Ugh, Really?

So Monique and her beau are back.  After a little "hibernation" in jail, (I was told, not too sure), Monique is back at Enslen Park.  And as accustomed to her routine, she gets a "look out" as she goes in the bathroom to do her drugs.  She has some lackey to watch out, and this "lackey" is a dude that told police where she probably was the day she beat up on a 14 year old, and then he goes and warns her! She is done, and "lackey" get a pat on the back. Her stay at the park is minimal as she is too wired to stick around, and there is nobody at the park to start drama with. On to Graceada Park most likely.

Park Clean up

Thanks to Sandy Clark from CANA to get some folks out to do some work at Enslen Park this past Saturday.  I could not make the cleanup/work but I got my brother-in-law and a couple of his buddies to pitch in.  They did some hard work! One of the workers is a homeless gentleman who keeps things in "store" at Enslen.  He was grateful to help out he said.  Hopefully with the work that was done, we can save the redwoods at the park with the incoming irrigation system.

And in some other news, Monique and he beau are back today.  Drama is sure to ensue this afternoon. S**T.

Blue Ribbon keeping it simple

I think the results/findings/suggestions by Modesto's Blue Ribbon Committee on Homelessness is on par.  I agree that sweeping changes or new laws need not be a main focus. How would laws be enforced anyway? For obvious reasons, "efforts to improve park safety and security" is my main concern along with immediate residents.

At this time, the confusion or consternation, lies with the fact that the "city should establish park patrols by working with neighborhood alliances that are looking to hire private security."  Well, that is what CANA has introduced for us residents near Graceada and Enslen Parks.  As noted in the Bee article, Santa Maria, California has a successful program with their park patrol. So, we have a "park patrol", sort of as Rank Investigations patrol the neighborhood and the parks, but they cannot go INTO the park.  My hope is, and I have been told, that the city/Parks/MPD are working on allowing this to happen.  If this is the case, then the "city" has done it's part.  MPD does not need to finance it.  Us neighbors are financing it. If it does NOT happen, then the city with the MPD needs to go back to square one.  It would have to be financed somehow, some way.  It saves money because a park patrol would discourage the vandalism.  It saved Santa Maria $500,000. Right?

Recently, the Parks department has done away with it's graffiti removal.  Instead, us volunteers have to do the painting.  That is fine for us who take care of the immediate parks, but what does it do for all other parks and buildings in Modesto?  Maybe saving the $500,000 that is a service that we can get back.

Dear Mr. Marsh, if you get a park patrol, then the police load lessens. The vandalism starts in the parks (loitering, drinking, methheads) and spreads outward to back ally ways (spelling?) and homes with petty theft and other crimes.  Police that, and the crimes drop.  Is this adding up? Not every park in this city needs a park patrol.  What would it cost to patrol the few parks that need them?

Security Patrol starts

So Rank Investigations has started the area security patrol here in the college area.  Behind the work of CANA (College Area Neighborhood Alliance), the patrol has begun.  I have seen the patrol drive around.  I am wondering if we will get reports as to what has been seen or done? The neighbors are curious what Rank will be able to do in the parks.  A few, like myself, have bought in hoping they can keep a vigilant eye on those who lounge in the park. I am hoping the Parks Dept, MPD, and Rank can come to some agreement.  There were two break-ins or thefts this week alone on Poplar.  Some stuff taken off the front porch is what are the main issues.  

Meanwhile, a "vagrant" was chased out of the park today by an undercover officer in his car (MPD).  As the undercover officer slowly pursued the dude on his bike, the dude started playing "chicken" and taunting the officer in the middle of Stoddard Ave.  The officer "mini-Pit'ed" him, and bam, dude was laid out in the street. 4 MPD came racing down Stoddard to assist I guess (maybe a little over the top).  It was apparent that dude was not going anywhere.  Not sure why he was "escorted" out of the park, but I appreciate MPD checking the park.  Usually they are just asked to leave the park if they are drinking, but maybe he had more than alcohol on him or he committed a crime. I did not see the actual "event", but the two DISH guys working on my satellite saw the event.  I saw the aftermath.  

Not surprised

So I chatted with a regular at Enslen Park, not a vagrant dude.  "Dude" asks me, "who is that Monique chick?  She is whacked!".  "She comes up to me, and asks 'who are you!? Are you some sort of narc?'" Dude replies, "uh, no." Monique tells him, "I'm going to go slam some crank in the bathroom, so if you see a cop just whistle, ok?"....Dude was like, "um, yeah, ok."

Things maybe coming together

Slowly, and hopefully surely, things are starting to look brighter.  This could change in an instant, but lets hold our breaths.  Looks as though Rank Investigations will start their area patrol of the college area soon.  This means that the College Area Neighborhood Association (CANA) has produced some results.

The Modesto Dog Park folks are getting closer to making Elk Park Modesto's first official dog park.  This is great news as it certainly is better than the alternative.  What our parks need is activities.

With a stern word given to Monique and her Beau, I have not seen the two in couple of weeks.  Like I mentioned before, the tension is down, considerably.  I knew if someone at MPD just made a concentrated effort in removing those two, that MOST of the issues would go away.  Amazing how those dynamics worked.  An officer chatted with them, and they are no longer around.

Less tension......but

Have not seen Monique and her beau all week.  Whatever the MPD officer said to them has stuck.  Like I have preached before, eliminate the true troublemakers and things ease down.  There just seems to be less tension at Enslen Park.  Ironically or consequently, I have seen some new "residents" lately to Enslen Park.  All this coincides with the vacancy of Monique and Beau.  Maybe now other "residents" feel it is safe to lounge at Enslen Park with the drama absent now. I saw four dudes tonight at the horseshoe pit I swear were passing something (drugs?) and then two of the dudes go into the men's bathroom.  Unless you are at a major event, dudes do not follow each other into bathrooms.

Ode to Monique....hopefully

As you have seen from my recent posts there has been a constant theme that being of altercations and "Monique" being the culprit. Well on Saturday morning we witnessed an appalling event that took place where Monique just started whooping up on some 14 year old girl! Monique was fighting with her boyfriend, again, and this young girl and her sister happened to be walking by. Monique said something to them and they just started to defend themselves verbally. It was on. Monique just started whooping up on the one girl! You can hear the girl scream "I'm only 14! I'm only 14!" we called the police and monique and her beau took off. The police arrived and could not find them. Long story short, the girls did not press charges (which I questioned) and Monique showed back up 45 minutes later. The girls ended up taking Moniques two dogs because the officer said they are abandoned property, probably meaning well but that did not turn out so well. Another dude in the park told Monique where the girls lived and there ended up being another confretation over the dogs and this time the mother was swinging. Police were called for a third time. Monique was nit arrested but I hope was given a stern warning about not coming back to the park again by the officer. He had promised me that Monique would be dealt with. Half
Of the vagrancy problems at Enslen Park anyways has to do with Monique and her boyfriend. Eliminate that issue and things could get better.

Ode to Monique....hopefully

Trying to enjoy a quiet morning on the porch

And then you have Monique and her dude friend fighting. Literally slapping each other, "f*****g b****, leave me alone you f*****g who**, get the f**k out of my way!!!!" All as loud as can be. So nice to just be able to enjoy a little cup of Jo while reading the paper (No SCAP in today's Bee) while we listen to the slapping of faces, F-Bombs, whore-Bombs at the park. Lets see what we got going on in the sports section today. Life in Modesto.

Yipppeee!

Nice to see a patrol car at Enslen Park this afternoon. I think a dude was actually handcuffed. I would like to see the MPD do more drive by's of the park. I am talking about when they actually drive onto the park and patrol the area. Maybe they do and I miss them, but an every few hours or so would be nice.

Vagrant issues vs. Activities

So now that my Happy Hour adult kickball league is over, there were issues that still need to be addressed. So we were out there for 5 consecutive weeks on Sunday nights. Modesto Parks director Julie Hannon has talked about the city needing activities to keep the park "vibrant". Activities shoo the vagrancy. Well, sort of. In our 5 week long play we had the following issues:

- Cops were called to quell a potential fight among groups of vagrants

- One week, the restrooms were locked up due to vandalism. Sort of tough when I promote "clean restrooms for the ladies"

- We all noticed as we kicked wayward kickballs into the adjacent trees, that the vagrants like to store their "stuff, or crap" within the trees as sort of their own storage lockers. We could have our own episode of "Storage Wars" just within the trees, nooks and crannies of Enslen Park. (As we progressed into the season, the stuff started to disappear)

- Just yesterday as a kickball player went to use the men's room he noticed before him a woman follow a man inside the mens restroom and as he entered, the women came out of the restroom with a wad of cash in her hand. He then left the restroom, and she went right back in to "finish the business".

Again, we did our part by painting the women's restroom and the stands adjacent to the ball field that was covered in graffiti with paint provided by the city. Before we have another event, I just hope that all of you reading this work on these issues plaguing our parks! You do so, you get my vote.