Surprise Block Party Trailer
April 30, 2008
The Block Party trailer is about more than just a good time (though that is important too!) The importance of this resource lies within its capability as a catalyst for friendships, relationships, tradition, safety, and security. All of us have an interest in seeing these important qualities develop in our community.
Last week I had the pleasure of attending a Neighborhood Block Watch meeting in the Copper Canyon subdivision. Within this community they have 70 residents serving the role as Block Watch Captains. This is an unbelievable number of participants, eclipsed only by Sun City Grand within the City of Surprise. This effort was kicked off by a Block Party that community leaders and “go-getters” put together last year. You can find out more about it when I feature Copper Canyon’s Block Watch efforts on my “Council Conversation” program now airing on Surprise 11.
Our community finds itself in an interesting transitional phase following the housing “boom.” We continue to grow (159 permits issued last month), yet simultaneously we see foreclosed and abandoned properties at an all-time high. Although all of us have probably rented at various points in our lives, too many rental properties in one neighborhood sometimes works to disconnect the community. We are living in a community that is continuing to evolve, now more than ever we need to promote our hometown pride.
Hometown pride is not just about the residents, but includes the business community as well. Businesses are as much a part of this community family as the residents. Through sponsorship, advertising, and active participation, businesses have the capability of taking Neighborhood Block Watch and Block Party Trailer events to an entirely different level.
I’m putting a challenge out to my district. If we can reach 50% active participation in Neighborhood Block Watch! That’s equivalent to every other street. Remember block watch is not just about safety. Fellowship, friendship, and community pride: coming together and understanding that there are folks out there, even in your own neighborhood, with common interests and concerns. Developing relationships through this program will last a lifetime. The return on this dismisses any concerns on the time and effort involved to get it going.
Impossible? Not in the least. Just ask the residents in Copper Canyon.
The excitement was coming from a home across the way that has been on the market for some time (like many of the investments gone sour in our community). I proceeded to walk over and find unfamiliar faces, teenagers I did not recognize, hanging out in a vacant home driveway taking advantage of the open real estate with their skate boards. They were not doing anything illegal, they were simply hanging where they weren’t supposed to, being loud and obnoxious (a characteristic I will admit I too maintained many moons ago).
“Hey boys, what’s up?” was my question.
“Nothing,” was the reply, heads down with smiles and giggles as if to say I was not in on the joke.
“You guys buying this house?” was my next question. They laughed and then looked puzzled as we made eye contact. My question, which they had perceived as a joke, was slightly sarcastic but mostly serious.
Silence.
“I would love to see someone move in here, it’s been empty for a few years.”
Silence.
“We’re not doin’ anything,” a boy replied, hair draped over his eyes.
“I never said you were, I just didn’t recognize you guys and wanted to come over and say ‘what’s up’.”
I was losing them.
Then one boy looked up and said “Sorry bro, we aren’t doing anything. We were just hanging out in the shade.”
“What’s your name?” I asked, and he told me. “What’s up (kid’s name). We are all pretty good friends on this street, and I heard you guys laughing and I’m always looking for a good joke. You guys are welcome here, but I don’t think this property owner would appreciate you being here, unless of course you’re thinking of buying,” I gave a friendly smile.
They shrugged their shoulders and left on their skate boards.
Why am I telling you this? Those boys know who I am and know that I’m going to say hi when I see them. In the classroom this is called “proximity.” It’s a classroom management technique where the teacher walks the classroom to deter any distracting behaviors. Remember the feeling when your high school teacher would stand next to you in class, the idea is that you feel like you are being watched?
Surprise is a community of great neighborhoods, but the sentiment of many emails I’ve received from residents who have run into problems with young kids is that these kids are destroying our neighborhoods. It is all too obvious that we are becoming the ghetto of the Northwest Valley,” was a line I recently received.
Neighborhood Block Watch is a great opportunity for communities to come together, get to know each other, and work as a team to watch each others backs.
We are going to have crime, and as we grow, crime will grow, too. I will make public safety and code enforcement a priority with the budget. My wish, as is many of yours, is to have a police officer on every street corner. I strive for that, but I understand that it is not realistic.
We as residents, can make a bigger impact through effective implementation of Neighborhood Block Watch. It’s not the final answer, but when used properly it is a very effective tool.
Stay tuned to the “Council Conversations” program, I will be putting together a show that will outline how you can build a very effective Neighborhood Watch program. We will model the Copper Canyon community which has built a team of 70+ Block Captains. This will benefit you, your block, your community, and our entire city!!!
