Photo By John Hoff, Jordan PondFollowing the eviction and boarding of the "salmon house" at 2700 Morgan Ave. N., life became better on the Jordan Pond by about 50 percent. Many of the remaining quality of life issues could be laid at the doorstep of 2651 Logan Ave. N., referred to simply as "the brown house" by residents.
Drug dealing and prostitution takes place in the alley behind this house, in an area that's not easy to observe from the usual vantage points. A few days ago, a Jordan resident composed a letter and sent it to a number of public officials. Mere days later, a police raid followed at 2651 Logan. Maybe the raid had been in the works for a while, and the letter was merely a kind of catalyst, but one can't help feeling...
Public officials are listening and helping. In the meantime, the thick-as-flies-on-horse-doo-doo prostitution problems continue on Penn Ave. N. around 26th and 27th, and in particular at the intersection of Oliver and 27th. On Labor Day, some residents of the Jordan Pond actually confronted a suspected john in a Mercedes.
(Well, OK, it wasn't just some residents of the Jordan Pond. I was in on THAT action, though some said I went too far climbing up on the hood and clinging to the windshield wiper as he careened down the street, like a scene in the opening credits of that 1980s television show "TJ Hooker.")
(Kidding. I'm kidding.)
(The Mercedes was gone down the street before I could even get on the hood)
I'm going to reprint the letter which went to the public officials here, for the record, with thanks in advance to the police and other officials who have been helping clean up this area. But now we really need prostitution stings on Penn Ave. N. and especially 27th and Oliver.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009 11:48 AM
Subject: Major drug and prostitution problems: Penn Ave and sidestreets
Dear Mayor Rybak, Chief Dolan, Inspector Martin and all City Council Members,
I am writing to ask for immediate and swift action to help curb the out of control drug and prostitution "SuperMarkets" that are choking the livability of my immediate area. (...) The area that is bordered by approximately Broadway to 30th and Queen to Knox is rampant with open air hookers and drug activity out on the streets and underground in alleys and drug houses.
I am probably not bringing any surprising news to the Chief and the Inspector here, but I am hoping Mayor Rybak and any other interested Councilmembers will take me up on my invitation to come to my house and we can take my dog for a walk or drive around and I would be glad to give you a tour of the out of control activity. I could sit and call 9-1-1 endlessly for hours and hours with everything that is happening right in front of my eyes.
All summer long I have been enjoying time on the wonderful Jordan Pond, however, it is almost ALWAYS interrupted by johns, hookers and pimps, who are usually walking/loitering or on bikes, hovering around the working girls.
There have been several confrontations of decent neighbors getting fed up and approaching or yelling at the suspects, mostly because small babies, young toddlers and elementary school children have to be distracted or sent inside to try and avoid their exposure to the activities going on around them.
There are so many homes for sale, at great bargain prices, I imagine the house-shopping traffic is pretty busy, and I hate the thought of prospective homeowners coming to my area and seeing what I see happening right in front of their eyes.
Please help us, please send undercover stings, please increase patrols, please crack down on the drug/prostitute houses and take away their right to live there. Please tell us what we can do to help you, what info can we send you, is there someone more specific we should call rather than 9-1-1? And please know that when the squads do come out, they are wonderful, they are engaged and aggressive. I know they are also SWAMPED!
2700 Morgan Ave N is finally empty and boarded, although occasionally a hooker
will be resting on the steps. Please crack down on 2651 Logan Ave N - they use the back door and alley only--nothing going on in front but it's a very busy alley - your squads and STOP unit guys know this pretty well, even know the frequent fliers by name upon eyesight.
Please take me up on my invitation to visit, if you'd like a first hand experience. And I thank you tremendously for any action, any help you can send this way. I hope my kind tone does not take away from the severity of the problem, it's really bad, perhaps worst I've seen in 7 years, mostly the hookers.
(End of letter)
Commentary by JNS: I think one reason this area is bad is because revitalization has sent dealers and hookers scurrying out of a much larger area. They're bunching up in a smaller area where they feel safe. The fact they've been allowed to do business for so long and no prostitution stings have taken place might lead these hookers to believe there is a de facto "zone of tolerance" on that part of Penn Ave. N. and the intersection of 27th and Oliver.
However, residents will not tolerate a zone of tolerance. Residents want the hookers, pimps and dealers OUT OUT OUT.
I'll put up the picture of the guy in the Mercedes, license plate and all, when I get around to downloading those photos from my camera.
Drug dealing and prostitution takes place in the alley behind this house, in an area that's not easy to observe from the usual vantage points. A few days ago, a Jordan resident composed a letter and sent it to a number of public officials. Mere days later, a police raid followed at 2651 Logan. Maybe the raid had been in the works for a while, and the letter was merely a kind of catalyst, but one can't help feeling...
Public officials are listening and helping. In the meantime, the thick-as-flies-on-horse-doo-doo prostitution problems continue on Penn Ave. N. around 26th and 27th, and in particular at the intersection of Oliver and 27th. On Labor Day, some residents of the Jordan Pond actually confronted a suspected john in a Mercedes.
(Well, OK, it wasn't just some residents of the Jordan Pond. I was in on THAT action, though some said I went too far climbing up on the hood and clinging to the windshield wiper as he careened down the street, like a scene in the opening credits of that 1980s television show "TJ Hooker.")
(Kidding. I'm kidding.)
(The Mercedes was gone down the street before I could even get on the hood)
I'm going to reprint the letter which went to the public officials here, for the record, with thanks in advance to the police and other officials who have been helping clean up this area. But now we really need prostitution stings on Penn Ave. N. and especially 27th and Oliver.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009 11:48 AM
Subject: Major drug and prostitution problems: Penn Ave and sidestreets
Dear Mayor Rybak, Chief Dolan, Inspector Martin and all City Council Members,
I am writing to ask for immediate and swift action to help curb the out of control drug and prostitution "SuperMarkets" that are choking the livability of my immediate area. (...) The area that is bordered by approximately Broadway to 30th and Queen to Knox is rampant with open air hookers and drug activity out on the streets and underground in alleys and drug houses.
I am probably not bringing any surprising news to the Chief and the Inspector here, but I am hoping Mayor Rybak and any other interested Councilmembers will take me up on my invitation to come to my house and we can take my dog for a walk or drive around and I would be glad to give you a tour of the out of control activity. I could sit and call 9-1-1 endlessly for hours and hours with everything that is happening right in front of my eyes.
All summer long I have been enjoying time on the wonderful Jordan Pond, however, it is almost ALWAYS interrupted by johns, hookers and pimps, who are usually walking/loitering or on bikes, hovering around the working girls.
There have been several confrontations of decent neighbors getting fed up and approaching or yelling at the suspects, mostly because small babies, young toddlers and elementary school children have to be distracted or sent inside to try and avoid their exposure to the activities going on around them.
There are so many homes for sale, at great bargain prices, I imagine the house-shopping traffic is pretty busy, and I hate the thought of prospective homeowners coming to my area and seeing what I see happening right in front of their eyes.
Please help us, please send undercover stings, please increase patrols, please crack down on the drug/prostitute houses and take away their right to live there. Please tell us what we can do to help you, what info can we send you, is there someone more specific we should call rather than 9-1-1? And please know that when the squads do come out, they are wonderful, they are engaged and aggressive. I know they are also SWAMPED!
2700 Morgan Ave N is finally empty and boarded, although occasionally a hooker
will be resting on the steps. Please crack down on 2651 Logan Ave N - they use the back door and alley only--nothing going on in front but it's a very busy alley - your squads and STOP unit guys know this pretty well, even know the frequent fliers by name upon eyesight.
Please take me up on my invitation to visit, if you'd like a first hand experience. And I thank you tremendously for any action, any help you can send this way. I hope my kind tone does not take away from the severity of the problem, it's really bad, perhaps worst I've seen in 7 years, mostly the hookers.
(End of letter)
Commentary by JNS: I think one reason this area is bad is because revitalization has sent dealers and hookers scurrying out of a much larger area. They're bunching up in a smaller area where they feel safe. The fact they've been allowed to do business for so long and no prostitution stings have taken place might lead these hookers to believe there is a de facto "zone of tolerance" on that part of Penn Ave. N. and the intersection of 27th and Oliver.
However, residents will not tolerate a zone of tolerance. Residents want the hookers, pimps and dealers OUT OUT OUT.
I'll put up the picture of the guy in the Mercedes, license plate and all, when I get around to downloading those photos from my camera.
1 comment:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,549241,00.html
Has another acorn video showing how to evade taxes. Wonder if any of your local "hot" spots had similar advice.
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