POLICE CRITICIZED AT MEETING

A neighborhood meeting with police this week took an unexpected turn when
some residents criticized the officers who attended. Heidi Paslay, vice
president of the Paseo Neighborhood Association, organized the meeting,
which was attended by about 40 residents of her neighborhood as well as the
adjacent Jefferson Park and Central Park neighborhoods.

Paslay said she wanted to raise awareness of the crime problem in their
area. In addition, she wanted residents to be aware of things they can do
to fight crime, she said.

"We are by no means the worst neighborhood, but there are issues," she said.

Others, including Paseo resident Nedra Jones, used the meeting as an
opportunity to attack the police officers present for not doing an adequate
job of fighting the neighborhood's problems. In particular, Jones said she
has been complaining to the police for 10 years about persistent drug
dealing at one of the homes on her block.

"It's very hard to get people to buy and rent here when people see this
kind of blatant activity going on," she said. "We really want the police to
get this taken care of."

Paslay, however, said she was disappointed that some used the meeting as an
opportunity to confront the officers.

"They tore my meeting apart," she said.

Lt. Ed Dugan, whose Will Rogers Division covers the area, defended the
division's performance. A month ago, a group of Paseo residents gave the
police a list of 13 addresses in their neighborhood they believed house
drug activity. Dugan said undercover officers followed up on all those
leads and determined that only three houses in fact contained drug
operations. Arrests were made in each case, he said.

Dugan said he appreciated the neighborhood's cooperation in the effort.

Dugan echoed Paslay's assessment of the area. Despite the problems, he
said, "It's not our most crime-ridden area."

Paslay praised police efforts in her neighborhood.

"They are doing a wonderful job. They are doing the best they can," she
said. "They are building a case against certain particular houses."

The neighborhood already has residents who have a crime bicycle patrol.
Bicycle police officers join residents on these patrols. However, Paslay
said she is planning to start a neighborhood watch program in January to
build on these efforts.