trymahjong

Uhm..........Neartown is a Superneighborhood .....#24 Only the civic clubs within "Montrose" would be on any list. However, other organizations do attend; HPD/PIP, reps from District C, reps from Churches, people running for office etc.It is an easy place (monthly zoom meeting) to get information on what is happening with developments, streets, crime etc. I do attend most meetings, along with 20-40 other people=> each signing up (if needs be) to give a 2-3 schpel of yadada. It's a long meeting,where remembering just who has spoken gets confusing for me. So yes, Steve Madden did speak last winter about reviving the MMD. It seemed to me to be mostly the same staff and people. I guess I was wrong to assume that "reviving" might not have included management of bridge lights of 59.

Wait……….didn’t MMR “revive “ itself? Otherwise I’m confused who has been attending Neartown zooms. ……..or maybe the new MMD wasn’t given the lights to look af?

Okay maybe I’m venting………venting at what though? hmmmm probably venting that Mayor Turner had the opportunity to have a positive effect on crime with that 44 million- but chose a route not promoted by his own police chief. I was thinking about concept of “expertise. Attending all those PIP meeting didn’t make me an expert; anymore than being a parent for 43 years, would make me an expert on parenting. It’s more that being closely involved in something, during good and bad times, you cobbled together insight. You gain a respect for the insight that you have acquired. Because TBT, living with an autistic child triumphs what ever expert opinion is floating around……attending years of HPD monthly meetings and listening to many patrol officers over the years (IMO) gives me an insight into things an” expert in the field” who has never attended nor conversed with HPD, won’t have. I agree my “ insight” is narrowly focused. And because I don’t claim to be an expert but rather a ….um…journeyman observer, who offers insights- it’s easy to get shamed. But it is what it is in public discourse. You want to share what you’ve learned; so you have to be willing to absorb the reactions you receive. About learning how municipal budget operate. I guess over the years, attending more than a few city council meetings, having a few COH council people showing up at a few of the same events and being part of the same political party as a few elected officials- yes I think I have the rudiments of how the budget operates in real life. However, that doesn’t stop me from being snarky in my observations that, a strong Mayor somehow ( no I don’t know how) does a fiscal abracadabra and suddenly funds seem to become available.

My goodness Do I have a handle on the subject of crime? My thread started because I watch the crime statistics slide show every months and take home the booklet that shows crime events Street by street. So I am somewhat familiar with “crime” that directly affects me, my family and my part of town. “Police head count and crime statistics “ I’m in a room with dozens of cop of all ranks twice a month. The conversations are always about “police head counts and crime statistics. This isn’t a rarified atmosphere of collegiate researchers, but I am talking to patrol officers. These officers, bounce their opinions off other officers and “civilians “ as a participant you get a sense of what a shared opinion might be. I think that shared opinion is more cops are needed on the streets. My post was a challenge to the Mayor for issuing a statement that conflicted with what HPD had been telling me. “What HPD has been telling me” IS where I get my information. BTW, my neighbors get their crime info from HPD also. It is a character building experience to be waylaid for admitting you trust the monthly crime information you get from police. about “ getting the money to hire a kazillion new police officers.” ……..really it seems to me that if hiring lots of police were important- really important to Mayor Turner- the money would be found.

more to my liking? Now, I’m puzzled. I may have been unclear before. HPD has stood on a platform of “smallest police force of largest city” no matter what happens in reporting crime to the community meetings I attend for past 18 years- this is what HPD falls back on. I sit there and soak up all the HPD speak, month after month. It’s Houston’s crime rate that I’m interested in- that I copy down and send to my neighbors, that I post alerts about—— would a bigger police force help lower Houston crime? HPD has been lecturing me - that indeed it WOULD. So— I decided to take a stand in this thread and say— okay HPD— hire more beat type cops,, lots of them, maybe more than LA but less than Chicago. Let’s see what happens. IMO—- monies seem to be found - if Mayor Turner desires it.

Another little note……. Residents of Inwood DO acknowledge responsibilities of having a car -However being a good car owning citizen that does the yadadada on alternate side parking isn’t as romantic as it might seem………their aren’t any “perks” for the personal time you devote to getting that street sweeping done…..car ownership aside. …Inwood is one of the highest points in Manhattan nice long winding roads with theHudson River on Westside and a huge old growth park complex of both Isham and Inwood Park ( Inwood is supposedly where Powhattan sold the land for a handful of beads) Everyone, E-v-e-r-y-o-n-e drives into these parks on weekend to participate in sports, activities and picnics—- no ride sharing as far as I have observed- only free parking their cars everywhere., up and down the neighborhood streets. Result—- hard for residents to find street parking. Not much sympathy for residents but it’s still sorta crap for those that actually live close and do what it takes to not only get the streets swept but also sidewalks and parks picked up.

just a note Last time, I visited Inwood area in Manhattan, alternate side parking was only 2x a week. IMO the whole thing is a complicated headache. NYers double park then leave cars unattended waiting for for street sweepers ( 2 hour window )-good luck if you miss the opportunity to move your car from getting caught Within inside lane.

Perhaps the time has come forHouston to do a huge hiring of officers actually assigned to patrol duty. A number of police Per citizen somewhere between LA numbers Chicago numbers. Houston could “ bite the bullet” and find the money.

Oh my i seem to on the receiving end of what HPD PR feeds during the community meetings. At many many meetings, HPD states that the Houston is the smallest police force “ size “ for the largest population. I notice NY and Chicago have almost twice as many officers, which is what I thought would be the case as it was presented by HPD. LA surprised me that the numbers are so close. About seeing so many police on the streets……my hometown is Oklahoma City ( lived there till the70’s), police cars seemed to be everywhere. I didn’t associate the notion of more cops , more crime. Then about that “community oriented policing” would HPD bicycle corp or mounted police fit into that? I know that the bike corp goes out a lot in south Central and Central 1&2- but the heat during the summer gets bad enough that patrols are put on hold. The mounted patrol use to be out quite a bit in midtown andMontrose but I guess (maybe) the big accident during Pride Parade (10 years or so ago) might have played a part in why the patrol isn’t on the streets as much. I like the the idea of a “Beat “ patrol and always thought of the neighborhood HPD storefronts that way. I was so very disappointed that Acevedo turned down Randoms development off of a replacement HPD replacement with in the Montrose Collective.

Hmmmmmmmm Avondale does have a remarkable parking garage. And I suppose the residents that live in the 100 block of Avondale (where the parking permits are required) could walk to the 800 block of Avondale, where the Montrose collective garage is located. The residents walk, pay for parking and suck it up so customers of the bars and restaurants can avoid valet costs and park on the street. …….something seems wrong.

Mayor Turners program seems a bit similar to what you suggest, but COH hasn’t tried to hire a police force the size of other big cites with our population, at least since 2005. I guess, I would think increasing police force might be a solution after all.

Those parking permits on Avondale are years old-yes years! IMO — is it question of wanting “ ”private” street parking because you do live on that street? Or is it residents frustration at people who will take up street parking (sometimes blocking your driveway) because they don’t want to pay valet charge of what ever bar or restaurant they’ve decided to go to.

HPD as a community outreach program that promotes transparency positive interaction police program started in 1983- I think there’s history of it if you google The city is sectioned off- Montrose and. Heights is Central 1&2 division- Mts each first Monday of month.

Getting an Historic Designated neighborhood is arduous. i. Was part of the team for Avondale West designation beginning in 2005. Later, Mayor Parker decided, neighborhoods had to do it all over again. Avondale has 700 residences more or less. Historic Districts must be contiguous. If you get. A property own to agree but no other pro historic property touches it—- essentially it’s. lost. I’m not sure Avondale East and West together make up 30% of that 700. Luckily if a property is next to a district- the owner can apply to be added to historic district. I write all this to suggest proceeding to get designation, no matter how small. Avondale East is extremely small- maybe 10 houses? The historic dept atCOH never haunted us.I haven’t found pricing for upkeep and maintenance to be more expensive- indeed my Moms house in 3rd ward seems more expensive from trimming to house painting. Of course upkeep in 100 year old house is a constant. Of course a lot of our income is spent on upkeep. For us it was worth it. Losing historic homes to developers is tragic. Once those homes gone—-they’re lost forever.

If Houston starts at a baseline of: => Yes Violent crime is increasing… Then does the question become how best to fight the increase? It seems COH believes the answer lies within “ early intervention as noted in Safe Houston program” HPD puts forth “ more bodies on the streets “ as the solution. Hard to assess one solution over the other unless police force gets many new recruits. Still surely, a significant decrease (more that 3%) would appear and maintain that decrease over months time, if “SaveHouston” was really having a significant impact. so IMO, if Safe Houston program doesn’t begin to have the impact necessary to lower violent crime…when should that program be scrapped ? When should COH bite the bullet and hire, hire, hire? Finding the funding the same way funding was found for Save Houston—— no excuse—-just finding the funds. Yes- I think the funds are there.