examples out of brazen idiots such as Mr. Mclean, and use all legal means possible to make life miserable for him, just like he does to others. If Mr. Mclean cannot afford to live in his home due to heavy fines and financial obligations, he will either stop the nonsense or move on - a win either way for people who would like to live in peace!

Positive observations

It seems shooting incidents in town have dropped noticeably the past year or so. One reason may be the increased use of bicycle and foot patrols by Millville PD.

Getting officers out of patrol cars creates more effective interaction with the community, and the ability to move around a neighborhood less noticeably. People may be less inclined to commit a serious crime (like firing a weapon) if a police officer is potentially only a few feet away blending into the crowd.

For years, many shore towns have relied heavily on foot/bicycle patrols to successfully monitor crowds and deter crime. It's good to see Millville PD using a variety of strategies to combat those who wish to destroy the fabric of our neighborhoods.

Ordinary citizens can reduce crime in the same fashion simply by living life without fear. Walking the dog after dinner, a bike ride, or sitting on the porch enjoying the evening air lets the criminal element know someone is watching, and their chances of getting away with illegal activity are diminished.

Driving Alert

A man was driving on Cedar street near the first aid squad late at night recently, and had an object thrown through his windshield, causing serious injuries. It appears there have been past incidents in this same area.

Anyone driving Cedar street at night should pay close attention to the roadsides for items being thrown, and report any suspicious persons lingering around to police. Hopefully the idiots who have no regard for the safety of others will be caught soon and face harsh penalties.

Not good!

Prostitutes appear to be more openly making second street their official "walk" for people passing through town to see! Race fans, families, tourists passing through, decent residents etc...

The preferred track seems to be along 2nd street from Vine all the way up to Flippers Custard at G street.

Tonight around 11:30pm I witnessed one regular face in the shadows near the bus stop by Advance Auto. Another woman was working the northbound side across from the custard stand where the bus stop is in front of the bank.

Some sleezy looking guy on a motorcycle kept circling and pulling into the custard place trying to negotiate a deal with one. When the "working girl" realized they were being watched she backed off and quickly walked north on 2nd toward the hotels up past the Lilliston dealership (known hangouts for hookers and drug users).

Maybe the police can find the time to hit this area of unsightly activity with some sting operations a few more times before the weather turns colder! The activity seems noticably busier lately.

Uptown Chicago - we think we have it bad

Here is a blog regarding rampant street violence in Uptown Chicago. This is why citizens have to take action and take back our streets.