Residents in Natomas are scared and angry. They have a right to be. The community in the city's northwest corner has been the site of 15 home invasion robberies and 14 street holdups since June 1. In most of the attacks, the perpetrators had guns. Police have arrested seven young men between the ages of 15 and 20, but suspects remain at large.
At a neighborhood meeting called to discuss the spike in violent crimes, residents complained justifiably that they don't have the resources that other communities have. They don't have a police substation, or a community center, or all the recreation facilities and amenities promised when North Natomas was planned. Most of all, Natomas residents complain, like residents of other neighborhoods, they don't have enough cops.
To its credit, Natomas residents are not waiting for the city to solve the crime problem. They are acting on their own. They have created a sophisticated neighborhood e-mail network that has alerted residents to the crime spree. Residents have used it to share solid information that includes descriptions of suspects and suspect cars, and details about the crimes, including addresses, time of day and the method of attack. They also pass along common-sense advice to residents on how to protect themselves.
One of the most popular neighborhood blogs, www.natomasbuzz.com, helped alert residents to the meeting at Natomas' Inderkum High School on Monday. Some 450 people packed the auditorium to discuss the uptick in crime. It was the largest meeting of residents for a crime issue that police Capt. Dan Hahn, a 20-year veteran of the department, had ever attended.
Hahn told residents that the best protection for neighbors is to get to know each other, to learn neighbors' work patterns and cars and vacation schedules. That way they can know when something is off and be alert.
Hahn also addressed the touchy subject of race in a straightforward and constructive way. Not all, but most of the suspects in the recent attacks have been young black males. But as Hahn, who is black himself, told the crowd, the vast majority of young black males are not criminals. So, it would be a mistake, counterproductive, in fact, to regard all blacks with suspicion.
It's behavior that should be of concern, Hahn said. A strange car, someone driving slowly through the neighborhood or peering into windows of homes or cars should raise alarms. By itself, such an incident may not warrant a call to police, but residents should jot down the license plate number. If a robbery or assault is reported in the area, call police then.
The action in Natomas is not limited to meeting, talking and e-mailing. Concerned about not having a police substation, North Natomas residents have arranged to rent space in a strip mall for a neighborhood service center. There, volunteers can take police reports and code enforcement complaints, and neighborhood service officers can work a few days a week.
That is the short-term response. In the longer term, residents, particularly those in North Natomas, want what they were promised when they bought their homes – a police substation, community centers, after-school programs, libraries and parks. Such civic infrastructure makes all communities safe, healthy and fun places to live. It doesn't seem too much to ask.
