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Editor's
Note: The following article appeared in the Community Policing News
recently. It is reprinted with the permission of the author Rena
Webb.
My name is Rena Webb. My family and I
have lived in Old
North Knoxville for six years. I never knew we had big
problems in our neighborhood until I started working at
home. I told my husband Greg that we do have a lot
of foot traffic in our neighborhood. Little did I know they
were prostitutes. I started talking to neighbors that
have lived here a long time. I was told it was
much worse five or six years ago and it blew my mind. I
love sitting on my porch and noticed the some
men kept driving around the neighborhood. It took awhile
for me to figure out that these men were customers. I
was approached by one
of these customers one day while I
was walking my dog. That was
when I told my husband we have to do something NOW. I felt sick to my stomach because we were
restoring our 106 year-old home and I wanted to live here a long time. I knew if this did not stop it
would not be long before we would be putting a FOR SALE sign in the yard. That
was when I began to get mad. It wasn't just prostitutes; it was the drug deals
that took place for all the world to see.
It was really sad to see
my beautiful, historic neighborhood in this kind of shape.My
husband and I attended a neighborhood organization meeting and began
to fill their ears full. We found out we had a very active, concerned
organization filled with a bunch of movers and shakers. It was a
breath of fresh air. I was told at that meeting a Neighborhood Watch
had been unsuccessful in the past. I was bound and determined to make
it work now. We made fliers for a meeting and put one in every
mailbox. The turnout of concerned neighbors was great and then I
knew it was going to be a success. I called Phil Garland and told him
we were ready to clean house and he told me how a Neighborhood Watch
works.
At this time we have an active Watch. We still have some blocks we need to
get involved but we are making progress. With the help of KPD, Mayor Ashe, and a
lot of great neighbors, we are cleaning this neighborhood up. You can now walk
down our beautiful streets and not be approached. People are starting to come
out on their porches when something looks fishy and they are calling the police.
Come take a walk sometime in our neighborhood. You will feel safe and you will
see that we are taking back our neighborhood.
Remember that communicating with your neighbors is one of the best
things you can do for your neighborhood.
Neighborhood Watch Captains:
- Rena Webb 100-200 Block of E. Oklahoma Avenue 546-8717
- David Palmer 100-200 Block E. Scott Avenue 673-8995
- Tom Brechko 500 Block E. Scott Avenue 522-0103
- David Whaley 200 Block Glenwood Avenue 521-7884
- Pete Creel 700 Block of E. Scott Avenue 522-4391
The next Neighborhood Watch meeting will be held on Tuesday,
February 19, 2002 at 7PM at 4th Presbyterian Church at the comer
of Broadway and Glenwood Avenue. As you can see from the article there
are still some big gaps in coverage in the neighborhood. If you don't
see your block covered why not consider being a Block Captain? It is
not difficult and you will have the satisfaction of helping your
neighborhood stay crime free.
P.S. Thanks to those of our neighbors who are trying to stay on top
of the graffiti throughout the neighborhood by painting it out as
quickly as it goes up. Don't you think the neighborhood should at
least buy the point? Home Depot always has mistakes that they sell
cheap.
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