MTG: 01-03-10

Hi Lake Neighbors...!
GREAT strong turnout…thank you for getting here on a Sunday and for contributing in such a great way. It was productive AND fun.
Here is what we talked about...

NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING MINUTES (1/3/10)

THE GARDENS!!

Funktown Farm update…(http://funktownfarm.wordpress.com/

Not much update here this meeting – things slowing down for the winter somewhat – more news to come. Anyone trying to get in touch to get involved, please email Daphne (daphnemejia@gmail.com) or you can also try Betsy (betsy.tyler@gmail.com).



NEW EMERGENCY PREP PLANNING (EPREP!): CORE 1&2 are done, CORE 3 will be sought out by us this year...more on that,

ALSO...just to reiterate for new people...Our meeting place to work from in an emergency is the last block of East 17th where it is off kilter from the rest of E. 17th Street right near Lucky’s between 3rd and 4th Aves.




The group discussed ways to get in touch quickly -- Tank presented a phone tree plan -- we all considered facebook, twitter, and Nico will work with Hector on this, names and numbers were gathered for now from that meeting.




JESSICA will email me her handout that has our shopping list for emergency supplies and home, in the car, in the workplace…an emergency info sheet for our to-go emergency bags. Keep photos of every family member and pet in case you need to search in an emergency. SIGN UP with AlertSF.org to get emergency texts as things may arise. IF WE ALL complete the packet/handout that JESSICA made we can begin to get this completed (JESSICA has this in a format that can be emailed?). I will email it to everyone once I get that form her



Start collecting liter bottles for water storage. EVERYONE PLEASE GET A TO-GO emergency bag together and a gas wrench (1 per building). Jessica & Suzanne’s shopping list for us to split up for storage. Suzanne’s friend info on food storage, Brittany has storage…Suzanne & Brittany to join forces.



FUN: We have a block party planned for Valentines Day! Valentines Day falls on a Sunday, so keep it open – more details to come, but I hear it may be a cookout brunch kind of deal – pitch in you ideas, they are welcome. We need to plan our next movie, happy hour in the hood…other ideas?



CRIME & SAFETY:

We went over our well established collection of approaches on our 3 pronged plan. See below under handouts.

We have a contact made to meet with Restorative Justice -- still need info from Suzanne about the other organization -- both of these are to connect us with people here not seeing us as humans and so that we really connect with the people doing negative things here on a different level. We have contact and just need to set a time with the city person who assesses street lighting issues. The budget may not allow for the improvements we assess...but, we will try.


Remember to call our PSO (Ofcr Scott Hewitt) to let him know about anything going on that is odd or crime-related -- even tagging. His email is: shewitt@oaklandnet.com Also, for illegal dumping (which happens constantly!), call 510 516-5566


THE PARKWAY: Sasha will contact the Iliketheparkway people and see if there is new news.


NEXT MEETING: AT THE BERMAN’S (Jess & Rich) @ 319 East 17th (between 3rd&4th Aves.)

On Tuesday January 19th at 6:30pm (we are going to rotate Tuesdays & Sundays for meetings). Potluck!

HANDOUTS (a few are below...both were emailed out previously)...

How and when to use your whistle You are confronted on the street
1. Cooperate. It's safer for you.
2. BLOW YOUR WHISTLE when physically safe. Others: respond and call the police.

You fear trouble on the street
1. Run toward the middle of the street.
2 BLOW YOUR WHISTLE. Others: respond and call the police.

You observe trouble on the street
1. BLOW YOUR WHISTLE to scare off the assailant
2. Keep at a safe distance.
3. KEEP BLOWING. Stay until the police arrive.

You observe trouble from your home or car or you hear a whistle
1. Call police fast. State clearly address and description of the incident observed.
2. Open your window and BLOW YOUR WHISTLE.
3. Go outside, move toward first whistle and KEEP BLOWING.
4. Assist victim if possible, and stay until the police arrive.



Carry your whistle and post your sticker. Parents: Children should know the seriousness of whistle blowing in our community and how they can participate in their project. Discuss with them the above instructions. Top

The Conference at Work: WhistleStop

by Joanne Howard

WhistleStop is a committee and program of HPKCC. For members who are unfamiliar with the program it was brought to the Conference by Ross Lathrop in the early 1970s. This program is an action-safety program that provides each resident of our community with a practical way to protect themselves and their neighbors on the street.

Essentially, a person purchases a whistle and carries it with them. If you see suspicious activity or need to protect yourself or a neighbor from physical harm, you can signal for help by blowing your whistle. Members of the Hyde Park-Kenwood community understand the meaning of the whistle and will gravitate towards the direction of the sound.

People who perpetrate unlawful acts want to do so in silence. The WhistleSTOP program is a "blow" to their attempt to commit such an act in silence.

Please visit our Web site at www.hydepark.org. Or simply call the office (773-288-8343) and we will get one to you. We look forward to getting a whistle in your hands.

Top

November 2006 Maroon Crime Report notes that a Hyde Park woman was able to make her aggravated-robbery assailant flee by blowing her whistle














SAFETY STRATEGIES DETERMINED THUS FAR…



1) IMMEDIATE SAFETY ISSUE:

* Use Whistle instead of yelling for help because it is more recognizable (OPD knows this)

* Tell all neighbors when you hear a whistle it means distress/need of help

* Start Night hikes with groups of 4 or more (healthy to walk and is meant to be fun and vigilant)

* Get walkie-talkies on your block (we use ch. 9)

* Meet your Neighbors on your block minimum (beyond is great)

* Eye contact and greet everyone around

* Offer bathroom stops for people working here to help us – Guardian Angels are around

* Approach, introduce and meet the police that are in our neighborhoods.

* Look at all cars around you when you are out – make sure they are empty

* Multiple males in black hoodies are the recent group – so be awake and aware.

* Walkie talkie noise is somewhat of a deterrent when you are out

* Sometimes saying what is up/hi is going to make you not selected for a crime…walking with fear or

distracted is more likely to attract a problem

* When calling dispatch say you’re calling about the series of robberies (it is prioritized)

* Call someone, leave line open & tell your location, if you are out & being approached (they can call,

and a robbery in process is prioritized)

* If robbed, cooperate fully – your stuff is not worth the risk.

* If robbed, leave your cards and cell active long enough for OPD to track them

* If robbed, take as much in visually as you can to recall later to OPD

* Get cell #’s of your own block neighbors (put in ph as “NBR Lateef” etc.)

* “Phone tree” w/ your block to call incidents in – higher priority with more calls in

* Cover tagging right away every time

* If something is happening & dispatch may be slow or no, call 3 neighbors and decide what

to do together (min of 3)

* When calling OPD emergency dispatch (510 777-3211) if you give your name, this up’s priority

* Email Captain Orozco & Ofcr Hewitt immediately on incidences after calling it in (they

have blackberries & it goes right away) ROrozco@oaklandnet.com, shewitt@oaklandnet.com

* CALL CALL CALL in everything – it may add to something later, it will be noted one way or other

response at times is immediate, and at times not at all – but do it anyway.

* Use luggage tag on your keys for id/bank card and don’t carry purse/bag when possible

* We will invite lead for city ofc in charge of streetlights to correct our situation of dim/no lighting

* We asked to be made a “project” by patrols so they can work continuously on our issue





OTHER News/Updates given at meeting: In the past 4 weeks OPD increased “robbery suppression” work and they have 3 wolf pack members in jail now, 19 people were arrested in the last few weeks (11 for robbery, 8 for weapons).



Hoang Bahn has a modified Neighborhood Watch in the works – we may use that if it certifies us.



Sean is looking into organizing great design/art on the always tagged PG&E boxes (Pat Kernighan is looking into that for him).



We want to find some Lake Neighbors to go to other neighborhood meetings to connect us all up more. Maybe Hoang can help make this easier.



There are currently no set hours at OPD’s auxillary office at Lucky’s (people were wondering).



WHAT WE WANT FROM THE OPD:

1) Better consistency of fast response for dangerous incidents that are called in

(ie: burglaries in process, suspects in this recent wave seen in action, etc.).

2) Follow up and responsiveness to our burglaries/robberies when we call to find out.

3) OPD increase use of Lucky’s Auxillary office (we can help you have internet to helpt this)

4) Please ask your officers to meet us. Reach out and make the effort.

5) Please inform us about the latest arrests and changes in our area.

Questions: Is OPD checking ATM camera’s for the stolen ATM cards that are being used after muggings? What do you advise when we see a spread out group of males in black hoodies walking the entire width/span of the street/sidewalk on a street? Can we have the regular beat officers (not just the PSO’s) come out of their cars so we can see them – we see them, but in motion in vehicles.



3) STRONG POSITIVE EVENTS…

We have many going. We have a continuous flow of great art exhibits and gigs and goings on in many different forms. We have the outdoor movies. We tried a recent new thing “happy hour” at one persons front steps so we meet people walking by, also and that was a big hit. People have hosted parties at their homes (BBQ’s, pie party, a word fast party, someone put together a guerilla cake fight that actually got rained out – but the ideas are boundless – be creative or be basic – anything is great). We have many ideas to grow and we need to have many people take this on and spread the active part.



2) HEALING THE CAUSE:

We have a varied range of great and talented and good hearted people who are long standing members of this group who a great deal of experience working with youth and adults who have gotten into some really dangerous places and we want to work hard to meet them and get to know them and they get to know us. Lately we have had several new people attending that are expressing great interested in that approach. We must do that, we all agree – that is one of the prongs in our 3 pronged approach. We are pursuing this by approaching 2 programs in particular and also the DA’s office. We can seek being a part of restitution for people (youth and adults) arrested for crimes in this area – we want to have a sit down with people 1 at a time…the DA’s office is one place to seek this out. Suzanne B is going to contact one of the agencies, I will contact the other 2. Anyone who wants to spearhead this particular direction, please step up!



(For new people or if veteran LN’s want to re-read)

FROM A RECENT PAST EMAIL ON THE SUBJECT TO REITERATE…

We never want to forget our main focus to improve the area, is our positive community building efforts with great events and meetings all the time. Please add in your own events and lets keep that growing. If the OPD or city can help connect us with some of the taggers that get caught and we can meet them and work with them to make things look better around here with murals or any vast number of great things the artists in this area can create. We have so many artists, it would be great to make that obvious by driving around and seeing creations from the people who live here with signs or ?



We talked about some strategies we can use in the mean time. If there is something of concern you can call it in – also you can call all the neighbors (get their cell #’s, make sure several of you have walkie-talkies if that is easier – we are using channel 90, by the way.) …and if you have 3 neighbors then consider ways to safely approach and address the problem. Always be mindful that there can be a weapon or a person who may be violent/unstable. Don’t go deal with it on your own. Try to maintain a rule of 3. A citizens arrest is always our right to do – with enough of us, we can detain someone (sit on them, handcuffs, whatever that is safe enough) until the police can get there – BY THE WAY I think that would also qualify a fast response time if we are in that situation because of the threat/risk.



So, other than being always vigilant, calling in suspicious things, calling in 3 neighbors minimum, then beyond that we are talking about adding cameras to the wireless internet we have. There is free wireless internet for all Lake Neighbors that can get the signal and we are slowly working on increasing the signal – anyone wanting to join in can add a camera to the area outside their home, we number that camera so you or anyone can just get online and view that space. It can also record certain things that may end up being helpful in catching and stopping some of this.



Take self defense (not just martial arts) – girlarmy was a resource given here in Oakland that is good for women.



We want to pursue putting signs up telling about the video surveillance (the OPD says we can put signs up where we want to and that we can also do that thru City Planning…).



Put up lights that have movement sensors so that more places are less ideal for bad events.