Taking back the neighborhood: Residents help reduce crime rate
Published: September 28, 2004
When La Crosse police made arrests in several North Side robberies last week, Chief Ed Kondracki was quick to give credit to private citizens for their help in solving the crimes.
What’s more, Kondracki said the community also deserves much of the credit for the drop in serious crime in La Crosse.
As of the end of August, major crimes are down 7 percent from last year and are now at a 30-year low.
According to Kondracki, without the public’s help, the police department would have trouble solving most crimes.
Through Neighborhood Watch, Crime Stoppers and other community action programs, the average citizen can provide more help than one might think.
Police officials said the residents of one North Side neighborhood serve as a perfect example of the role citizens can play in stopping crime.
A Neighborhood Watch group that covers a six-block area of Prospect and Loomis streets might be the best example, according to police Officer Scott Harmel, who works with the La Crosse Police Department’s Community Services Bureau.
Through much of 2002, police worked closely with several neighbors to help get rid of a drug house and reduce other crime.
Harmel said Lyle and Nancy Shaner, who live in the 2100 block of Prospect Street, were the driving force behind the effort.
When the Shaners bought Nancy’s childhood home, the couple was prepared to enjoy life on a nice, quiet street.
For nearly 10 years the Shaners were not disappointed. That all changed in early 2002 when new tenants moved into a rental home down the street.
Shortly after the new neighbors arrived, so did increased traffic, noise, vandalism and other crimes.
As the problems increased, so did the tension for nearly everyone up and down the street, Nancy said.
“It got to the point where people were talking about selling their houses and moving,” Nancy Shaner said. “We decided there was no way we were going to move. This was our home, and they were the problem, not us.”
By spring 2002, the Shaners had had enough. A call to Nancy’s cousin, chief of police in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, helped the couple plan how they were going to take back their neighborhood.
Although police had reason to believe the tenants were running a drug operation just blocks from a high school and elementary school, there was not enough evidence to arrest anyone.
That is where the Shaners and other neighbors came in.
Acting on the advice of Nancy’s cousin, the Shaners started to serve as the police department’s eyes and ears.
The couple bought a video camera and two video cassette recorders to monitor activity down the street.
Lyle devised a black box that hid the camera pointing out the family’s living room window. He would spend hours watching the activity through the camera by using his television as a monitor.
Night after night, the Shaners and other neighbors would watch cars come and go from the house. As cars drove by, the Shaners would write down license plate numbers and a description of the cars.
Many of the neighbors would document who would come to the house, how long they would stay and when they would leave.
Lyle said some neighbors would allow police use of their house to watch what happened in the neighborhood.
Eventually police got the evidence they needed to get a search warrant and make arrests.
Thanks to the neighbors’ efforts, several people were convicted of dealing drugs and sent to prison. The house was eventually sold and new neighbors moved in.
Although many people would be too frightened, Lyle and Nancy said they saw that their only hope was to get involved.
“It was our neighborhood and we wanted it back,” Lyle said. “We all did. It was a real neighborhood effort.”
Through neighborhood meetings, people on Prospect Street were able to compare notes to see what was happening and how each person could help police bring the crime to an end.
Thanks to their efforts, the neighborhood is now back to how the Shaners remembered it, only better, Nancy said.
“It’s actually better because people know that all of us are keeping an eye on each other. If someone is in the neighborhood who doesn’t belong here, we’re all going to try to see who they are and why they’re here,” Nancy said. “We know we’re all in this together, and we have to watch out for each other. That’s the only way we can make this neighborhood the type of place we all want it to be.”
Kondracki said it is diligence like this that should spread throughout the entire community to help reduce crime.
“There is no way you can expect police to solve crimes by themselves,” Kondracki said last week after citizen tips helped police solve a number of burglaries and thefts. “We have to have the public’s help in solving many of these crimes.”
During the past few years, La Crosse has seen its number of major crimes drop to levels not seen since the mid-1960s.
Although the city’s crime rate dropped just 7 percent this year to date —- which is much lower than the decrease over the past few years —- Kondracki said he is pleased to see the amount of serious crime drop.
According to crime statistics through the end of August, La Crosse police have responded to fewer homicides, burglaries and arsons.
While there have been more rapes, robberies, assaults and motor vehicle thefts, there was a minimal increase in some of those categories.
The biggest increase is in the number of robberies —- which does not count the four North Side robberies earlier this month. So far in 2004, there have been 12 robberies, two times more than one year ago.
There also have been three more rapes, three more assaults and 10 more motor vehicle thefts so far this year.
The most striking category, however, is homicides. There were three homicides in 2003 but none so far this year.
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