My night out against crime

August 4, 2009
By Billy Dennis

According to the list I found at the City of Peoria Website, the Randolph-Roanoke Residential Association did not have an event to coincide with today’s National Night Out Against Crime.

So what was I to do?

I went begging for an invitation on Facebook.

(First, I’m going to apologize for not mentioning by name most of the people I met today. My memory for names is bad, and I didn’t have a notebook and pencil.)

I received several, but I ended up going to the Center Bluff Neighborhood Association event at Columbia Park, next to the McClure Branch Library. Iwas supposed to meet up with pals Rob and Angie Walker (yeah, THAT Angie Walker). They didn’t show. So, I spend time chatting with a few friends and met the very nice police officer who drives the “Armadillo,” the armored truck the Peoria Police Department uses to keep surveillance on nuisance properties. She told that they this vehicle has been dispatched to 43 different properties, and in virtually every single case, there’s been an improvement.

I also had a hamburger. It was good. Everyone was having a good time. But I left to visit a different neighborhood.

I stopped at the event put together by the University East Neighborhood Association. They met under a rented tent in the vacant lot at the corner of West Russell and North Garfield. This was much closer to my home and a more intimate affair. I got to chat with Capt. Mike Scally and two other officers from the Peoria Police department. Some Peoria Firefighters showed up in a truck, as did some folks from Advanced Medical Transport.

Council member Barb Van Auken and Planning Director Pat Landes were there as well (I ran into both at Columbia Park, too).

The best think about these events is that they give police and other city service providers a way to interface with private citizens in a social, non-emergency and non-threatening environment. Another thing that’s cool about NNO: The kids can come up and hot dogs, treats, toys, balloon and run around and play in safety because of all the adult supervision.

I did pick up a couple of news tidbits: The city is looking at using Twitter as a additional way to disseminate information to the public, which I think is a good idea and I’ll help in any way I can. Also, the folks in the University East area were asking about the possibility of turning the vacant lot they were using for the party into a neighborhood park or a neighborhood garden.

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