I just received an email from West Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association regarding recent crimes against the elderly along Martel and throughout our area.  Aside from statements regarding being alert and the arrest and release of criminals unfortunately labeled as juveniles did this correspondence offer advice to its recipients?  The answer is no.  Can't someone command the fortitude to say what should be said?  Responsible citizens in our area must act accordingly and report any and all suspicious activity in our neighborhoods.  Unfortunately, many property owners fail to act dismissing much behavior and activity by undesirable elements in our area as permissible or the reporting of suspicious behavior as intolerance or the mark of cultural prejudice.  Some property owners have just given up thinking that the present situation is beyond their ability to change and that the decline of our neighborhoods is just something which they must accept.

Criminal activity, misdirected young adults, and gang culture are not to be confused with ethnic or cultural expression and values.  Crimes committed in our neighborhoods are a result of individuals who choose to conduct their lives with no regard for civility, kindness, and responsible citizenry.  Please accept the following considerations.

Call 9-1-1 immediately, if you see any individual who fits the following descriptions:
• teens, young adults, or adults, male or female, walking the streets after sunset
• anyone walking your street wearing baggy pants, sports jerseys, or any clothing or jewelry which could even remotely suggest gang affiliation or street culture
• any individual walking your street that you may not recognize as a neighbor
• any vehicle which can be heard a block away or whose driver displays no respect for posted street signs and posted neighborhood speed
• any vehicle which drives too slowly down your streets as if casing properties
• any individual or group which may be drinking in posted parks or frequenting park areas after sunset
• any residence where frequent nightly traffic comes and goes never staying for more than 10 or 15 minutes

Some properties, often rentals, may exhibit physical signs associated with criminal and undesirable activity. Call or email Code Compliance if you note the following conditions in neighboring properties:
• dilapidated buildings or any property in disrepair 
• vacant properties which show any indication of break-in or frequent traffic
• fallen fences or fences in disrepair
• property owners which allow illegal parking of vehicles in yards
• properties where trash is improperly stored or kept in yard or on porches
• properties whose yards are not maintained
Code Compliance issues may be reported at http://fortworthgov.org/codecompliance/info/default.aspx?id=4812 or call 817.831.3093

Report all dogs, especially pitbulls, which are tied, chained, poorly maintained, or running feral.  These animals are typically an indication of gang affiliation, ignorance, and street machismo.  These animals and their owners are also the cause of most of our feral dog population which is a burden on Animal Control and a nuisance to neighborhood property owners.

Also, those individuals seriously concerned with what is really going on in their neighborhoods can contact their local FWPD precinct location and request crime reports which will provide every police call, reason for call, and property addresses.  Names are not listed, but you can through this public information know what is going on in your neighborhood.

Keeping aware of these things has really helped make a difference in my immediate neighborhood but to change the direction of the Meadowbrook area we need a lot more folks watching, questioning, and reporting all undesirable behavior and individuals.

Yours truly,

Jan Lansing Cermak