Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Building trust in a tough neighborhood: Metro, community groups reach out

outreach

Brian Nordli

A scene at an outreach event at Molasky Park near Maryland Parkway and Twain Avenue, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012.

Standing on the grassy field of Molasky Park, three groups of about 20 volunteers clutching a stack of fliers are on a mission Friday evening.

Behind them, the makings of a party are getting under way. Rap music blares from a set of loudspeakers, children bounce and giggle inside an inflatable bounce house and a grill is being prepped for hot dogs. But a key ingredient is missing — the guests.

That’s who the groups are out to find. Clad in white shirts that read: “See something, say something, Community Walk 2012,” they are joined by a few Metro Police officers, volunteers from church ministries and nonprofit organizations at one of three crime-ridden apartment complexes to invite residents to their community outreach party.

The event is designed to establish police interaction within the community, while also introducing residents to resources available to assist them.

“A lot of these organizations here tonight … we all do things in the neighborhood, but we don’t seem to get together,” said Metro Police Capt. Tom Roberts, who patrols the area. “Tonight’s goal is to get everybody together … go out into the neighborhood, and tell the neighborhood, ‘Look, we’re here, we care.'”

The three groups branched off to Twain Park, Shelter Island and Pinewood apartment complexes. Using the buddy system, volunteers visiting Twain Park Apartments spread throughout the gritty, seemingly deserted complex.

They knocked on windows and screen doors trying to contact residents and pass out fliers about the party. Some residents answered by poking their heads through the crack between their door and screen door, half-bewildered and half-intrigued. Others shut their door immediately or ignored the knocks altogether.

“They were all kind of surprised,” said 17-year-old James Fitzpatrick, who is part of Victory Outreach Church of Las Vegas. “I’m hoping they come out (to the party).”

It’s around these apartment complexes that Roberts said he receives most of the calls. The area has been a hot spot for crime. In the past six months there have been four homicides, 56 robberies and nearly as many assaults with a deadly weapon in the area, Roberts said. It is festered with people battling drug, alcohol and prostitution issues, Roberts said.

Metro Police and the community organizations targeted this area in an effort to begin decreasing the crime and improving the neighborhood.

"It’s systematic, these issues going on here,” Roberts said. “We needed to partner with the community. We can’t arrest our way out of it, so really we needed to try a different approach.”

At the end of the trip, the park was filled with more than 350 guests. A line of kids waited impatiently to get their face painted, while others munched on a hot dog. People visited booths to learn about organizations like WestCare, Neighborhood Family Services and Mt. Zion Full Gospel Fellowship, while others mingled with police officers.

“This event is important to connect with the community,” said Ethel Simpson of the Women’s Development Center. “People tend to think the police are against you, not for you. We want to break the barrier down so they can communicate with the police.”

Ashley Martinez, who has a 3-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, lives near the park and said she wished this event would happen more often. She said the area is filled with crime to the point where someone had been shot and killed next to her old apartment last year. Eric Perez also lives in the area and said the event made him feel safer.

“I feel like they are paying more attention to the citizens of the area,” Perez said. “And we feel more protected knowing we have police officers going around here.”

Roberts said the event was successful and he hopes it’s the start of a new relationship with the community. There may not be a party every week, or month, but he said Metro Police will be more involved.

“Our intent is to call it the ‘Shield of Hope,’” Roberts said. “We would meet once a week and talk about issues in the neighborhood so we’re all working on them together.”

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