New Lost and Found Section

I have seen several hand made signs go up during July for lost pets.  I know losing a pet can be heartbreaking but the signs are put up and forgotten cluttering up the stop signs and eventually turning into illegible mush.  The city of OKC recently passed an ordinance banning any signs or paper of any kind on city owned right of ways, street signs or posts.  Although I haven’t heard of anyone being punished for it yet, it could cost the poster a monetary fine.  In an effort to give people a place to post their lost and found stories, I am creating a new page here on the Cleveland website in which you can, not only, post a description, but also a picture of your pet.  Just contact me at vincents1@cox.net  and I will be glad to help you out.

 The newpage is titled;  Cleveland Lost and Found…Just click on the tab to see it.

July Security Report

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Cleveland Neighborhood monthly security report.  We had a decent month in July but the number of crimes and the seriousness of them rose slightly over the last two months.

The incidents were:

07/03/07  25XX N.W. 29th Larceny from House

07/12/07  25XX N.W. 24th Larceny from Vehicle

07/13/07  25XX N.W. 25th Burglary 2

07/23/07  28XX N.W. 25th Burglary 2

Here is a quick definition of those crimes.  Larceny from a house means items were stolen around the property or were left were someone had access to them without having to enter the dwelling.  Larceny from a vehicle means the vehicle wasn’t secured or the windows were down and someone helped themselves to items inside.  Burglary 2 is the entering of an unoccupied dwelling with the intent to steal.

You notice that all if the incidents took place in the 2500 blocks of 24th, 25th and 29th and one happened in the 2800  block of 26th.  There is a good chance that the same person or persons comitted all these crimes.

I have been told by residents of the neighborhood that they have “run off” people who were inside their unlocked vehicles.  While it is good to be observant, we, as a community, must contact the police when we see a crime in progress.  It is very possible that the person who was “run off” just came back later a block away and did the same thing without getting caught.  If the police have a description of a suspect they can stop people matching that description in the neighborhood and find out if they are up to no good.

Another neighbor called me and said there is a group of people offering to do lawn work and, after they are paid the first time, are coming back and demanding more money for work they claim to have done while the homeowner was not there.  The trio is described as a black male and female in their 40’s along with an elderly white male who drive a white sedan type car.  Under the law, you have no obligation to pay for services you did not request and if anyone has this experience, refuse payment and contact the police immediately.  These scammers have hit at least two residents in Cleveland and will keep doing it unless they know we are aware of what they are doing.

School is back in session so watch your speed in school zones and obey parking and street signs around the elementary school.  Be extra cautious when driving around the school during the morning and afternoon when little ones are walking to and from school.

That’s it for now.  Be safe and aware of what’s happening around you.

Steven Vincent

The Fountain

The new fountain is in at NW 29th and Venice and we are already having problems with children playing in it.  Persons unknown also put a large amount of dirt, sod and trash in it the first night after it was installed.  This would have been between 9:00pm and 8:00 am on the night of the 21st.

Jeannie, Patrick and others cleaned out the mess, which took several hours, and it is now operating and looking good. 

I will patrol the area randomly in the day and evening and OCPD will also be making regular patrols of the area during the night-time hours.

If anyone sees anything suspicious or people messing around or with the fountain, especially at night, call 911 and report it as a vandalism in progress.

Newsletter Article

Hello everyone! I am Steven Vincent and I am your new Neighborhood Watch Coordinator. My wife, Michelle, my children, Wyatt and Genevieve, and I moved into this wonderful community last October. I am a C.L.E.E.T. certified reserve police officer and I work for the Oklahoma City Police Department in the Emergency Communications Center. I hope to utilize my experience and knowledge to make our neighborhood a better, safer place for everyone.

We had a pretty remarkable month in May as far as reported crime was concerned. There were only 2 incidents in the Cleveland neighborhood from May 1st through May 24th.

These are the incidents reported in May.

27XX N.W. 25th – Inj/Dst Property @11:06 pm

28XX N.W. 26th – Grand Larceny @5:30 pm

When our neighborhood is compared with the surrounding areas, we have a much lower crime rate. This is due, in part, to the volunteers who patrol Cleveland on their own time and in their own vehicles providing a visual deterrent to criminals and to the athletic folks who walk in the mornings and evenings. By getting out into our neighborhood and keeping an eye out for suspicious activity or individuals, we remove the opportunity for criminally minded people to break the law.

We have plenty of openings for Neighborhood watch drivers and I will be glad to let anyone interested in taking a shift (even 30 minutes) know how to do it. I am also looking at starting a volunteer bicycle or foot patrol (exercise and community service in one).

Graffiti is popping up all around us from the Spivey’s antique store and Walgreens on May to Wal-Mart and Buy 4 Less over on Penn. Graffiti is a entry level crime for young offenders and it seriously impacts perceptions of a community as it is often tied to gang activity and more serious crimes. It is the responsibility of the business or home owner of tagged buildings to remove graffiti in a timely manner and the failure to do so is a violation of city ordinance. If you see any graffiti on a business or residence and it has not been removed within a few weeks, contact the Oklahoma City Action Center and report it ( 297-2535 or online www.okc.gov/action/complaint.html).

As the Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, I look forward to continuing the tradition of safety and cooperation that has made the Cleveland neighborhood one of the best in the city and adding some new ideas to improve and modernize our neighborhood watch. I am open to any ideas or input and welcome questions or comments about how to make our community better. My home phone number is 606-2266 and my email address is Vincents1@cox.net.

Until next time, be safe and aware.

Steven Vincent

Cleveland Neighborhood Watch Coordinator

Cleveland Neighborhood Watch Crime Stats

The Month of May:

2 incidents

1 – Destruction of Property 27XX N.W. 27

2 – Grand Larceny 28XX N.W. 28