Oakwatch: The Oakland Code Enforcement Project Minutes November 16, 2016 Present: John Tokarski, Michael Medwed, Millie Sass, Kannu Sahni, City of Pittsburgh Officers Thomas Pauley and Shannon Leshen, University of Pittsburgh Officer Guy Johnson, Rebekkah Ranallo, Alicia Carberry, Maria Bethel, Elena Zaitsoff, Lizabeth Gray, David Manthei, Mark Oleniacz, Joann Slomnicki, Shenika McAllister, Camille Burgess, Cassandra Williams, Wanda Wilson, Nicholas Fisher [Pitt SGB], Barbara Ruprecht, Robert Tessier, Blithe Runsdorf, C Maillie Ms. Zaitsoff opened the meeting, thanked our host, read mission statement, and facilitated introductions. Zone 4 Police Report 93 Non-traffic citations 5 public drunkenness 64 underage drinking 1 scattering trash 7 excessive noise 5 open container 2 public urination 22 citations 8 public drunkenness 5 underage drinking 6 disorderly conduct 1 harassment 1 open container 1 interfering with official duties 196 Arrests 2 aggravated assault 1 criminal mischief 1 trespass 3 disorderly conduct
4 marijuana 4 drug 1 dui 2 false id 1 alcohol to minor 3 open container 2 panhandle 6 public drunk 3 robberies 3 scattering trash 1 simple assault 3 social host underage 5 theft 32 underage drunkenness 7 warrant 132 j board impact shut down/warned 32 parties in October. Incidents no arrests made:
Part one incidents reported: Oct 2, 200 block Atwood near garage door. Intoxicated person denied entry. Harassment, cited Oct 16, 1 AM, Atwood, near garage door. Confrontation with bar owner. Cited Oct 23, Bates/Atwood, assault report. Provided descriptions. Pitt police located actors, positive identification. 2 actors cited. Oct 23, 1:10 AM Atwood/Sennott. Intoxicated female. Cited Oct 28, 1:40, 300 block Atwood. Intoxicated male, hospital Oct 29 306 Ophelia. Loud party, contact leaseholder, cited, notified property owner via phone call. Second time a citation at this location. Owner will meet with tenant. Point Park student. Oct 30, 1:40 AM, 200 block Atwood. Open container
Oct 30, 2 AM , Bouquet/Sennott, intoxicated female. Impairment. Provided false information and fake ID. Medics called. Arrested and transported county jail. Oct 31, 300 block N Craig. Intoxicated male on sidewalk. Cited. Zone 4 Announcements: Pitt Police Report Officer Johnson, Pitt Police September 19 arrests, 120 citations 3 aggravated assaults 1 burglary 2 disorder 5 citations 4 drug 1 dui 1 harassment 8 open container 11 public drunkenness 2 public urination 1 stolen property 1 resist arrest 1 social host underage 32 underage drinking 3 warrant arrest 58 j board charges outside of the above. Impact shut down 37 parties. 3 knock and talk. Disruptive Properties Report Maria Bethel Reviewed past year – 2015 compared to 2016. It has changed dramatically. She is receiving addresses now. She has 60 reports. Not seeing repeat addresses. Talks to property owners on a regular basis. Noticed a handful of students that are the same, bouncing from property to property. A lot of work in this room over the past five years and we have progressed. We will continue to do our work. At a meeting with David Hickton, US Attorney, who is resigning, he expressed that he was glad to be able to focus on level of commitment in this content. It is groups like Oakwatch that make our communities
strong; Maria committed to continuing this work to move forward. She will be getting a report out in the next few months. Q: What can be done about these problem tenants? A: Video can help with shuttle issues and others. Demonstration of BuildingEye, the city’s new interactive map and database of building permits, licenses, and planning applications, and code enforcement. If you create an account, you can receive notifications from the system. BuildingEye is a component of myburgh app. You can link to 311 Submission from BuildingEye. Please use this so the city sees that people are utilizing it and will therefore keep it up. Property Progress Report Q: 306 Ophelia. Incident on 9/1, second on 10/30. Only one citation given. More than 100 people in the house. why couldn’t more than one citation be given? Citation for too many people in a residence? If a third incident, what then happens? Frustrating process. A: Only two officers to respond to that large gathering. They need more officers. Takes time to identify actors and issue citations. Focused on finding the host and contacted the landlord. Officer discretion of how to use staff resources. Maria Bethel explained the disruptive property ordinance. It goes by number of incidents at different times. Property owners are including disruptive property ordinance information on the lease and calling parents. If three incidents within a one-year timeframe, it is declared disruptive and the owner will be charged for cost of public safety services. Q: Is it possible to tag that property and contact Point Park? It should fall within Point Park Police to take action? A: At the moment, it is difficult to get them on site if they are not nearby at the exact moment. Zone 4 is not connected to that police force via radio. Q: Latest on burglaries in Oakland? A: Ongoing investigation. Possible leads and some information, but nothing else to report. Mayor’s Office
City Council District 3. Frazier Field parklet has been improved and the project is complete. District 8: PWSA meetings re: lead in drinking water. Public meetings in District 8 is November 29 at 6 PM at Carnegie Mellon university center. Complete streets policy will be up for final vote this coming Monday at City Council. District 6: Community Relations Manager, Cassandra Williams, introduced herself. Working on affordable housing task force funding. Kannu: Oakland Light Up Night this Friday. Thank Oakwatch and student government board Pitt Student Government
Pitt Student Conduct Q: Why so few knock and talks if warning/shut down more disruptions? A: discretion that at the time of the warning is sufficient. Q: is there not a different sort of benefit of going back and speaking to them when they are sober rather than possibly intoxicated at the time of the warning? A: often at the warning, it is noise and they are not always intoxicated. It is not one-to-one because all the officers are now giving the same message that was given by community officer only in the past. Ruprecht stated that they are hearing from students that they are getting a clear message from officers. Q: Numbers lower? A: Officer Leshen stated it is because message out there that parties will be shut down. Also not seeing repeat calls to the same address because issues being addressed when officers go on site the first time. Other Announcements Upcoming public safety council, Thurs, 11/17, 6 pm. JCC. Get stuffed with love program. If you know of someone in need of meal, contact zone 4 station. Will be delivered thanksgiving morning by officers. Be cautious with internet orders during holiday season. We are seeing package thefts. Have it require signature or send to neighbor or a work address. Cannonsburg officer funeral today. Account set up for donation Western PA Police Benevolent Foundation. wppbf.org. John Tokarski, Public Safety Flyer on get stuffed with love. Zone council – please ask you to come out. Would like to have more participation. He will look into the Point Park issue. Last Saturday, Moms & Cops panel discussion with Latino community at Latino Family Center in Hazelwood.