Comments for SMRCA Online http://www.smrca.com South Middle River Civic Association Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:30:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 Comment on Crime and Safety Feedback by Carmen Smith http://www.smrca.com/crime-feedback/#comment-25 Carmen Smith Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:28:40 +0000 http://www.smrca.com/wpress/crime-feedback/#comment-25 Jim, your comments about the root causes of youth delinquency and how it negatively impacts this neighborhood are refreshing because they are honest. I value your honesty and I thank you. Your comments are some of the most enlightened I've seen openly expressed in South Middle River, on this issue. Until we grasp and digest what you are saying, and begin a constructive dialog with the parents, our neighbors and Broward County School Board, our heads will be in a whole in the ground on this subject. THANK YOU JIM FOR BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR KIDS, TO OUR SLEEPING EYES AND HEADS. There is no wrapping this truth in a pretty box with a bow. We must wake up and slowly move toward involvement. Somehow we can't make your facts look lovely. These facts are ugly, even though we would love to wrap that box up nicely! Carmen Smith Jim, your comments about the root causes of youth delinquency and how it negatively impacts this neighborhood are refreshing because they are honest. I value your honesty and I thank you. Your comments are some of the most enlightened I’ve seen openly expressed in South Middle River, on this issue.

Until we grasp and digest what you are saying, and begin a constructive dialog with the parents, our neighbors and Broward County School Board, our heads will be in a whole in the ground on this subject. THANK YOU JIM FOR BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR KIDS, TO OUR SLEEPING EYES AND HEADS.

There is no wrapping this truth in a pretty box with a bow. We must wake up and slowly move toward involvement. Somehow we can’t make your facts look lovely. These facts are ugly, even though we would love to wrap that box up nicely!

Carmen Smith

]]> Comment on Crime and Safety Feedback by Jim Howell http://www.smrca.com/crime-feedback/#comment-24 Jim Howell Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:21:20 +0000 http://www.smrca.com/wpress/crime-feedback/#comment-24 If you plan on living in the neighborhood for awhile, then I also suggest you look to the schools in our neighbor hood and their performance. By my estimation, we get about 100 drop outs a year in our neighborhood alone. That's 100 kids with about zero prospects for a legal, life sustaining job. Increased police involvement will help us in the short run, but looking down the road, as a community we should face the root cause of crime. These schools have a lot to do with the direction the neighborhood is headed. If you plan on living in the neighborhood for awhile, then I also suggest you look to the schools in our neighbor hood and their performance. By my estimation, we get about 100 drop outs a year in our neighborhood alone. That’s 100 kids with about zero prospects for a legal, life sustaining job. Increased police involvement will help us in the short run, but looking down the road, as a community we should face the root cause of crime. These schools have a lot to do with the direction the neighborhood is headed.

]]> Comment on Crime and Safety Feedback by Carmen Smith http://www.smrca.com/crime-feedback/#comment-21 Carmen Smith Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:27:28 +0000 http://www.smrca.com/wpress/crime-feedback/#comment-21 Wayne, Jr., thank you for letting us know what happened to you and your friends. As Rick has said often, communication is key. You did right by submitting this on the web. Let's get others to read our web, write and help educate individuals in our neighborhood. We can't stop our fight until we communicate with, and educate every resident about the resources available to us and about the importance of us banding together. This will be the best way to promote change and bring hope to everyone. Carmen Wayne, Jr., thank you for letting us know what happened to you and your friends. As Rick has said often, communication is key. You did right by submitting this on the web. Let’s get others to read our web, write and help educate individuals in our neighborhood. We can’t stop our fight until we communicate with, and educate every resident about the resources available to us and about the importance of us banding together. This will be the best way to promote change and bring hope to everyone.
Carmen

]]> Comment on Crime and Safety Feedback by Rick Gibson http://www.smrca.com/crime-feedback/#comment-19 Rick Gibson Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:16:30 +0000 http://www.smrca.com/wpress/crime-feedback/#comment-19 Thanks for this great start on our web site....it's just been launched yesterday and I am very happy to see it being used already. On the subject of crime, I could not be more determined to overcome this complex problem. I have had my own home broken into six times, and so have made it a virtual "vault" to be safe. I will not be pressured to move from a house and neighborhood I love because of this. The most important thing we can do is to CALL AND CALL AND CALL.....the statistics which are so annoying to hear, are exactly how the funds and resources are allocated. Aside from this, I encourage what is happening already....start a block leader meeting like Vivian Dempsey and Rob and Carmen Smith have done...this works...to know your neighbors and work together so the SECOND something happens you can call the POLICE, and THEN call all your neighbors...go outside perhaps at the same time, and in numbers you have strength.....I cannot imagine what criminal would be so stupid to come back to your neighborhood if 15 people came out each time something happened....they will go somewhere else! Lastly, write HERE, and share your ideas so we can all see what is happening. I am all over getting to understand the City and challenges there so I can figure out how to best get us what we need. I need your help though, and your volunteering and for you to come to meetings and be involved. Thanks...Rick Gibson Thanks for this great start on our web site….it’s just been launched yesterday and I am very happy to see it being used already. On the subject of crime, I could not be more determined to overcome this complex problem. I have had my own home broken into six times, and so have made it a virtual “vault” to be safe. I will not be pressured to move from a house and neighborhood I love because of this.

The most important thing we can do is to CALL AND CALL AND CALL…..the statistics which are so annoying to hear, are exactly how the funds and resources are allocated. Aside from this, I encourage what is happening already….start a block leader meeting like Vivian Dempsey and Rob and Carmen Smith have done…this works…to know your neighbors and work together so the SECOND something happens you can call the POLICE, and THEN call all your neighbors…go outside perhaps at the same time, and in numbers you have strength…..I cannot imagine what criminal would be so stupid to come back to your neighborhood if 15 people came out each time something happened….they will go somewhere else!

Lastly, write HERE, and share your ideas so we can all see what is happening. I am all over getting to understand the City and challenges there so I can figure out how to best get us what we need. I need your help though, and your volunteering and for you to come to meetings and be involved. Thanks…Rick Gibson

]]> Comment on Crime and Safety Feedback by Wayne Jr. http://www.smrca.com/crime-feedback/#comment-15 Wayne Jr. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:58:01 +0000 http://www.smrca.com/wpress/crime-feedback/#comment-15 I wanted to express my concerns on the recent increase in crime. I reside on NW 5th ave, and was walking my dog towards the gardens beside the church. My partner and I witnessed 2 black males, one on a bicycle and one on foot, be intentionally hit by a silver honda civic on the corner of NW 3rd ave, and 17th St. The boy on the bicycle was knocked off his bicycle. The car speed back in reverse and took off, at that moment the one black male on foot, pulled out a gun and fired about 4 to 5 shots at the car. I called 911 and the police got there in about 10 minutes. I told the police officer what happened, he took my name and address. I asked the officer " Would you like a description of what they looked like, clothes they were wearing?" He said well, not really, they are already long gone. I was in shock, I stood there in amazement. The police officer realized I was just standing there, and not happy, he got back out of his car, walked over to me and asked me what they were wearing after all. For what it's worth, there were other neighbors standing outside right after it happened, I walked up to them and told them I had called the police, and they said oh ...well good. They were not more then 15 feet from what happened, but made no effort in calling 911. Shameful!!! This incident took place April 7th 2008 around 7pm. On Saturday March 28 2008, my partner and I dropped off a friend of ours at his condo apt on the corner of NE 3rd ave and 16th st. We noticed 2 black males and 1 black female walking around, we got in our car after saying good bye to our friend, and the individuals walked slowly behind our car. I told my parter to lock the car doors and we drove off. About 10 minutes later we got a phone call from our friend and asked if we could identify the individuals. He said that after we left, he went in his bathroom and heard a knock on is door. He thought it we had forgotten something, but to his surprise when he opened the door, they maced him and tried forcing themselves into his place. He fortunately managed to fight them off and call for police. We need all of the residents of SMRCA to be watchful and help to get our neighborhood back! It's headed in the wrong direction. I wanted to express my concerns on the recent increase in crime. I reside on NW 5th ave, and was walking my dog towards the gardens beside the church. My partner and I witnessed 2 black males, one on a bicycle and one on foot, be intentionally hit by a silver honda civic on the corner of NW 3rd ave, and 17th St. The boy on the bicycle was knocked off his bicycle. The car speed back in reverse and took off, at that moment the one black male on foot, pulled out a gun and fired about 4 to 5 shots at the car. I called 911 and the police got there in about 10 minutes. I told the police officer what happened, he took my name and address. I asked the officer ” Would you like a description of what they looked like, clothes they were wearing?” He said well, not really, they are already long gone. I was in shock, I stood there in amazement. The police officer realized I was just standing there, and not happy, he got back out of his car, walked over to me and asked me what they were wearing after all.

For what it’s worth, there were other neighbors standing outside right after it happened, I walked up to them and told them I had called the police, and they said oh …well good. They were not more then 15 feet from what happened, but made no effort in calling 911. Shameful!!! This incident took place April 7th 2008 around 7pm.

On Saturday March 28 2008, my partner and I dropped off a friend of ours at his condo apt on the corner of NE 3rd ave and 16th st. We noticed 2 black males and 1 black female walking around, we got in our car after saying good bye to our friend, and the individuals walked slowly behind our car. I told my parter to lock the car doors and we drove off. About 10 minutes later we got a phone call from our friend and asked if we could identify the individuals. He said that after we left, he went in his bathroom and heard a knock on is door. He thought it we had forgotten something, but to his surprise when he opened the door, they maced him and tried forcing themselves into his place. He fortunately managed to fight them off and call for police.

We need all of the residents of SMRCA to be watchful and help to get our neighborhood back! It’s headed in the wrong direction.

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