Fort Worth's finest

I agree with Suzanne. Chief Mendoza, if it appears that West Meadowbrook bashes our officers, then I know you must not be getting the emails that I have seen over the past few years.

I'm amazed at what our NPO's have been able to get done. Mike Williams was awesome and Officer Green has filled really big shoes in a great way. Officer Green keeps us informed whenever possible about issues in our neighborhood. He comes to our meetings and is so willing to answer questions, chat about issues with members and handle even the smallest thing, like the lady who wandered in looking for the address of a church in the neighborhood. Officer Adcock has helped us MANY times with problem businesses like Eco Inn.

I and many others I know pray for our officer's safety and wisdom every day and every time I see a patrol car. I think it is what we as home and business owners need to do that will make the changes. If we seem frustrated and fed up, we are but our officers who deal with the drugs and litter every day must be even more so. We need our city leaders to do what Kathleen and others have done and support the changes we've requested, (like no booze being sold on Riverside and Lancaster) and guide us through the process. We are going to be more active and more vocal as it seems that's how the other parts of town get things done. Sitting by and letting us be dumped on won't be tolerated anymore.

Just please don't mistake our frustration at the problems as being frustrated with our hardworking, underpaid officers. Same thing for our code officers. Occasionally we will have a neighbor come to a meeting and want to ''bash'' our code officers for something. That is not allowed and would not be tolerated if it ever came up with our NPO's. I hope Monty, Mike and Gus will tell you they are treated with the greatest respect and with the gratitude they deserve.

I hope that you will continue to advise and to guide us in how to work with the police to solve these problems. We know together and and with folks like Kathleen, we can make the changes we all want.

One more thought and then I'll pipe down for a bit.

In one of the emails, there was a suggestion about the task force for the homeless. I've heard from several who have served on this committee in years past. The problem is studied, recommendations are made but no changes take place. I hope folks will educate me if I'm off, but the real issue is that 100% of the homeless shelters are in our neighborhood. Until we make enough noise and complain long and hard enough with our voices, petitions and votes, I don't see that changing.

We have to make more noise than the neighborhoods who should be taking their share of the shelters will do. Asking us to serve on yet another committee so we can ''feel'' like we are doing something, is patronizing when the city isn't ready to step up and do the right thing. I can't say I blame them, I remember the ruckus when Section 8 housing went into some of these areas. That's why I think we will all continue to be frustrated, sometimes angry activists. We just have to remember to thank the folks who are taking the time to read and respond to these emails. I for one, was pleasantly surprised. Thanks for caring and caring about our neighborhood.



By Kyle

Thanks for your reply!

Thank you for your reply Mr. Mendoza. Although shocked of its tone.

Thank you very much to Councilwoman Kathleen Hicks for her reply. Her e-mail mentioned some of the problems in the area. She also discussed a few of the things that are being done toward the issues that feed the exact problems that we are speaking about. Such as the over abundance of alcohol sales in this area, several of them being within spitting distance of the shelters, a public forum meeting being a good idea, problems with poor zoning, the lack of positive businesses in this area. We need more replies of this sort.

It would be helpful if Chief Mendoza would provide us with details as to what it is that causes difficulty (if there is any) for his department to provide ''more then'' enough officers to perform every call to duty. Because there are ''more then'' enough criminals running our streets. Our Officer's need all the resources that it takes to bring them home every night and to keep a city of this size safe. Share with us your difficulties, give us contact information as to what we can do to get those problems addressed. At what levels of government should we turn to for each issue.

I think we would rather receive e-mails that contain helpful and beneficial information rather then those with a tone of, stop complaining. We hear that we are getting our fare share of resources that are available, OK then, If it is more resources that you need, provide us with information as to whom we can contact to express that. We as tax payers would like to know what we can do to get the most (long term) benefits for our dollars. If your resources require increasing to get the job done, then what direction do we need to turn? At what level is it, City, State, Federal? The same goes for the Code Compliance Department. We have more then enough code violators and a lack of resources for a city the size of F.W.

You all know as well as we do the two (Code & Crime) go hand in hand. Where are the road blocks (if there are any) with-in the Code Compliance Department? Is it the courts? Give us the tools that we need to help you. We are a big city now, stop funding these departments as though we are not. Spend the money now to get these departments funded properly and we will experience positive benefits in the future in many folds. If we do not get these areas cleaned up and protected we will never get where we want to be. If each department would tell us where there are road blocks, we could be of great asset in breaking them down.

I think it would be helpful if we could get information from the City as to where their hands are tied. We are hearing in these e-mails that there are road blocks here and there, give us phone numbers and addresses, let us know who we should call or write for every issue so we can have our voices heard. You help us, it will definitely help you. Inform us! Let us speak out and get the hand cuffs put where they belong. Most of us don't have this (flow chart) information.

Mr Mayor, Chief Mendoza, and all Council Members, Please look over all these e-mails that you are receiving. There have been several valid questions, comments and concerns. We just want answers.



By Mike Phipps

Thanks for your reply (cont.)

Thanks to Suzette of Riverside Kennels and Michael of Aztec Environmental Services, Inc. for their e-mails. There was a lot a valid comments in their e-mails. Other then the reply from Council Woman Kathleen Hicks, not one City Representative replied to their concerns. Since they are tax paying business owners right in the heart of the problem, I would think that you would be caving to their cries. I am sure that they are paying large tax dollars as business owners and also as residents of this city.

It is your job as elected officials to govern in a responsible manor and provide us with what we need to maintain and increase the value of our neighborhood along with the city as a whole, not just selected portions of it. Take this time and take notes while looking over each of the e-mails, where there is a problem mentioned note it, reply back to us with direction. Give us the tools we need to help you help us. You would be angry too if you were approached by beggars every time you go to a local neighborhood store to shop. How would you feel? Tired I bet!

Thanks again,
Mike Phipps



By Mike Phipps

As a new reisdent of F.W.

As a new resident of Fort Worth/Tarrant County who has worked both in social services and County government, I have followed the emails on this subject with great interest. It was very disappointing to receive the rather shrill communication from Chief Mendoza. It does not seem to me that anyone here is criticizing his department, rather, these businesspeople (who are also voters and taxpayers and pioneers in developing a very depressed area of town) are expressing a need for services that should be listened to and addressed by law enforcement. We are all well aware of the fact that overworked law enforcement is often called upon to deal with problems they might view as ''social'' just as overworked County hospitals and social services must address these cases. They are the end of the line. The issue here seems to be that elected officials (with the exception of Councilwoman Hicks) are handing off the problem to businessowners, law enforcement and medical and social service providers. I do hope the Chief recognizes that the people he is criticizing are, or could be, among his department's supporters in its need for policy changes and increased resources. The problem here is the large part of Fort Worth that is ignoring it, hoping that it will go away. It will not, without realistic policy initiatives and programs aimed at solving, not enabling the problems.