I ran acrossed this website while conducting a reasearch paper for school and decided to become a member.  I see that no one has been on here since 2009, so I am not sure if I am going to be the only active member.  I currently live in The franklinton area.  I moved back to  Columbus 2 years ago after being out of state for about 12.  It saddens me to see how ran down Columbus is becomming.  Especially the Franklinton area.  There are still those of us that try hard to keep our houses up and are yards mowed with alittle curb appeal, but no matter how nice you keep your home inside and out- it looks horrible considering the houses on both sides are borded up and the police have placed large Neon Orange stickers on the boards.  It saddens me to think that our neighborhood-our homestead- is so over ran with drugs, prostitution and crime, yet nothing is done about it.  The Columbus police are understaffed in the area.  Patrol is limited.  The street I live on is one of the nicer streets in Franklinton, yet I constantly have my children subjected to Prostitution, drug dealings and crime. 

A few months ago, I was setting in my house working on some homework.  It was about 2 in the mornimg and I had just put the my AC in the window that day but had not bolted it down.  As I am setting there, someone attempted to break in my house.  I jumped up flipped on the light and called 911.  The person was scared away but once the police arrived they looked around the exterior of the house and a female office came inside.  Instead of trying to calm me and my kids that were now awake, she wanted to go on and on about how I am fortunate to live on this street because there has not been a reported burglary or home invasion since soon after Christmas.  The officer asked if I  saw the person and if he ran east from my yard because there is a known drug house a few doors down on Sullivant.  I told the officer I did not know which way the person went but that if there was a known drug house around the corner, why wouldnt they "bust" the house and arrest the people that are endangering our streets?  Her reply was "well we are watching them." 

It has been about 3 months ago now since the conversation with the police and yet, the people are still selling drugs.  I constantly report the prostitution, and have even went as far as to walk up to the women and say "excuse me, I understand you have your reasons for doing what you are doing but could you please not do this on my block? Im tired of making up excuses to my children as to why you keep getting into all of these men's cars daily!"  It has worked a few times, I have been told off a few times, but the prostitution continues through the rain snow and sunshine.   I have become so fed up that when these PERVERTED Johns pick up these women in the alley by my house I turn on my sprinkler!   I jsut want to live in my home, quietly and safely. 

I have a friend who has lived here in the area their entire life, and is now raising his family here.  He is so tired of the neighborhood that he is leaving for South Carolina next month.  He is selling his home on a quick sale packing up his wife 4 kids and his dog and leaving.  His main reason??  The drug house and the prostitution that takes place inthe houses on not one but both sides of his home. 

I am appauled at the fact that the down town area is getting the river side park and now the park at city center. I am discusted with the fact that all of the city employees had to take unpaid time off, yet the Mayors uneducated personal secretay makes so much money!  I am very upset that there was so much controversy over putting the casino in the arena district, because of the predicted increase in crimes and homeless people in the area, yet it is being placed on the west side of columbus.  Right outside of our neighborhood!  We are already thought of as the rough side of town  or the poor trash of columbus!  I am glad that we are getting the casino, because it will create jobs for the city, but I am tired of us as a community being forgot about! 

WE R APART OF COLUMBUS! TREAT US LIKE IT!  DOWNTOWN DOESNT NEED TO VERY EXPENSIVE PARKS! GIVE TO FRANKLINTON AND HELP US TURN THIS ONCE PROSPERING BLUE COLLAR COMMUNITY AROUND!  OR BETTER YET ANNEX FRANKLINTON AGAIN LIKE BACK IN THE 1800's so we may control our neighborhood!!!!