Cleveland Park, TN (foreclosure, rental, home)

[clifton]

I disagree that the police aren't trying to clean up Cleveland Park.

In just the 6 months that I've been on N 2nd I can tell a big difference.

There are still problems though. Last week I had an HVAC man at my house and the car in front of him on N 2nd stopped right in the middle of the street and some guy came over and sold drugs - traffic was blocked in both directions. It freaked him out.

[scottv]

Ok, so was this reported to the police? Are there undercover drug buys going down to catch these guys? What are police doing PROACTIVELY to curtail crime/drugs in the area? There are drug cops in Memphis driving around in normal looking pickup trucks with vests and guns strapped on themselves actively seeking out this element-are they doing this in Nashville?

Also, I'm a young, white guy, drive a bmw and wear a suit/tie to work...I would love to buy an old home with character in one of these neigborhoods downtown but think I just might stick out a little...I've driven around East Nashville and do get looks. Also, once when I was there a young gangsta looking guy was driving wrecklessly around Casey Homes and Shelby in a red Lexus LS430 convertible ($60,000 or more car)...seemed a little out of place to me-in Memphis he would have been pulled over in a second, but he didn't seem to be too scared of being pulled over by the cops in that area-he was a thug too because he tried to start a fight with another guy in a car next to him at a light-I thought they were going to start shooting at each other, I got the hell out of there ASAP.

[clifton]

no, that particular instance didn't get reported - not by me anyway.

I used to get stopped by the police a lot over there - I kind of stick out too - but I don't anymore. I guess they got used to me.

[Carol McCullough]

Originally Posted by scottv

Are there undercover drug buys going down to catch these guys? What are police doing PROACTIVELY to curtail crime/drugs in the area? There are drug cops in Memphis driving around in normal looking pickup trucks with vests and guns strapped on themselves actively seeking out this element-are they doing this in Nashville?

Yes, the police are actively working these areas. If you want to know more about what they and active neighbors in the area are doing to impact crime, come to a neighborhood meeting (the police attend every month).

McFerrin Park meets at the McFerrin Park Community Center (corner of Meridian and Grace) on the first Thursday of every month at 6:30 pm. Cleveland Park meets on the Second Thursday of every month at Cleveland Park Community Center (corner of N 6th and Vernon Winfrey) at 7:00 pm. Both groups will be having potlucks in December, so you should have the opportunity to ask lots of questions of several people, including the police.

Currently, the police are hoping to replicate the results of an effort in High Point, North Carolina. They have gathered evidence of drug dealing activity for several months on North Second and built cases against individuals. Soon there will be a "come to Jesus" meeting where those folks and their families are shown the pile of evidence against them and given the option of taking action to change their life (taking advantage of several offered services like job training, drug and alcohol services, etc. from service providers that also attend the meeting) or going to court and almost certainly jail. Only non-violent suspects are given this option.

The hold up at this point is lining up the services. Unfortunately, there is a lack of them here, as prevention and rehabilitation hasn't been made a priority in Nashville in the past. The result is an extraordinarily high recidivism rate. The police are hoping to impact that rate and I applaud them for taking action to do it.

[clifton]

Ah I missed this months meeting! What happened to the signs we were going to get to put in our yards to remind people?

[kcnative]

I definitely see much police presence in East Nashville. I can't speak to other areas though.

[UTSpinks]

I am getting ready to make an offer on a house in the McFerrin Park Area on 2nd street. The worst part about it is that it backs up to an apartment housing complex(on your left as you turn onto meridian from spring/1st connector), and I was hoping someone in this thread could tell me a little about those particular units. The realtor said they had been rennovated recently and were getting more strict about who they let in but I generally take what realtors say with a grain of salt. I agree with what many of you have said though about the area being on the come up, and personally think that in 5 years this will be drastically different in terms of crime and the way the area as a whole is percieved. With gas prices getting higher and traffic getting worse it only makes sense for more and more people to move in.

Peace

[artemis]

Never make an offer on a home if you are unsure of the neighborhood. You need to get answers before you sign on the dotted line.

[artemis]

Originally Posted by scottv

Ok, so was this reported to the police? Are there undercover drug buys going down to catch these guys? What are police doing PROACTIVELY to curtail crime/drugs in the area? There are drug cops in Memphis driving around in normal looking pickup trucks with vests and guns strapped on themselves actively seeking out this element-are they doing this in Nashville?

Also, I'm a young, white guy, drive a bmw and wear a suit/tie to work...I would love to buy an old home with character in one of these neigborhoods downtown but think I just might stick out a little...I've driven around East Nashville and do get looks. Also, once when I was there a young gangsta looking guy was driving wrecklessly around Casey Homes and Shelby in a red Lexus LS430 convertible ($60,000 or more car)...seemed a little out of place to me-in Memphis he would have been pulled over in a second, but he didn't seem to be too scared of being pulled over by the cops in that area-he was a thug too because he tried to start a fight with another guy in a car next to him at a light-I thought they were going to start shooting at each other, I got the hell out of there ASAP.

Join the East Nashville Crime list serv at Topica. com. The EN Crime list serv is very well run & informative.

Come to the weekly Crime Meeting at Beyond the Edge in 5 points. Every Thursday at 11am. (Except this week due to Thanksgiving)

Be proactive, you'd be surprised how much our cops do in the East Precinct.

[Carol McCullough]

Originally Posted by UTSpinks

I am getting ready to make an offer on a house in the McFerrin Park Area on 2nd street. The worst part about it is that it backs up to an apartment housing complex(on your left as you turn onto meridian from spring/1st connector), and I was hoping someone in this thread could tell me a little about those particular units. The realtor said they had been rennovated recently and were getting more strict about who they let in but I generally take what realtors say with a grain of salt. I agree with what many of you have said though about the area being on the come up, and personally think that in 5 years this will be drastically different in terms of crime and the way the area as a whole is percieved. With gas prices getting higher and traffic getting worse it only makes sense for more and more people to move in.

Peace

If the apartment complex is Riverchase Apartments (the large '80s looking complex near Salvation Army), that complex still has some issues. We have made efforts to encourage them to get residents involved in the neighborhood group or form their own group. Management seems uninterested (and the previous management was actually hostile about). I think the complex could be managed more responsibly, but it has improved over the past few years.

If it is some other set of apartments, I would need to know more specifics.

With regard to N 2nd, it depends which block you are on. There is still significant activity in the 800 block (and perhaps others, I don't know every drug house). That said, what that street really needs is more brave, law abiding folks to move in, call the police regularly and show that it won't be tolerated anymore.

Many of us used to have drug houses near us, but in each instance, what it took was working with nearby neighbors and the police to collect enough evidence to get them out of there (or just make it inconvenient as a location for dealing so that they go some where else).