By Emily Ford
eford@salisburypost.com
Salisbury Police Chief Rory Collins said he will launch a new unit this spring dedicated to eradicating gangs, drug activity, vandalism and other street crimes.
ěThese are crimes that make people afraid to walk on their sidewalks,î Collins said.
The new street crimes unit will mean an even bigger police presence in the Park Avenue neighborhood, which had the highest crime rate among Salisbury neighborhoods in 2010.
Residents may not always see the increased presence.
Street crime officers ó the cream of the crop, Collins said ó will use surveillance, undercover work and unmarked cars, as well as traditional policing methods, to help prevent crimes like Tuesdayís mugging at the Wendyís drive-thru. The restaurant is located across East Innes Street from the Park Avenue neighborhood.
Collins is reorganizing the entire department, and officers are vying for up to eight positions in the new unit.
ěI need self-starters,î Collins said. ěIím seeking more motivated officers who are ready to work and ready to get dirty.î
Despite revitalization efforts by the city and residents during the past decade, crime continues to plague the Park Avenue neighborhood, bound by East Innes Street, Interstate 85, Long Street and Bringle Ferry Road.
This new police strategy is part of the cityís overall plan for the neighborhood, Mayor Susan Kluttz said.
Instead of reacting to crime ó answering a call about a larceny, for example ó street crime officers will be proactive, Collins said.
ěWhat they do and where they go and areas they work will be dependent upon complaints we receive from the community and meetings like SNAG and crime statistics,î he said.
SNAG, or the Salisbury Neighborhood Action Group, meets at 10 a.m. the first Wednesday of every month at the police station. Anyone may come to discuss crime problems.
ěPark Avenue can expect results just like any other community, as long as they continue to call and let us know where the problems are,î Collins said. ěBetween a higher presence and stronger enforcement, it will help bring down the crime rate.î
C.J. Peters moved to Park Avenue in 2007.
ěThere was yelling and screaming and cussing at all hours of the day and night,î he said. ěPeople were hanging out in front of our house, drunks were falling asleep in our yard, prostitutes were knocking on the door.î
That year, Peters and his wife called the police three to four times a day.
ěWe started calling the cops, and we got a response,î he said. ěThe Salisbury PD has been golden. Thatís the thing that has made the difference.î
Each year, Peters said, theyíve had to call the police less often.
While still the worst neighborhood in Salisbury for violent crime, Park Avenueís rate has decreased every year since 2007, down to 35 last year.
Crime numbers from Park Avenue include incidents at the Wilco Hess service station on East Innes Street, which falls just inside the neighborhood boundary.
In the past five years, 26 percent of the 1,003 criminal offenses reported in the Park Avenue community occurred at the Wilco Hess, Collins said.
Police answered 307 calls at the Wilco Hess in 2010, including nine calls for fights, robberies or reports of shots fired. Police investigated 127 reports of suspicious people.
ěItís a store conveniently located where people can walk from the neighborhood and buy alcohol,î Collins said. ěPeople come to shop and get gas, and that makes a convenient target for vagrants and folks who want a hand-out.î
Collins sent the property owners a letter in October warning them the Wilco Hess could qualify as a public nuisance under state law.
ěI told them we were looking at it as a nuisance to the community because of the criminal activity, and they need to take immediate steps to address the problems,î he said.
Collins, other Salisbury leaders and representatives from the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Nuisance Abatement Team recently met with company officials.
ěThey obviously want to shed the blame away from themselves and put it back on the community, but they are a drawing card for the problem,î Collins said. ěAnd the problem is occurring at their address, 500 E. Innes St.î
The company eventually pledged cooperation and has improved lighting and surveillance in the parking area, Collins said. Police soon will be able to monitor activity live via the Internet.
Crime was down in December at the Wilco Hess, and Collins said he is cautiously optimistic. But he wants to see crime figures decrease substantially, he said.
ěI have told them I am not going to be satisfied until the issues have stopped,î Collins said. ěI appreciate what theyíre doing. Weíll see how it works.î
Open 24 hours a day, Wilco Hess sells alcohol until 2 a.m., the legal limit.
Collins said they should cut off alcohol sales earlier.
Many Park Avenue residents complain about the store as a source of problems for the neighborhood. Some point to improvements at another convenience store in the community, the SpeeDee Mart at the corner of Long Street and Park Avenue.
The owner has posted ěno loiteringî signs and closes at 9 p.m., which has helped deter crime.
Throughout the city, Salisbury police officers answer more than 40,000 calls per year. That leaves little time for proactive policing, Collins said.
ěItís very difficult for these patrol officers who are assigned to answer calls to spend the time to put a dent in the problem,î he said.
A few officers assigned to the criminal investigations unit do street interdictions.
ěBut I want it to be much bigger, full-blown,î Collins said.
The department will continue to have patrol officers for service calls and investigations, and officers will continue to patrol the entire city, he said.
Collins said his reorganization does not require additional employees. He said he plans to unveil the new structure to City Council in late March or early April.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.