Two years ago we — a group of neighbors — adopted a block of San Carlos Street under the City’s Adopt a Block Program. It has been working. The neighbors have learned that clean streets keep not-wanted visitors away — most of the time, that is. Illegal dumping has decreased dramatically. On street-cleaning day, several neighbors come out and sweep their sidewalks before the mechanical sweeping time. On Saturdays a few of us come out and pick up visible garbage. Then call the City to collect our garbage bags. And the City truck shows up quite fast. So far, you might think, all is wonderful. Wrong.

There has been retaliation against us from people who used to, and tries to use our street for drug using and prostitution — meaning asking them to leave. Mid-last year we suffered a tire-slashing spree affecting more than 15 cars. It happened again this last Tuesday early morning — this time about 6-8. Some of us woke up to find out that we did not have a car to take our children to school, or to go to work, or to go to college.

Most of us paid more than $400.00 to get our cars fixed.

What can we do to prevent this senseless tire-slashing spree from happening?

Will the fear of retaliation keep us from claiming back our neighborhoods?

Should we just look the other way?

We have tried asking the City to give us a Neighborhood Watch sign — like the ones most of us see in more affluent neighborhoods. The City said they did not and still does not have any of them available.

In this situation is when we look up and say “God please protect us.” Because this is all we can do — hopefully just for now.


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