police chief

JP Demspeys is attracting motorcycles to the neighborhood that make it unliveable. This needs to stop and we need the police's help. There are three bike parked out front right now and I am waiting for an officer but I have not had luck w the police's help in the past.

We need traffic stops for decibel meters on State Street.

Recent layoffs have meant that as of February 28, 2011, the total number of hours that the New Haven main library branch opens have been reduced from 185 hours per month to 148. The branches have taken the brunt of the reductions, with monthly hours reduced from 136 to 96 including elimination of Saturday hours.

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/branches_make_last_saturday_loans/

The closing of the libraries is a crucial issue of public space and civic vitality in New Haven. Libraries should be active community hubs where neighbors can meet and cement relationships, not abandoned buildings.

Public Libraries are educational agencies that provide materials and services to all members in the community from preschoolers to seniors. The library is accessible to students for study and research when public schools are not open. The library provides the only computer access some public school students have to complete their homework assignments.

Public Libraries help build a strong economy. Our unemployment rate has been at least 12%, and likely to be above 50% among youth in some city neighborhoods. Many employers have transitioned to online employment applications. Public Libraries provide the only access some people have to computer technology and job searches.

Please "vote" here if you believe that the City of New Haven should immediately restore all of the eliminated library hours, either through re-hiring of laid off employees or through other measures.

Information, updates and additional ways to advocate for this issue will be posted here and you will receive them if you request to be notified of updates.

(I have posted this at the request of an elderly New Haven resident who no longer has access to the internet, due to closing of library hours on Saturday in her neighborhood)

If you do not want neighbors to block Yale from building the new School of Management building click "I want this fixed too" here.

I am completely disgusted how the NHPD and HANH are both handling the drug trafficking in this area. On several occasions I have seen with my own eyes the exchanges in broad daylight. Like any other concerned citizen, I have contacted the NHPD provided them with plates and discriptions of the seller and buyer for years, and still no changes. Sad part is they know who these kids are. These condo complexes are within 1500 feet of an elementary school. Children are seen everywhere in this area. It makes me sick to my stomach to see what they are being exposed to. I am sick and tired of this and unfortunately resorted to moving. I have been a long time New Haven resident and feel ashamed to call it my home. What will need to happen in order for change to take place???

Speeding on Highland Street has created an extremely unsafe situation, especially at pick-up and drop-off times at a local preschool here. Yesterday, at about 4:30 PM, a parent's car door was damaged by a speeding car (which did not stop). Thankfully, neither the parent NOR the child was injured. However, there are young children getting in and out of cars, being dropped off by caregivers on foot and by bike, and being escorted across the street here.

Please, we need this speeding curtailed and traffic calming measures implemented before a tragic incident occurs here.

UPDATE: The city and the school now are working together on this-- but in good conscience, we cannot close the issue since it has yet to be fixed.

let me start off by saying i am in no way opening this issue to debate whether abortion should be legal or not, so please do not use this space to preach one way or the other.

although i personally find the protesters at planned parenthood (and now often by the peabody museum) very offensive, i am reporting this issue on the basis of what is legally their right and what is not.

when i protested the start of the iraq war, the group i was with was told by an officer that we are allowed to hold a sign. but that since we do not own the property we were standing on, we could not affix signs to posts, or lean them on trees, or lay them on the ground, etc.

this is what the protesters are doing on edwards street and sometimes whitney. they spread at least ten posters on property that they do not own.

i'd like some clarification on what their rights are, and if we can ask them to tone down their presence if they are not legally allowed to take over the block.

This intersection needs major work. Narrowing the travel lanes by reducing pedestrian crossing distances would be one of the most effective ways to permanently reduce speeds. The city could also consider raised intersections and roundabouts, as they have in other neighborhoods.

Chris Heitmann wrote:

Cars don’t look like that when crashing at 25mph, which is what the posted speed limit is here and throughout New Haven. On neighborhood streets like Central and Willard, it arguably should be slower, more like 20mph. While the NHPD has done an excellent job of stepping up traffic enforcement in the neighborhood, enforcement will only get us so far. Similarly with education: it’s needed, but will have a very limited impact (no pun intended). The third “E” - Engineering - is where the city can really improve safety here. As Pedro suggests, this intersection is an excellent candidate for a small roundabout (not as big as on West Park, for which there’s no room here). Other alternatives would be bumping out the sidewalk at all four corners, thus narrowing the street and reducing crossing distances, raised crosswalks, and/or pedestrian refuges/planted medians leading into the intersection. The city needs to really study what the BEST solution would be here, and to consult with neighbors throughout. My concern with the idea of another traffic light is that cars would arguably speed more in order to make the light. The solution needs to SLOW PEOPLE DOWN, which would make this safer for cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and the kids who cross and wait here for the school bus every morning.

Thank goodness no one was seriously hurt yesterday and that no pedestrians or cyclists without 3000 pounds of steel to product them were in the intersection when this happened. A big thank you to the NHFD for a job well done and to the Independent for bringing attention to this sadly ongoing yet preventable issue.

A few other residents wrote:

- I live a few houses down on Willard, and that intersection is horrible. You have to pull out almost into the middle of Central to see past the street parking, and people fly up and down Central. It’s the only big intersection in the area without a 4 way stop.

- I was almost involved in a serious accident in high school right at this intersection. A guy in a Camaro was flying down central, and I pulled out from willard not seeing him (since he was so far down the street) and he slammed his brakes hard and just missed me. While I was the “cause” of him stopping, it was the fact that he was going about 60 down central that would have caused the accident.

- Central is a nice long straight run through Westville and people use it as a speedway to cross over New Haven all the time since it links Rt 34 to Whalley. The minimal cost of stop signs at all of the unsignaled intersections would greatly reduce the speeds on this street.

- Thank God no one was killed last night. That is without question one of THE WORST intersections in New Haven. Speed on Central Ave combined with poor visibility from Willard is a recipe for casualties.

See http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/grand_am/

The intersection at Everit & Cold Spring Streets is a dangerous one. The cars rarely stop for the stop sign- braking only when oncoming traffic decides to go. This pattern makes it an outrageously dangerous situation for our kids walking to school. In addition, the one safety precaution in place-- the crossing guard posted at that spot-- is frequently late and generally leaves even before school starts, so the kids who are running late (and not necessarily paying attention to traffic) are left to fend for themselves. Today, the crossing guard did not show up at all. The question is not IF a child will be hit by a car, but WHEN if this continues.

The issue has three parts: 1. What times are the crossing guards SUPPOSED to be present at their stations? 2. How do we ensure the crossing guard is there during the designated times? 3. What can the police do to make it a reasonably safe place for pedestrians to cross? Please help now.

Speeding down Willow St. as vehicles come off of I-91 is a major safety concern, especially given the vicinity of East Rock Elementary School and high volume of pedestrian traffic as you enter the residential East Rock neighborhood.

Suggestions to reduce speeding:

1) Speed Limit Signs Needed on Willow St. : Currently, there is a noticeable absence of speed limit signs, and none are posted on the east or west bound sides of Willow St. from the stretch from the I-91 exit ramp until after Orange St.

2) Addition of Stop Signs at Willow/Nicoll St. Intersection: This busy intersection has been a magnet for car and pedestrian accidents for years, and the addition of east and west bound stop signs at the Willow/Nicoll St. intersection could be a quick and inexpensive effort to slow traffic, reduce speeding and hopefully mitigate future accidents. Note: There is currently a traffic light at Willow St./Mitchell Dr., but once past the light, vehicles speed on Willow St. past the Nash St. and Nicoll St. intersections.

A cross-walk is needed before a parent and child or someone gets hit by a vehicle. There is a pre-school, a high school, CAW, New Haven Ballet and more -- all generate plenty of pedestrian crossings at this intersection. It's very dangerous

Abandon dog tied up behind ACES on Audubon Street. Part pit bull part boxer. Animal Control does not answer the phone and the police said to call animal Control. Mailbox of Animal Control officer filled so I called my Alderman to see if he could help. Went looking for police officer on Whitney, none to be found.

This problem is increasing and dispersing itself across New Haven. I went to KFC a couple of days ago and noticed some teenagers loitering in the the restaurant. The workers seemed upset and noticed that not only were the teenagers loitering, but were also insulting customers, being obnoxious and basically driving customers away. When I left the restaurant, I noticed that the problem was not secluded to the restaurant but its a problem everywhere. These teens are standing by corners at late hours and blatantly loitering everywhere. Just recently I watched as a youth was arrested for standing in the middle of the street, throwing empty bottles at cars driving pass. It's really getting out of hand and I'm tired of not wanting to take my children anywhere because of it. It's not fair. I pay my taxes, I work, I take of my children and I'm not depending on anyone but myself.
Even when the police stops and tells them to disperse, they simply move to another corner. I've watched as they laugh at police. Most of them have no respect or decency. The cornerstore near my home had to close because of the same reason, the endless loitering and chaos. Also, the shop was robbed repeated by "boosters". I think there should be a curfew for these teens. It's unfortunate but I think that's what it comes down to. For those who are trying to better themselves, I think if there's a curfew, they should have documents from their jobs or schools to prove why they are walking home after 7pm, or something like that. I can't even let my son ride his bike to his friend's house, which is only a block away because my neighbor's ten year old son was robbed by a group of teenagers roaming the street. They took his bike and the milk he went to the store to purchase for his mother. It's not right and it needs to end.
I think arresting them is not enough, people say blame the parents, then maybe the police should start giving the parents tickets too to send the point home.