Laurel Oaks-Garden Hills HOA, Inc.

Please Give Your Views As to Whether or Not You Feel Safe In Your Neighborhood and Things That You Think Can Be Improved To Make Our Neighborhood Safer.

Thank You. All Items Will Be Kept Confidential As to Names.

I feel safe in the neighborhood, just don't feel safe leaving my belongings in my house while away.  I have been broken into twice since the 2 years i've been here.  We should post neighborhood incidents on this site to make everyone aware of the happening in the neighborhood.  Also signs that say neighborhood watch may get the community into helping each other to watch out for theives...

"I feel safe in the neighborhood, just don't feel safe leaving my belongings in my house while away.  I have been broken into twice since the 2 years i've been here.  We should post neighborhood incidents on this site to make everyone aware of the happening in the neighborhood.  Also signs that say neighborhood watch may get the community into helping each other to watch out for theives..."

Which street/section of the neighborhood are you in so that we can work on the problems?

I've lived in this community for going on four years now and it has changed, for the worse. When I first moved here, you hardly saw anyone on Jernigan after midnight but now there are people walking the street at all hours doing only God knows what. I keep my dog in the house in case someone tries to break in because he will bark if someone comes to the door. Lately, he barks several nights per week because he hears these night people that are making so much noise he thinks they are closer than they are.

 

Another thing that is getting worse, is the people with the "thumpers" in their cars that cruise the area (at least three); and there are a couple of houses; that crank their music up so loud that the "bumpin" literally makes my windows rattle and sometimes this goes on for hours at a time. Now I can hear some saying it is free speech, but I'm sorry, I hear no speech, only deep, rumbling bass sound that rattles my windows, no words.

 

I'm about 99% sure there is drug dealing going on in a house on the street I live on due to the amount of traffic at all hours that go there. Peoples drive or walk up, go in for 5-15 minutes and then leave. Since I've lived here, this is the second family that sells drugs from that house. I talked with one of my neighbors that has lived here for 10 or more years and they said every family that has lived in that house has sold drugs. Now to my mind, that would seem to indicate the owner may be behind the sales, but that's not saying it's true, but if I were to police, it would be something I'd be looking into.

 

There is also a lot of gun shots in the area, and yes I can tell the difference between a gun shot and a fire cracker. About two months ago around 1 am, it sounded like someone was in the intersection of Carey and Jernigan, firing a 9mil, so I called 911 and the operator actually asked me if I could see who it was doing the shooting! I couldn't believe she asked that! First it was dark; second, someone was shooting a gun and she thinks I'm going to stick my head out to see who it is? Ya think? Not me! I told her it was a silly damn question and if she was silly enough to do it in her neighborhood she could but I was going to stay in the house and call her.

 

All that being said, I've complained to the police about these things in person at least three times, and by calling 911 at least five times, in the years I've lived here and to my knowledge, they never do anything; and I've sat and watched out the window for several hours after I called, and never saw the first car drive by.

 

In fact, about the only times I've saw Cop cars in the area, is when they were chasing someone into the area like the two high speed chases that ended up on Jernigan last year and the year before, or coming to arrest someone (and in both cases the person wasn't there). Another other time, one sat in front of the drug dealer house for about an hour and then a Cop comes out and drives off. It made me wonder what he was in there doing: collecting his cut, sampling the wares, getting something for his little partner; who knows, but it made me suspicious of at least that Cop.

 

So, I feel fairly safe, but not as safe as I did when I first moved here. Why don't I move? I can't afford to, like many others here. I think someone needs to know that these things are going on, but where do we find ears that aren't deaf and eyes that aren't blind? When I was growing up, neighbors looked out for and helped each other, and weren't afraid to tell on someone for doing wrong and that's what these people are doing, and the authorities too, by their inaction.

 

I know it isn't just me. So, has anyone else seen things like this but either don't think it would be safe to say something, as a neighbor that is concerned for your family and property, to the people that are doing it? Do you feel like it does any good to say anything to the authorities about it? I don't bother anyone, nor do most of my neighbors. I just want to live my life in peace and safety.