Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2003 | 8:35 a.m.
It's not hard to see how the hard-working and honest residents of rundown and crime-ridden areas can become beaten down. Perhaps at the first sign of urban decay they speak out and perhaps their reward is vandalism at their homes or attacks on their children. Perhaps no one at City Hall listens, so they retreat into their homes and give up. Then the drug dealers and assorted other criminals gradually take over, turning the area into an ugly and dangerous place. No parks or schools are built there for fear they will rapidly decay. Few legitimate businesses open there out of investors' fear for the safety of themselves, their employees and their customers. Any new families moving in are quickly intimidated. And there you have it, decade after decade, an area of the city given up for lost.
Until recently, Lower Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas matched this profile. For years it had been notable for its drug dealers and prostitutes and its overall aura of crime and blight. A few years ago, however, another type of news began filtering out of the area, the type associated with people who are tired of being beaten down, who are proud of their neighborhoods. There were clean-up drives and reports of people once again speaking out against the criminal elements and speaking in support of projects to beautify their homes and streets.
Monday night, this movement brought forth a march down Fremont Street, with residents vowing that the days of intimidation are over. City Hall was listening, as evidenced by Mayor Oscar Goodman walking with the marchers, encouraging their goal of driving out the drug dealers and ushering in a new sense of community. In this community, there would be a city park, homes and businesses would be renovated and the commercial area would be clean, well-lit and full of legitimate businesses. The drug dealers, prostitutes and other predators would be ushered out. A leader of the march, Pastor Stephen Smith of the Downtown Community Church, declared Monday night a turning point, not a one-night flash. He vowed that families and church and business leaders will remain vigilant so that Fremont Street can indeed be transformed.
This surge of positive energy was good to see and we hope the citizens maintain their enthusiasm. Reviving a community means holding on to the commitment every day for years, long after the excitement of a high-profile march has faded. It will be a difficult undertaking, one that will need staff and funding commitments by the city and Metro Police. If sustained, the kind of energy seen Monday night can make a lasting difference.
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