Here are only just a few snippets of things going on in these areas. There are others and more listed in the For The Record reports that I didn't list because it doesn't separate the incident areas with the specific ones needed for this post. Many of the For The Record reports have more than one person listed located in other towns and streets.
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Street-vendor-120911
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Shootings-072711
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Stabbing-070611
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Quiet-down-063011
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Guns-082410
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Crack-dealer-052910
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Robbery-stabbing-042710
http://thehawkeye.com/story/Smell-042210
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Robbery-stabbing-verdict-031210
http://thehawkeye.com/story/Knife-threat-110109
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Stabbing-102209
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Knife-attack-091109
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Robbery-082709
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Dealer-job-061209
http://www.thehawkeye.com/Story/Stepson-041509
Here is a couple of map incidents recorded and placed by the Burlington Police Department at CrimeReports.com. This range can only go from September 30, 2011-March 30, 2012. Its located both in and around Greenway and South Hill regions. Unfortunately, there isn't a map listed for decades of activity, which could be better in showing how serious the crime is in the areas. Areas past the main downtown section has more criminal activity happening there than within the main downtown district.
Greenway
South Hill
Some areas of town are starting to receive new and unusual crimes popping up in safe and quiet neighborhoods. Thefts, break-ins, even people being stalked and chased from motor vehicle drivers.
Housing and apartments pricing is cheap
One of the biggest impacts that are bring potential criminal individuals into this town is the cheap pricing of housing and apartments.
Here's a recent article about how Burlington's real estate markets are improving and how relaxed the local banks are in dealing with the housing market.
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Real_Estate_032512
The housing market here is more cheaper and cost effective than it is in large cities, like Chicago. Some criminals listed from the articles that were arrested has some backgrounds of living in the Chicago suburbs. In large cities, there are expensive pricing for housing and staying in apartment complexes. Many individuals have difficult time trying to either find a decent job to pay off the bills or to find loopholes that would help fund temporary needs. Moving from Chicago to Burlington is only a four hour drive and going for the housing market would be the first step of obtaining a cheaper and easier way to stay in the town.
Areas, like Greenway and South Hill, are dominated mostly by mostly African Americans. Most of which live either with family members or by themselves. Some areas have some other racial backgrounds as well, some of which would integrate a multiracial living conditions, like a couple being the opposite of each others race, as well as kids that they own. Green Way has some multiracial living conditions, which some could get along with the neighborhood, depending on the people's attitude and view on the situation. Multiracial couples are usually widely accepted by many individuals in positive ways, while others are accepted in a different matter. Its similar to religious backgrounds for couples and children as well, but for the main purpose of this post is for racial talk.
Greenway is full of criminal activities due to the low pricing of the markets and people having the opportunity to moving into these underestimated areas of crime.
Last year, there was an discussion of using $19 million dollars in renovation costs to make each of the buildings appear new and decent looking. They were also given in the months ahead housing equipment; like stoves, toasters, sinks, etc. The area is able to receive large subsidies under the federal Section 8 low-income housing program.
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/greenway-040811
Months later, it was approved that $14.4 million dollars would be used in paying off the renovation related costs. The money came from a governmental grant. The limited partnership consisted of a Chicago-based National Equity Fund Inc., which gives them the right to own 99.9% of the property. The .01% is split between Newbury Management and Kansas City-based non-profit Phoenix Family Housing Corp., which plans to offer low-income families at Greenway financial support services.
With the renovations and assistance being given to Greenway and now owned mostly by a Chicago-based company and a Kansas City non profit corp., it creates a better and comfortable zone for newcomers to come live in areas like this.
City and state governmental assistance
Another thing that drives people from out of the city to live in the town is the city and state's governmental assistance.
Department of Human Services, Young House, and other assistance-based funding areas are creating relaxed and easy access for new and old-time Burlingtonians to receive funding. Things like Medicad, food stamps, free or reduced lunches, assisted heating and cooling, assisted utilities, etc. are being offered to jobless and low-income individuals. There are limited restrictions in receiving such funding as long as they are below the income line that is set.
There is also funding for rent that applies to a single parent and children living with them. Mostly its applied to single mothers with kid(s) living with them and mostly come from cities like Chicago. Because of this extra help from the governmental programs, all they would have to pay for is the utilities, which they can get a job with a low income low enough to stay in each of the programs and pay for the utilities and personal goods.
With receiving benefits from both the state and the city, including the companies that own areas like Greenway, living free with limited to none work status is easy pickings. Some do deserve it better than others whom aren't taking it as an easy way out and never planning to become success anytime in the future. The problem is that none of us can really weed out the ones who truly deserve from the ones who is truly undeserving.
At South Hill, they don't receive the small extra resource from the companies whom are funding the Greenway projects. however, they still have just as much access to the other governmental funding as everyone else is under there low income bar.
Recently, South Hill has a group called The South Hill Neighborhood Association that is looking into making the group a nonprofit 501(c)(3). The group is designed for creating activities, looking for improvements in neighborhoods, etc.
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/south-hill-011512
The problem I have with the program is that I never hear about a North Hill Neighborhood Association and whether or not they receive a similar status when it comes to nonprofit status. In fact, trying to research the North Hill version of it, but nothing pops up. North Hill is on the complete opposite of South Hill, which I never read or hear about it through the newspaper or The Hawk Eye website. It could be listed under a different location and name, however there isn't anything I read about the North Hill side having one. Is it only designed for neighborhoods with low income individuals and criminal-filled neighborhoods?
Police activity is more limited than bigger cities
Although many arrests are made on these individuals who live in crime infested neighborhoods, not all of them are caught and arrested. Its pretty similar in cities like Chicago, however the ratio of officers and the funding they receive is much lower. Because of this, officers are less likely to patrol alone in areas like South Hill and Greenway without calling backup.
South Hill, for example, tends to have speeders caught here and there. When an officer pulls over an individual in particular areas near or in South Hill, they tend to always call backup. Its not for certain whether its a procedure done in order to prevent an unexpected incident from happening or its based on the officer's view of the neighborhood. As far as I know, officers could have incidents happen to them or someone they know when they patrolled the areas. Whatever the case may be, the officer would feel uncomfortable about being an area like South Hill and would less likely patrol it more than the areas in the downtown district.
About close to 2 years ago, there was a discussion about South Hill and what the South Hill Neighborhood Association and the community can do about it.
http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/south-hill-091210
The meeting was created by Gary Thomas in response to a July 28 attack. The attack that was listed didn't discuss the result and the purpose the gang of thugs jumped the kid.
Some word went out from a few cab drivers stated that a similar amount of individuals in a gang that size had to be the same ones whom had done a similar situation months after the pertained incident. It occurred nearby Walgreens and Family Video where a kid whom was walking home was jumped by several African American individuals, whom were believed to be in a gang. What their real purpose was to steal the kid's iPod and then beat him until he was hospitalized. It was unclear to whom had seen it and whether it was reported in the police or the newspaper under either a main article or a For The Record article piece or not. Normally children whom are harmed usually doesn't have their names and incidents publicized in the papers unless the parent or guardian grants access for them to do so.
The January 2012 article discussed about placing either real or fake cameras in the parks. The problem I had with the piece is that it lists the mentioning of dummy and real cameras, including their prices. If they considered installing a dummy camera, someone can easily tell a fake from a real one by looking up price information and the brand listed on the camera equipment itself. This would prove to be useless.
Standard security cameras, with night vision, motion detection, etc. can range as much as $150-$300 a piece. Having to consider the most expensive seems to be a dead giveaway that its never going to be funded. It may be better quality control in regards with dealing with finding individuals in the park, but the high price of placing such cameras in an area not as affected from crime as elsewhere isn't worth it. Now placing something like the cheaper cameras can be worth it once they receive the non-profit status, but the question comes down to of whom will be responsible with collecting and distributing footage to both the neighborhood watch group and law enforcement?
Now and into the future
While its good to have a neighborhood association to find solutions to fix the issues and make some headway of dealing with the criminal issues, its up to the City of Burlington to fix their funding issues they been having for more than 20 years and start giving proper training and funding for police officers to become more prepared and more active than what they currently doing. The city, perhaps the state, can create more restrictions to individuals whom are suckling the funding's money and refuse to improve their lives and give it to those who truly deserve by looking into their criminal backgrounds, as well as backgrounds from out of the city. As far as with the housing market goes, there could be restrictions of criminals from receiving certain loans or benefits in receiving a home or rental of an apartment until their probation and other serious criminal charges are over and dealt with.
With the current trend we are heading, criminal activities are going to get worse if the city and the police department isn't doing enough with fixing the problem. It will take a lot of money and dedication before we can see results of reducing the problem as minimum and frequent as possible.
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