Tremont residents meet to discuss safety concerns
by Chuck Hoven

(Plain Press, July 2010) On Monday June 21st over 250 people gathered at OLA St. Joseph Center in Tremont to discuss neighborhood safety strategies. Tremont West Development Corporation (TWDC) and Ward 3 Councilman Joe Cimperman called the meeting to respond to neighborhood concerns generated when Tremont artist Jeff Chiplis was shot in a robbery attempt while walking in route to Pats in the Flats at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 12.

Those in attendance welcomed the news that Chiplis was in MetroHealth Medical Center working on his recovery from the two gun shot wounds he received and should be home within the week. Tremont attorney and gallery owner Jean Brandt, who delivered the good news, provided those in attendance an address where they can send donations to the Jeff Chiplis Neon Art Fund set up at Fifth Third Bank (309 N. Levitt Rd, Amherst, OH 44001). The funds raised will serve to assist Jeff and his wife Cynthia as they work toward his recovery. Brandt also provided information on how friends can visit with Chiplis on Facebook or CaringBridge.org. She noted that friends of Chiplis were organizing to help the couple with groceries, errands and meals.

Organizers of the meeting passed out packets containing crime statistics for the neighborhood; tips on crime reporting and how to participate in court watch; curfew hours for youths; safety surveys; and data on Henry Senyak’s work with the city and Cleveland Public Power to ensure the proper functioning of all the street lights in the neighborhood.

Officials from Cleveland Public Power and the City of Cleveland Public Utilities Department were on hand to thank Senyak for his efforts in letting them know which street lights were not functioning. Senyak praised the efforts of Cleveland Public Power in a recent blitz of repairs that has resulted in nearly every streetlight in the neighborhood being in proper working order. Jim Ferguson, Chief of the Street Light Bureau of Cleveland Public Power, noted that they also increased the number of streetlights down the hill where Chiplis was shot in the areas along Literary, W. 3rd and W. 7th.

Second District Commander Keith Sulzer offered some safety tips and provided residents with his email address to facilitate bringing their concerns to this attention.

Ward 14 Councilman Brian Cummins urged residents to get involved in their block clubs. He asked residents to provide the block club leaders with their email address or phone number so they could get updates on issues in the neighborhood even if they couldn’t attend meetings.

Residents in attendance were introduced to the new TWDC staff member Bob Shores, who will be working on Crime and Safety issues in Tremont. Shores, who served this capacity with Ohio City Near West for a number of years, will now split his time between the two neighborhoods. Shores, a co-chair of the Second District Police Community Relations Committee, encouraged residents to get involved with the committee, saying it would be a great way to meet and get to know Second District police officers.

Co-chairs of the Tremont West Development Corporation Safety Committee Dean Malaker and Henry Senyak invited residents to attend Safety Committee meetings held the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the TWDC office at 2406 Professor Street.

Residents in attendance at the meeting broke into groups and brainstormed on ways to improve safety in the neighborhood. Suggestions to improve neighborhood safety included merchant sponsored police safety patrols, buddy systems when walking in the neighborhood, relaying information from the TWDC Safety Committee back out to the block clubs, forming a neighborhood crime watch, block clubs getting grants for additional security cameras, and a bike patrol during the art walk.

One group suggested that residents get a dog; talk to and get to know their neighbors; enforce the curfew laws; and support their neighbors by calling the police when they notice something is not right and following up by going to the police station to file a report. Residents urged continuation of the effort to keep the neighborhood streetlights lit and suggested that Tremonters light their porch lights at night as well.

Another group suggested that more information be distributed on how block clubs can apply for grants to get security cameras, they suggested a brochure on safety tips be devised to help residents with such information as what to do when going on vacation or when approached by a stranger calling out to you on the street. In addition the group suggested that Clevelanders work to improve the school system’s dismal 50% graduation rate and put funding into job training to give youths more options and a brighter future.

Ward 3 Councilman Joe Cimperman said, “This community will be safer as a result of what we do tonight.” He also announced that Cleveland City Council Public Safety Committee Chairman Kevin Conwell attended the meeting to listen to the concerns and ideas of residents.

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