City-resident relations

Awards presented as NLV sessions catch on

Advertisement

Residents of a largely Latino section of North Las Vegas are so enthusiastic about their quarterly meetings with local officials that they expressed interest in having the sessions conducted monthly.

Toward the end of the third such meeting on March 16 at the North Las Vegas Boys & Girls Club, moderator Soledad Garcia, a crime prevention specialist with the Community Services Division of the North Las Vegas Police Department, suggested the decision lay in residents' hands.

"It's up to you," she said. "Today we see a very positive turn-out. We are very happy to see that."

When she asked whether residents would like monthly sessions, most of the attendees raised their hands. The session was attended by roughly several dozen individuals, some of whom were children.

The meetings offer residents of the Arrowhead Acres area the chance to ask questions and voice concerns as well as hear from officials as diverse as the Mexican consul and city code enforcement officers. The Arrowhead Acres area is roughly bounded by Pruitt Street on the north, Belmont Street to the east, on the south by Lake Mead Boulevard, and to the west by Civic Center Drive.

During the session, several area residents were honored for their contributions to the community.

Garcia pointed out that too many landlords don't take very good care of their properties, but cited Jose Luis Mendoza for having quite the opposite attitude.

Mendoza, she said, has proven to be a responsible landlord and has enhanced the quality of life for his tenants at 2244 Statz St. He was awarded a plaque.

Several resident volunteers -- Leticia Roldan and Myrna and Ana Bertha Mendez -- also were honored, as was Jose Mercado, director of the North Las Vegas unit of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Las Vegas. Mercado not only helped deliver circulars that advertised the meeting, but also hosted the event at the 2530 E. Carey Ave. club.

Officer Jorge Correa outlined the police department's role in landlord-tenant disputes, pointing out that such issues are for the most part civil matters. Police, he said, usually intervene only to prevent physical confrontations between the opposing parties.

Police also outlined the nature of the calls for service they receive from Arrowhead Acres, which is known technically as D3-ARA.

Seventy-nine calls -- or 21 percent of the total -- between Jan. 1 and March 15 involved neighborhood disturbances, often revolving around people drinking, with 43 calls (12 percent) for family disturbances.

Police said the number of abandoned 911 calls, in which a caller dials 911 but then hangs up, amounted to 41, or 11 percent of the total. Thirty calls involved reports about abandoned vehicles, with 24 calls reporting stolen vehicles.

Detective Dave Molnar reviewed child safety measures, from simply not leaving youngsters unattended around a pool to making sure bath water isn't scalding hot. He added, "Never ever shake your baby -- ever."

Senior code enforcement office Beth Savini outlined her department's work and advised residents of some of the rules and regulations they and their landlords need to know about.

She pointed out that every vehicle needs to have inflated tires, valid plates and stickers, and must be in operable condition.

Simply allowing trash to accumulate can become a problem about which the city has to take notice. One backyard, she said, had so much furniture, appliances and other clutter that the home could not have been evacuated safely in the event of a fire.

Savini also pointed out that smoke alarms can't just be installed and forgotten about.

"You need to test that regularly -- it can save your life," she said.

Asked about gang activity, Capt. Hector Dunn told residents, "We have a unit of special operations, and they maintain the watch around the areas. When there is a problem, the members of this team respond in order to deal with that situation."

Dunn encouraged residents not to sit on their hands when they see suspicious or disturbing activity.

"If people are gathering or creating a problem, you need to call the police," he said.

But he also cautioned them against going overboard, pointing out that the mere fact that a group of young people happen to be hanging out is not in and of itself cause for concern.

Asked whether those who report crimes truly remain anonymous, Dunn said in most cases they do, but if someone witnesses a serious crime, he or she might be asked to testify at a trial.