New Haven Independent

Neubauer had other fish to fry as well. A pastor, having worked ten years in Dallas among the homeless and dispossessed of that city, he has recently moved to Fair Haven, where he is establishing Compassion Corps, a non-profit that among other goals seeks to provide transitional housing for people stuck in the cycle of drugs and prostitution. He was attending the regular monthly meeting to introduce his fledgling organization to local leaders. He appeared to have about a million questions to ask Lopez, but first there were a few salient items on the agenda of the meeting to get through.
A dozen people attended the gathering, which was held Thursday night at the police substation on Blatchley Avenue, just north of Grand.
After Sergeant Luis Casanova made a favorable report about the level of crime in the Fair Haven area — he has successfully lobbied local merchants not to sell BB and paint ball guns to kids, and there were almost no violations during the recent Halloween period for vandalism or under-age drinking — there was a spirited discussion, led by Easter Howard (pictured), of another issue increasingly close to the heart of Fair Haveners: the state of community policing, and, in particular, the way officers relate to the area’s young minority adolescents.
“We decided,” said Howard, who is the management team’s representative to the police Civilian Review Board, “to focus on the young police recruits. Some of these new cops just don’t understand adolescent behavior, and if they over-react, or become fearful, our kids, you know, sense the fear in the cops and can really push their buttons. We’re going to recommend training in this regard, so bad situations can be avoided”.
“Most of the cops in the neighborhood, the older ones, are good,” said another long time activist, Ora Lee Dortche, who preferred not to be photographed. “The rookies do need something, need to come into the neighborhood and meet the people before they just show up and think they’re in some kind of jungle.”
“You see,” added Howard, “we’re short cops, and the new class coming on is not being supported by federal money. New Haven pays for it, and that’s why there’s not as many as there should be and the training isn’t comprehensive in the way it should be. We’re working on it, and I’ll report to you at the next meeting.”
Police behavior inevitably led to a discussion of the responsibility of parents, particularly in being at home so their children do not ride bikes at night and put themselves in danger and potential trouble. Laurie Lopez indicated that the area’s schools, in particular, John S. Martinez School, on James Street, are open at least until seven o’clock with after school activities.”
Neighborhood community management meetings are very nuts and bolts affairs. It was explained how leaf bag pick-ups occur after the trash pick-ups, but on separate loops by the sanitation trucks; if the workers run out of time, those leaf bags can sit for a week and molder. And then there was how emergency funds through Empower New Haven are available for mechanical repairs, and painting on a kind of forgivable loan basis, but that at the present time establishments only one side of Grand Avenue are within the empowerment zone, and thus the other side is not eligible; but the team is working on correcting this.

In the meantime, Neubauer, in search, ultimately of a building for his Compassion Corps, was surprised to hear Laurie Lopez explain that at any given moment there are 15 vacant buildings in Fair Haven. “Many are in foreclosure, many just abandoned by the landlords, and soon they become hotels for people using drugs. I’m in there with warnings to get rid of the needles, and then, on the third time, I’m back with the cops, and they just have to go. The neighbors need to be schooled in alerting us to this before people are established in these unlawful situations.”

Fifteen buildings? Maybe one of them can be rescued and become the headquarters of his organization? “Tell me,” he asked, “what’s the best number to call if you see people using drugs, as I see them at it, right in my garage?”
“Call Sergeant Casanova,” she said, “or call me. LCI Neighborhood specialists used to fill just the liaison role,” explained Lopez, a four-year veteran of LCI, “but now we’re the warriors, the doers; I take care of all zoning and other enforcement as well.”
“Terrific,” said Neubauer. And then he and Lopez exchanged phone numbers.
“Oh and make sure you put those trash bags out in front of your place. I’ll arrange to have them picked up tomorrow for sure.”

If you want to solve a problem, come to the next meeting, which will be Dec. 7, at 6 p.m., at the substation. And bring the kids, as the occasion will also be a holiday party.