Subscribe Here for News & EventsTALK BACK: Get a grip on your neighborhood
January 28th, 2009
IN RESPONSE TO RECENT DISCUSSIONS ON GRAFFITI IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, THIS COMMENT WAS POSTED BY LESLIE:
Start a Neighborhood Watch!! Take charge and make a difference instead of complaining about how messy the Cove is. Call Code Enforcement on ugly boats and cars on lawns EVERY day until there is something done. Call the police EVERY time you see someone smoking dope or gang bangers “hanging out”. Call animal control EVERY time a neighbors dog is barking excessively. Call the graffiti hotline EVERY time you see graffiti. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Don’t be afraid of retaliation…this is the only way we can clean up the cove. If we don’t, the bad guys win. Blogs are a great form of communication, but if you really want to make a difference GET OUT THERE!! Graffiti hotline = 777-7095 Animal control = 777-7050 Non-emergency police line 1-800-950-2444 x 5 Emergency number = 911
THANKS, LESLIE! “Get a grip, not a gripe!”
January 29th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Barking dogs? It takes an act of congress and 10 pages of forms + witnesses, etc. to get the Animal Control Department to do anything about barking dogs. Like its a chore for them to deal with. There should be an easier procedure…We all live very close together so common courtesy should prevail…but its not!!!!
January 29th, 2009 at 7:06 am
Of course the visit-with-your-neighbor approach should begin the sequence of events. Several neighbors should voice their concerns over parking dogs, but THEN off to code compliance. Anyone out there had any success with getting dogs quieted down?
January 29th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Totally agree with “Sleepless”.
I would add that we need Dog Owners Control rather than Animal Control. If I was left out at night, with no food, water or shalter with chilly wind and 36F temperature, I would very likely be barking as well!
The “visit-with-your-neighbor approach” is very idealistic but in reality they will always be on the defensive: “It is not my dog!”
January 29th, 2009 at 9:49 am
How about some comments from Animal Control!!! Surely our city leaders monitor this thread.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:16 am
I am most concerned with the activities of the gang members. I live along the bear creek trail, and see the graffitti,drug parahernalia, and condoms left behind by these people dragging our neighborhood down. I fully support calling police, graffiti hotline ect… I have seen them scatter when a police cruiser pulls up. It’s a game of cat and mouse. I think we need to push the council for police bicycle patrols along Bear Creek Trail and throughout the cove. Any supporters?
January 29th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Eventually the gang bangers will get a clue that they are not welcome in the neighborhood. KEEP CALLING! Just the presence of a cop is a huge deterrent for these guys!! I would fully support a bicycle cop in the Cove.
January 30th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I am sorry, but by all LE’s accounts the COVE doesn’t have any relevant gang activity. Calling a few dumb teens – gang bangers – is a bit much.
Some of you make it sound like the COVE has a gang “infestation” problem, which is not the case.
However we do have several dumb teens, and on those we have to call LE as Leslie points out.
And report graffiti! I found this form to be very effective:
http://www.la-quinta.org/servicerequests/servicerequest.aspx
January 30th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
What did I miss? Who/what is “LE”?
January 30th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
LE = Law Enforcement
January 31st, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Go to La Quinta High School’s web page. under dress code. “Due to gang affiliation and identification, it has become necessary to restrict the wearing of head covering”.
Go to La Quinta police web page. You will see we have one officer who’s speciality is anti gang activity.
Gang members or dumb teens, we should do everything we can to be tough on this type of crime. I don’t like having to call for graffiti removal every week. And I don’t like seeing gang names etched in bathroom mirrors and on gas pumps in our fine city.
January 31st, 2009 at 4:50 pm
John,
both examples are related to La Quinta as a whole, not specific to the COVE. My objection is in having the COVE singled out just because…
No argument from me. I agree 100% that these individuals (by any name we want to call them)need to be dealt with.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I have been out of town and just got back. I agree -when there are problems call. In New york City they did studies finding that repairing broken windows, enforcing parking violations, and painting over grafitti improved the neighborhood overall. Apparently when there is an appearance of a “well kept” neighborhood then the level of crime goes down and the neighborhood goes up over all.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
The New York City study is called The Broken Window Theory.
I think this issue needs to be addressed throughout the WHOLE city not just the Cove.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:11 pm
That is the reason CODE ENFORCEMENT is critical and recent fabricated horror stories are jepardizing its effectivness in La Quinta.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
It is SOOOOOOO important to be involved and not just be a complainer. Solutions not complaints are the answer. Leslie is SOOOOOOOOO right. We have wonderful resources in our City and we need to become partners not adversaries. Kudos to the people who know how to solve neighborhood problems not incite vitrol that serve no purpose to anyone. We have a wonderful city with departments to take care of issues. Let’s work together to make the Cove the wonderful paradise that it offers. The negative comments against beautification and following laws are not productive. If you cannot offer positive communication about solutions then you are part of the problem. Thanks to all who respond in a way that is productive.