ALTON - Residents of Alton’s Ward 6 are planning a community meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 3 to address crime, drug use and homelessness in their neighborhoods.
Residents say there have been many break-ins and gunshots fired in recent months, which they believe is a result of the substance abuse and unhoused population in the area. They have held a few community meetings with over 35 attendees, and Ward 6 Alderwoman Stephanie Elliott and Alton Mayor David Goins have been invited to the Oct. 3 meeting to hear their concerns.
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“It’s just citizens in the neighborhood getting together because there is a lot of crime going on, a lot of homelessness and a lot of drug abuse, and a lot of vacant houses that are so bad that the vines are taking them over,” Robyn Hamlin said. “That provides places for these homeless drug addicts to sleep, who then turn around and go steal. People have had their houses broken into, gunshots are starting to be fired…It’s just getting very, very bad.”
Hamlin is a landlord with properties in Ward 6. She said a few of her tenants have experienced break-ins, including one man who said the intruder took a bag of family photos in addition to money and tools. This included many “irreplaceable” photos of the man’s mother who passed away earlier this year, Hamlin noted.
Hamlin said residents have also found drug paraphernalia throughout the neighborhood, and they often see anywhere from ten to 15 people coming and going from the vacant houses. Hamlin said this is “not acceptable.”
“There are just far too many drug addicts leaving needles. You’ve got little kids running around and you can’t have needles everywhere,” she said. “Something has to be done. I know we can’t force people into drug treatment programs, but something has to be done.”
According to Hamlin, the Ward 6 residents specifically want to see a greater police presence in the area. They also hope some of the vacant houses will be torn down, though Hamlin added that “we all understand” the cost and legal issues involved in that.
At the Oct. 3 meeting, Hamlin said they hope to talk through these concerns with Alderwoman Elliott and Mayor Goins. The Ward 6 residents also plan to have a chili cookoff on Oct. 14 to bring the neighborhoods together and encourage conversation. Ultimately, Hamlin said, they want to work with the local politicians and police department to find a solution.
“They need to be addressing issues that are affecting people,” she added. “When somebody calls the police department — granted, they can’t run out for everything, I get that — but when there are guns being fired and you see people, not just one or two, but when you see ten to 15 people going in and out of a derelict house, that’s a problem…Something has to be done.”
The Ward 6 community meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Alton.
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