W ould a temporary police substation on the corner of Farmington and Laurel, in the spot the Army National Guard recently evacuated, make Laurel Street any safer?

Landlord Tom Shelto, who owns the property, said he thinks so. About three weeks ago, he wrote a letter to the Mayor's office offering to donate the space to the city to create a temporary community police substation there.

After waiting for a response, Shelto finally last week phoned Susan McMullen in the Mayor's office to discuss his modest proposal.

"All I am trying to do is something good for the neighborhood," Shelto said. "I don't want any negative repercussions."

The first time McMullen heard of Shelto's offer, she said, was from Shelto's follow-up call. Somehow, Shelto's letter never arrived on her desk.

Once aware of the proposition, which McMullen said while not unusual, is substantial, she forwarded it to Police Chief Patrick Harnett.

"Just last week I sent it over there," McMullen said. "I haven't heard anything back on it. I told Mr. Shelto that the chief is going to be the one to make the call."

Technically, District Commander Captain Nancy McClure will determine if such a project is relevant, McMullen said. Capt. McClure has been unavailable for comment.

In theory, McMullen said it might be a good idea.

"It depends," the Mayor's representative said. "On the one hand, I don't think the Mayor wants to open up a substation if it is not real, if it is going to be something where people's expectations are raised and they think it will be staffed and they think there will be coverage. We wouldn't want to have anyone misled. There has got to be some pretty significant planning that goes into it."

Because the police department has a substation on the corner of Girard and Farmington, maybe a mile west of Laurel and Farmington, McMullen said the police department might hesitate to open another one so close.

That's kind of far away for resident Steve Ginsburg, who lives at 377 Laurel St. Ginsburg's home has been burglarized four times in the past three years, the most recent theft being last Wednesday June 22.

The crime on Laurel grates on Ginsburg, who co-founded the Hartford-based not-for-profit theatre company HartBeat Ensemble. He and his housemates are considering moving out of the city because he said they no longer feel safe.

"I was told police don't have any resources for our neighborhood and all is being spent in the Northend," Ginsburg said. "The cops are all focused up there and people are basically looting the rest of the city."

A greater police presence on the street would generate security, Ginsburg said.

"Each time we have been burglarized, it has taken more than an hour for the police to respond, when the alarms go off, when we call 911," Ginsburg said.

Shannon Raider, one of Ginsburg's housemates, works on the Park Street side of Laurel at the community farm market. When she arrived home last Wednesday at about 5 p.m., she saw three police officers with guns drawn on her front porch. She wasn't sure of the gap in time between the burglars' departure and HPD's arrival.

The responding cops, she said, didn't do much to reassure her, especially when she told them that last year, burglars broke into 377 Laurel twice in 24 hours.

This time, Raider complained, officers failed to find the burglars' point of entry, nor did they leave a form that would allow her to report the stolen valuables.

Some seven hours later, Community Officer Nazario Figueroa and his partner arrived on the doorstep to provide additional assistance. My girlfriend and I were visiting Raider when Figueroa arrived. He gave her the form, and we spent about 30 minutes talking.

We brainstormed ideas about making the street safer. Figueroa said he used to park his cruiser in the empty lot on Niles and Laurel to do paperwork, but since that's been chained off, he hasn't been able to do so. When I suggested the concept of a substation in the Army recruiting office, Figueroa said it would be good.

A temporary substation would be a good test, Ginsburg said.

"That area in particular is sort of owned by the criminal element," Ginsburg said. "That would be great for me to see if there is a difference in the neighborhood, if a substation changes the behavior."

Aside from that, Ginsburg said he wants the city's Pride Block program expanded to every block in the city and he wants the city to pressure landlords to maintain their properties. Ginsburg's landlord Jeff Leitz, who lives in West Hartford, did not return calls.

Whatever the city plans on doing to make residents like Ginsburg and Raider and myself feel safe, it must act soon. Waiting three weeks or three hours to respond to concerned residents is no way to build trust.

6/28/05

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Whatever the city plans on doing to make residents like Ginsberg and Raider and myself feel safe, it must act soon. Waiting three weeks or three hours to respond to concerned residents is no way to build trust.

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Laurel Street Residents Want Greater Police Presence

Whatever the city plans on doing to make residents like Ginsberg and Raider and myself feel safe, it must act soon. Waiting three weeks or three hours to respond to concerned residents is no way to build trust.