Current Status Report

As I began writing this blog, I cautioned that reading any single post alone could give a warped view of what is going on here. From reading much of my blog, one could easily surmise that everyone who lives here is a drug dealer and that all of the cops are incompetent and/or corrupt. This is certainly not the case. The good elements of this neighborhood (both police and neighbors) are as good or better than any place I have ever called home.

By writing more about the bad than the good, I have purposefully sensationalized the story. I could write an entire blog about my good neighbors and the good work of many FWPD officers here. However, I have chosen to downplay this because it might belie the fact that the bad elements here are something very different than what occurs in most neighborhoods.

Many things have changed since I began this blog three months ago, and a few important changes have even occurred in the past few weeks. This particular post is designed to give a brief overview of the many different elements which contribute to this story. This will bring the story up to date and hopefully it will rectify any misperceptions which my previous posts might have caused.

The Dealers

During the past month, several guys who I believe are coordinating the activities here have been spending a lot of time walking around the block. Each of these guys has engaged me in conversation to determine my intentions and perhaps my capabilities. As I have gotten to know them better, they have become less guarded around me. One of them recently told me how much money actually comes through this neighborhood. The amount is much larger than I ever suspected. I have no way of confirming what he said, but he is someone who I consider to be credible in regards to such information.

Last week, as I set up my 28’ extension ladder on the side of my house, there were six guys standing on the corner only a few feet away. I casually talked with a couple of them for a few minutes, then started to get to work. Within the next few minutes, every person on that corner had walked across the street to the other corner, thus giving me room to work.

Last week I posted several “No-Trespassing” signs on my property. As I was putting up the signs, a guy who I had not seen around here before mumbled “Fuck your house.” As I turned towards him and shouted “Fuck your house too,” he looked around at the five guys who were standing there with him. Not a single one of them said a word.

Later that day, one of the guys asked me if the signs gave me the right to shoot people for being on my property. I tried not to laugh as I explained that I can’t (legally) do that. I told him what these signs do is let the police know that mine is not a drug house. It tells the police that if they see anybody on my property, they have the right to question and search that person. I told him the signs simply mean that there needs to be a clear line between my property and the illegal activities going on nearby.

During the past week I have not had to ask a single person to get off of my property. During the past week, I have seldom seen the same person standing in the same location on one of the corners for more than ten or fifteen minutes. During the past week, I have only had to pick up a couple small pieces of litter from around my home. During the past week, those who do stand on the corners have been relatively quiet.

I often listen to these guys converse and rap as they stand on the corners here. For the past couple weeks I had been hearing something new, so I asked one of them about it the other day. It seems the corner of Warsaw and Suttenfield is now being referred to as “The Garden Block.” They’ll be talking to someone on the phone and say “Yeah, I’m over here on the garden block.” They’ve even incorporated the name into one of their songs.

These guys could crowd around and get in my way when I’m working outside. Instead, they move away. They could be ripping my newly planted flowers out of the ground just to harass me. Instead, they have named “their” corner after the hard work I have been doing here. I don’t know what they’re doing with all their trash (I haven’t checked the storm drain lately!), but it’s not being left where I have to pick it up. When I have words with one of them, the others could try to exacerbate the situation. Instead they either remain neutral or actually act to calm the situation.

Two months ago, this was looking to be a very rough summer coming up. Now, it looks as though it will be relatively calm. For the most part, people seem to be respecting me and my property. Although they are not respecting the law, I had said from the beginning that this was not my concern. If the amount of money that I was told goes through here is accurate, then to fight for anything more than my own space would be futile and probably deadly.

Two months ago, I felt threatened. Now I am just mildly annoyed. Although there is no guarantee that the current situation will hold, I can live with what I’ve got right now.

The Police

I have seen the police in my neighborhood just about every day during the past two weeks. They have made a lot of stops (usually for walking in the street or for driving infractions). If they come through and some of the known dealers are out on the corners, they will usually return in a short while to check up on the situation. It is not unusual to see a patrol car parked on the street or in an alley here for ten minutes just watching to see what is going on. There are also two members of the FWPD Command Staff who routinely come through my neighborhood.

During this past week, the police have been very aggressive here, and it has made an impact. Each day has gotten a little bit quieter. The day that I was setting up my ladder, a member of FWPD Command Staff passed by in a large SUV. The guy I was speaking with looked at me with a raised eyebrow and said “Looks like they’re sending in the big dogs now.” The other member of FWPD Command Staff that has been here is personally known by most people in this neighborhood. He has family here. I think these guys know that when that officer shows up, it’s time to start quieting down.

I feel bad when I have berated certain police officers for their actions/inactions here. First of all, as I said previously, I don’t always know the full story. My analysis of individual officers might be flawed simply due to a lack of information. But even worse than this is that it paints the entire department with the same broad mark. To assume that a majority of FWPD officers are corrupt or incompetent is more than likely inaccurate and is therefore unfair to the many good officers.

This weekend I called one of the officers (Rice) I know and left a message. This did not pertain to any of the events that I have previously mentioned. It had to do with one of the guys on the corner here and a possible connection to something bigger that just selling drugs. A couple days later, Officer Rice stopped when I was working out front. He had received my message and wanted some clarification on it. We then spoke for about ten minutes about the current situation here.

I told Officer Rice about my calls to FWPD last week (the blue van and the drug dealer buying a gun), which seem to have simply been ignored. I told him that although I realize he is probably not in a position to affect any serious change against the bureaucratic ineptitude of FWPD, he needs to realize how this affects me. I told him that as long as the guys here continue to respect me, then I won’t be calling FWPD any more about the drug activities here. I also made the point that it is difficult for me to remain engaged with FWPD when they don’t even seem to act on information that might be related to past or future homicides. I said that I would still be glad to cooperate with them (FWPD) if they requested anything of me, but for me to try to initiate change myself seems pointless.

The best thing I can do to counter any inaccurately negative perceptions that I may have caused for the FWPD is to mention Officer Rice. This officer seems to work very hard at engaging both the drug dealers and other people who live here. The fact that he would check back on my call and allow me to air my grievances towards FWPD, including many things that are probably out of his control, is commendable.

I have chosen to use pseudonyms for the individual officers that I write about because it allows my message to be directed against what I feel is a seriously flawed department, rather than against individuals. I have done this with the (quickly diminishing) hope that someone within FWPD who is actually in a position to affect change might decide to seriously engage me in this matter. I try hard to put my desire for a better future in this neighborhood above my desire for retribution against the wrongs of the past. It is the actions of people such as Officer Rice which have helped me to remain focused, and I am sure there are many more like him within the ranks of FWPD.

I still think there is something very funny going on at FWPD. There is most certainly either corruption and/or incompetence at the highest levels of that organization. But the fact of the matter is that they are currently working hard to help keep things calm in my neighborhood. I’ll just have to be satisfied with that because I don’t have the time or the money to pursue it further.

My Neighbors

It has been nineteen months now since I notified FWPD and my neighbors of my intention to remove the drug dealers from my property. The response from most of my neighbors has been overwhelmingly positive. There are other people here who call the police, but they usually do so anonymously. There are many others that feel the same way I do about the drug dealers, but for a variety of reasons they will not call FWPD. Even many of the drug dealers here think things are out of hand. They know I have talked with the police, and they seem to be okay with that.

My neighbors have shown me support in many was. Some of them stand by me when I am “talking” with the guys on the corner, letting them know that I don’t stand alone. Others will share information about what they are seeing and hearing. Others simply add moral support by doing things like bringing me a plant, dug from their own garden, to add to my growing collection. I think that some of them see me as the point man in an attempt to calm things down here. If I can put up no-trespassing signs and call the police without getting shot, then they might also.

On the other hand, given that the majority of the activity is centered upon the corner right in front of my home, some of my neighbors think that I am not doing enough. There are some that berate me for allowing this activity to continue. It is difficult to explain to them what I am up to without revealing too much of my strategy. All I can tell these people is that there is a time to watch and listen, and there is a time to act.

I actually had my no-trespassing signs for over a week before I put them up. I chose that day because the police had taken some very aggressive action here earlier that day. I wanted my actions to be seen as coordinated with the police actions. I chose that particular moment of the day because several people were then setting on my property. I needed to show them that I was not afraid of a challenge. As I said, things have been a lot quieter here lately, and I think many of my neighbors see that I had a hand in that.

Myself

Acting like a crazy mother-fucker (okay, it is possible that I’m not acting) can take it’s toll on a person. Even if a confrontation does not turn violent, the constant possibility of this happening drains one’s energy. Being under a lot of stress for a prolonged period of time also can begin to effect one’s mental acumen. I still maintain that most of my actions here, including writing this blog, have been very rational. There are some people who have given advice that is in extreme contrast to my own actions. I would simply suggest that if many of those people were actually in my same position, I do not think they would follow the advice which they are giving.

That being said, I am well aware that I have made several poor choices here and they have manifested themselves greatly in recent days. Shouting obscenities at a police officer is probably not a good idea under any circumstances, but the circumstances under which I did so was completely unjustified. I felt that officer was ignoring me, and I knew that if I called to talk to someone about this, I would be ignored by them as well. I felt helpless, so I lashed out. But rational behavior should lead to solutions, not create more problems. My blog can be seen as a rational choice because I am seeking to engage FWPD on the problems here. Simply shouting obscenities will probably not lead to a dialogue. Whether my interpretation of that officers attitude was correct or not is irrelevant. Even if he was being a bone-head, my shouting obscenities was entirely out of line.

There are two other recent events which have helped me to realize that I have become increasingly reckless in my behavior. Last week, I caused a minor explosion in my back yard. For reasons of legal liability, I won’t say exactly what I was doing (just think of Bill Murray and Caddy Shack.) I got careless, and it was just plain luck that it didn’t seriously injure myself or someone else. Then, while cutting a tree a few days ago, I almost broke my damned leg.

The main reason for all the work that I’ve been doing on my house is to simply make the place where I live look better. But there is an ancillary benefit as well. I think on those days when I work from eight in the morning till ten at night (climbing, jumping, breaking my back and busting my ass) it sends a message to the guys here. If I was hobbling around on a cane, I think they’d just ignore me. But when someone who does the things that I have done here barks, they have to at least consider that I might have a little bite to back it up. So I can justify my aggressive and seemingly reckless behavior to some degree because of the message that it sends to others.

But the bottom line is this. If a man fights with fire (especially in a confined space), or if he fights with a tree that is several times heavier than he is, he’s going to lose. And if a person actually engages in such competitions, it is a sign that he is not making very rational decisions. Hey, at least I still have the ability to recognize in hindsight when I am being a dumb ass. I’m also willing to modify my behavior when it becomes apparent that it is getting a bit out of whack.

I have been very aggressive here for a while. I have been demanding that drug dealers stay off my property and I have been demanding that FWPD back me up on this. But aggression is a difficult beast to control. Although this aggression was borne out of necessity, it has created its own Leviathan. The fact that I would take on physical objects which are clearly more powerful than I am (twice in one week) proves to me that my beast needs to be reigned in. I am going to try and back away from the current situation here for a while and allow myself to calm down a bit. Hopefully the circumstances in my neighborhood will allow for that by remaining calm themselves.

I still have many stories from the past to tell, and I’ll probably think of many other things to discuss, but I’ll probably just let things here in my neighborhood ride out for a while and see what happens - at least until my leg stops hurting.

Here's the tree limb that I cut.

This nest (with eggs) was still lodged in the branches when it fell.

Here is the ladder I was on when the limb fell.
I was four or five rungs up at the time and I'm still not sure how I managed to land on my feet.

Ouch! - That's gonna hurt!

Here's the trash-filled storm drian that I posted about a while back.

The day after I called the City, they sent a crew out to clean it.

They spent about fifteen minutes each on this drain and the one across the street.

Here is the result of their work. I'll take another photo at the end of summer.

WHAT THE F**K!

Please forgive me for being a bit profane here today. This post deals with recent events that are very frustrating and I feel it’s best if I just say what’s on my mind.

WHAT THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO?

I am going to describe below some things that have occurred here lately. I’ll tell you what happened and how I responded. I would like to hear any feedback about how I might have handled the situations better.

ARE THE FORT WAYNE POLICE NOT SEARCHING FOR A BLUE VAN?

Okay, maybe I heard the story wrong. Maybe it wasn’t a blue van. Maybe a child wasn’t killed. Or maybe, just maybe, FWPD should hire at least one person who has at least half a fucking brain in their head.

Early this morning, just after midnight, several police cars congregated at the intersection a block north of my house. One of them remained parked there as the two others drove away. One of those patrol cars sped quickly past my house towards Pontiac Street. Less than a minute later, a blue van pulled out of an alley without it’s headlights on. As it sped past my house and towards Pontiac Street, the lights finally came on.

It seemed plausible to me that the driver of this van was trying to elude the police who were in the area. I called FWPD to report this. Our conversation follows.

ME: You have some officers out here at Warsaw and Taber Streets for something. Do you know if they are searching for a blue van?
FWPD: Sir, we don’t have anyone at that location right now.
ME: Look, I can see one of your cars is parked at Warsaw and Taber right now. Others have been driving the area. Just after one of your cars passed my house, a blue van pulled out of an ally and was driving erratically down the street. I thought this might be who you were looking for. I just wanted to let you know that this blue van is speeding south on Warsaw Street right now.
FWPD: Sir, I’m not sure what’s going on there. Do you need me to send an officer to speak with you?
ME: No, that’s all right, just forget it.

More patrol cars drove through the area during the next few minutes and the one car remained at the intersection north of my home. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that the blue van that was driving erratically with it’s headlights off might be who they were searching for. I thought that maybe there was just a lapse in communication between the officers on the scene and their dispatch. Perhaps the operator I spoke with had not been fully apprised of the situation when I called.

If I thought this was just a drunk driver, a drug-dealer, or a thief, I would have just ignored it. As I’ve said many times before, the police have made it very clear to me that they really don’t care about “insignificant” crimes here. It was only because the police had been searching for a blue van in connection with the recent hit-and-run death of an infant that I couldn’t let it go. With so many officers suddenly appearing in the area, there must have been something going on. It made sense that the officer driving around here might actually know what was going on, or at least be able to better communicate with me about the matter.

I flagged down the next patrol car that drove past my house and asked “Are you out here looking for a blue van right now?” The officer simply replied “I’m (emphasis his) not looking for a blue van,” then stared at me without saying or asking anything. What a dumb fuck! The way that officer phrased his response, it could have been that another officer was actually looking for the blue van. I just didn’t ask the question the right way so I have to endure the stupid stare as a result. This is a real fun game to play. I’m trying to help the stupid fucks and they’re just staring blankly at me in response.

At this point I wasn’t going to waste my time explaining what I had seen to this idiot officer. I threw my arms in the air and said “Fine, forget it. There is no blue van. Fuck it” I turned to walk back to the house and the officer drove away saying “Have a nice evening.” I turned back and shouted “Fuck you, fuck you all!” This officer drove on and was immediately followed by another patrol car. I was still ranting when he began passing my house and I pointed at the car and just said “Fuck you too!” This officer stopped and asked what was going on. I simply said “Never mind. Forget it,” and turned to walk back to the house. The officer asked again (with a very pleasant demeanor) what the problem was, so I explained the situation.

Since this officer seemed sympathetic, I said “Look, I’m just trying to help. I only called about this because I heard you guys were looking for a blue van with that kid that was killed a couple days ago. I’m trying to help and everything your department does seems designed to tell me to just shut the fuck up.” This officer explained that the suspect in the hit-and-run had turned himself in already. He also said he knew what was going on in my neighborhood, referencing the letter I had sent to Chief York in 2006, and that hewas trying to work on the problems here.

This cop seemed to not have his head up his ass, so I calmed down a bit. I apologized for losing my cool and told him I appreciate his help. I also asked him to apologize on my behalf to the other officer that I had shouted at. In hindsight though, I don’t really think that apology was necessary. Although my response may have been overblown, I think the anger that brought it forth was well founded. When I asked if he was searching for a blue van, he asked no questions. He just stared blankly as if to say that he really didn’t want to hear what I had to say. Then, as I’m standing on the sidewalk shouting “Fuck you!,” he casually drove away. I think it is this type of disengagement by many officers which is a big part of the problem here. The police say the reason they can’t arrest anybody for any of the dozen homicides that have recently occurred is because so many citizens don’t give a damn. That’s a bullshit explanation without adding the other half of the equation, which is that many of this city’s police officers don’t give a damn either.

JUST ANOTHER DRUG DEALER WITH A GUN

Last week, several of the young drug dealers had been standing on the corner for a couple hours. I overheard a telephone conversation in which one of these guys sounded as though he were arranging the purchase of a gun. Now these guys do talk a lot of bullshit some days, so I take everything I hear with a bit of skepticism. But after listening to the group talk for the next five minutes, it became apparent that someone was actually on there way here to sell this guy a gun.

What to do? If I called the FWPD front desk, the best they would do would send a uniformed officer in a marked car. Okay, that just means the dealer will forgo buying the gun until the police are out of sight. I thought about calling Officer Jefferson, the member of FWPD Command Staff who has given me his cell phone number. But if you recall, the last time we spoke he indicated that I should call Vice and Narcotics myself to explain what is going on here. Then, when I began to explain to him that I have actually done that many times before, he abruptly ended the conversation.

Again, what to do? Am I supposed to just set there and watch this eighteen year old purchase a gun right in front of my home? The police obviously don’t give a damn about the drug trafficking here, but I still thought that they might be concerned about felony possession of a weapon. After all, there are still a dozen unsolved murders this year in Fort Wayne. I believe that all but one was committed using a gun. I also suspect that a large majority of the murder weapons were illicit. I was trying to give FWPD the opportunity to not only stop another guy from getting a gun, but perhaps to actually arrest somebody that is channeling these guns into the hands of people who should not have them.

Once again, my conscious trumped my common sense as I called FWPD Vice and Narcotics division myself. The elderly lady who answered the phone stated that she was not a police officer and that no officers were in the department at that time. I explained the situation to her. She suggested sending a patrol car through the area. I told her that was not a wise option for the reasons mentioned above. I told her that she should send a plain clothed officer to my house and just act like he is here working with me. He would see and hear everything that I do. I told her I understand that this probably can’t happen now, on such short notice, but that she should mention this to the detectives when they return. She ended the conversation by stating that she would forward my information to the ATF. I’m still waiting on their call (LOL).

So, I’m back outside trying to decide if I will just ignore it or try to intercept it myself when the gun exchange takes place. I know for a fact that the guy buying the gun is only eighteen. You can not obtain a permit to carry until you’re twenty-one. By definition, this person would have been committing a felony for simply possessing the weapon. I would have been legally correct if I took action. I just couldn’t stop thinking about how idiotic the FWPD has been here. I still have a police report that I believe was a falsified in order to protect one of their confidential informants. I guess the truth doesn’t matter when you’ve got a job to do. Hell, for all I know, if I did intervene, the first officer on the scene might lie and say that I was the one with the weapon. After all, they can’t have me taking their people off the corner. How else are they going to find out what is going on down here if they don’t have the credible reports of the drug dealers who they have collared to rely on.

I was trying hard to appear as though I had no idea what was going on when a vehicle began approaching. The guys on the corner got very excited and it was obvious from what they were saying that this was to be the deliverer of the gun. I turned and looked just as the truck was pulling over and made eye contact with the driver. Apparently this made her nervous, and she pulled back away from the curb and drove on down the road. The guys were screaming for the truck to stop as it sped away. The potential gun buyer got on his cell phone and walked around the corner for a moment. He returned to the group and told them “It’s cool now.”

A few minutes later the same vehicle approached, and the previous incident was repeated. After the third time of this truck approaching then leaving, the gun buyer walked away from the area while talking on his cell phone (presumably to the gun seller). Damn I feel like Charlie Brown kicking the football, but I keep thinking that eventually I’m going to find an FWPD officer that is both halfway intelligent and does actually give a damn. I called Vice and Narcotics again and this time a Detective (who of course, did not identify himself) answered.

I explained the situation. I gave him a description of the vehicle and the two people inside it. I told him that the truck and the guy looking to buy the gun had moved towards another location. I knew exactly where that guy was going, and I gave this information to the Officer. I told him the name of the street and what hundred block these people were most likely at and at that very moment preparing to conduct an illegal gun sale. I suggested that if he couldn’t send an out of uniform officer with such short notice that he should immediately send a marked patrol car through the area. If they can’t (don’t want to) stop the drug trafficking here, they should at least be concerned about an eighteen year old getting a gun.

I really have no idea what, if anything, FWPD did about the information I gave them. I was very close to attempting to interdict an illegal gun sale myself. I can’t ignore this shit when it happens right in front of my home. I have no formal training for this shit, yet FWPD constantly refuses to do their job. I feel as though I am fighting a two-front war against both the drug dealers and the idiotic FWPD. Things here are tense now, and the situation is most likely to turn very ugly eventually. Don’t be surprised if in the near future you open the newspaper to read about a tragic event that occurred on Warsaw Street. And when the Dick Heads at FWPD put their spin on it, explaining how hard they have tried to work on the problems here, remember this post. I just hope that I’ll still be around to hear the story.

TEN ROUNDS WITH JOSE THE DRUG DEALER

It used to not be an uncommon thing to find people’s belongings lying in my yard. I’m not talking about trash, but perfectly good clothing, full bottles of pop, and other items that they obviously planned to come back for. I used to just toss this stuff to the sidewalk or the street, but eventually I just started throwing it in the trash can. I remember one morning I threw a nice black leather jacket away. Later that day I saw a man walking down the street appearing to be wearing this same jacket. I opened the trash can and sure enough, it was gone. Eventually they got the message and stopped leaving their belongings in my yard.

Now, they just toss it on the open sidewalk, sometimes walking away for quite a while and leaving their jacket, bicycle or other belongings lying there. A few days a go one of the dealers took his shift on the corner. He brought with him a half-full bottle of tequila. After working for a while, he sat his bottle and his jacket on the sidewalk in front of my home and walked away. I seriously contemplated picking up the bottle and dumping it down the drain, but I realized this would be seen as provocative. Instead, I waited for the guy to return.

I walked up to him and said “Look, when you leave stuff here and walk away from it, it makes it look like it’s mine. If you’re holding it or at least standing there with it, I really can’t say anything.” He interrupted and said “Oh, I just walked away for a minute. I was coming back.” I responded by saying “Take your stuff with you when you walk away. The next time I find something out here that is unattended, it’s going in the trash. Clothing, bicycle, bottle of pop or alcohol, I don’t care. If you’re not here with it, then I’m picking it up and throwing it away.” He had nothing to say in response and just walked back to where his bottle and jacket were lying.

Sometimes these guys actually respond when I talk to them like this, but usually (like this time) they just act indifferent as though they hadn’t even heard me. But I have come to realize what their silence means. If they think I have crossed a line, they’ll tell me - either with words or by pulling a weapon. The proof is in the results, and silence means they got the message. They’re just too proud to acknowledge this with words. I don’t really care about posturing though. They can stare at me and act as tough as they want to. As long as they keep their shit off my property and don’t leave it lying on the sidewalk when they walk away, there’s no need to push the issue further.

About ten minutes after talking with this guy, Officer Jefferson pulled over to the corner and spoke with him for about five minutes. Officer Jefferson knows this guy, and I am certain he knows that the guy is only eighteen years old. The bottle of Tequila was in full view at the time. Another (older) guy was on the corner also by then, so perhaps Officer Jefferson thought the bottle belonged to him. Regardless, this just shows how this neighborhood is perceived and treated by FWPD. Here it was, in the middle of the afternoon around the time that the kids get off the school buses here, and this officer ignored an open bottle of alcohol setting on a public sidewalk.

A few minutes after Officer Jefferson left the area, the dealer picked up his jacket and his bottle and walked away. About five minutes after this, patrol cars began patrolling the neighborhood. Perhaps Officer Jefferson had just given the guy a stern talk about not standing out here selling drugs. And perhaps this guy actually took Officer Jefferson’s message to heart. Of course, the fact that this same guy has returned several times since then to sell drugs here indicates otherwise. There would be no way to prove this, without having heard their full conversation, but it certainly looked like Officer Jefferson came by to warn his guys that it was show and tell time. That’s when the police clear an area first, then send other officers through who can write in their report that there is no untoward activity going on here.

I DIDN’T SEE NOTHING, OFFICER

Going back to the events of early this morning, the story did not end after I verbally assaulted one officer then calmly explained myself to another. During the next hour, I suppose at least ten patrol cars pass by my house. Maybe they were searching for someone, or maybe they just wanted to see the crazy man (me) who was setting on their front porch. During this time, several dealers were in and out of the area, trying to elude the police. I overheard one of them saying something that indicated he had done something earlier to cause the police to be called to the area.

At one point, after someone shouted “Police,” four people scrambled to get back inside a car that was parked on the street just to the west of my home. They had been in and out of this car for the past hour, probably smoking and fucking (there were three girls with them and they kept sticking their hands down inside of the guys pants when they were standing on the corner). The patrol car slowed, nearly coming to a stop, as it passed this car, then drove on. As the group disembarked from their vehicle, more trash spilled out into the street and they returned to the corner. It was obvious that they were doing something illicit, yet I just sat silently as the police passed by their car.

You know, it really is a shame that so many people like myself just sit back and refuse to get involved. I mean, how are the police supposed to help us if we won’t help ourselves. Perhaps I should go and get arrested for something. Then I can become a police C.I. Apparently the police listen better to these guys than they do to civilians who are trying to help.

Dealing With The Devil?: October 2003 - Part V

Getting back to the original story now, I need to finish off with the end of 2003. There’s not much here, but this final (or so I thought) interaction with Officer Marshall will help to explain why I gave up on asking FWPD for help here for quite a while. In fact, for the next two and a half years, I didn’t call FWPD once to complain about the drug activities here. It wasn’t that I was pleased with what goes on here, it’s just that the police had made it very clear that they were either unable or unwilling to effectively deal with the problem.

The vast majority of Fort Wayne police officers probably have no real say over how their department is run. But the FWPD Command Staff, including Chief of Police Rusty York and the seventeen others whose name and picture appears on FWPD’s website can not deflect responsibility for how their department is run. And I can say that based upon my experiences here, that any member of the FWPD Command Staff who claims that their department wants citizen involvement is a damned liar! I can also say, considering that so many officer have ignored my offer to help with the problem here, that my neighborhood is being sanctioned by the Fort Wayne Police Department to allow illegal drug activity.

Tuesday, October 21 I got up at 7:30 in the morning, and began to stir about the house. As my brain began to wake, I started thinking about the current situation. The night before, I had made a gentlemen’s agreement with one of the dealers that I would back off a bit. And now, in just a little over an hour, a high ranking officer was due to arrive at my house so we could drive together through the neighborhood. Two thoughts crossed my mind. Naturally, I could not help but wander who might witness this and how it would be interpreted by the dealers. But I also began to wonder about the strange coincidence of the matter.

Why had Ted, presumably acting as a spokesman for the dealers, chosen that particular evening to come to my house? Could it have been merely a coincidence that only the day before I had jerked Officer Marshall’s chain hard enough that he knew I was willing to make some real noise about the situation here? Was it a coincidence that just four hours after speaking with Officer Marshall, Ted came to me and asked if I was trying to shut things down? Perhaps Ted was called by his boss that evening, and instructed to send a message to the trouble maker (that would be me!) I have no proof here that Officer Marshal was running the drugs in my neighborhood, but this event caused me to consider that possibility.

Whether the dealers had acted of their own accord, or under direction from the police, I still decided that meeting with Officer Marshall that morning would not be a wise move. Starting at 8:00, I spent almost the next hour trying frantically to contact Officer Marshall. I called his work number and left several messages. I called the desk sergeant who claimed to have tried to contact Marshall both by radio and his cell phone without success. Now there’s a scary thought, a high ranking officer has totally fallen off the grid. More likely, I suppose, is that Officer Marshall was reached, but gave instructions to tell me otherwise. I believe I even called Marshall’s home phone once, but left no message.

It was almost nine now, so I just went outside to await Officer Marshall’s arrival. He arrived promptly at nine, and I really didn’t see how I could cancel our meeting at that point. In stark contrast to our first meeting, there were no other police vehicles in sight that day, and I began to wonder if perhaps Officer Marshall might actually be incommunicado with his department for a reason. As I reluctantly got inside the car, I mentioned that I had called the station trying to reach him that morning. I really didn’t know what to think of Officer Marshall at this point, but I thought it was a good idea to let him know that there was a record of our meeting this morning.

Officer Marshall did not say much, and what little he said was designed to get me to speak. Finally, here I was, setting with a cop who wanted to hear my information, and almost too nervous to talk at all. I could not avoid saying something, but the information I revealed was purposely vague. I spoke with broad generalization, and the only names and houses I mentioned were ones that I already had talked about in previous conversations with Officer Marshall. At that point, I really wanted him to think I was ignorant about what was going on here.

After driving for a few minutes, Officer Marshall parked several blocks south of my house. I wondered if he was going to simply order me out of the car and drive off. Of course, I did not have my gun on me, so crossing the paths of the dealers as I walked back home would have been a very distinct and dangerous possibility. I couldn’t just blurt out to Marshall “Look, I know you’re the one running the drugs here. Don’t kill me and I promise to not tell anyone.” Instead, I simply said “ You know, things have gotten a lot quieter now. I think these guys realize that I just want them to stay off my property. I appreciate all you’re doing, but I think I can live with the current situation now” Of course this was a total lie, but it was my way of acquiescing before the person who very likely might be at the top of the drug chain in this town, without actually accusing him of any wrongdoing.

Wednesday, October 22 (7:30 P.M.) I felt that I should go ahead and attend my neighborhood association meeting that night. Jason had specifically invited me, and I had invited both Vic (from Frost) as well as Officer Webster. After yesterday’s event, I had no plans to stir up any more trouble, just to answer any questions these three might have for me as vaguely as I had spoken With Officer Marshall the previous day.

Neither Vic nor Officer Webster were at the meeting that night. But Jason was, as was the FWPD officer he had promised. Officer Marshall arrived a few minutes after the meeting had already started, carrying a huge stack of papers in his arms. He did not speak during the meeting, but began talking with a few people afterwards. As I grabbed my coat and began to sneak out the door, Officer Marshall called to me. “Mr. Marx, could I have a word with you?”

He walked me to my truck and began to explain that the papers he was carrying were Fort Wayne crime statistics. He occasionally pointed to a few specific lines as he made some comment about them, but it was nothing that I could really understand. The overall gist seemed to be that Officer Marshall was telling me that crime was rampant in F.W. and that my specific area was not deserving of any special attention. He had already made his point with me yesterday, so no further explanation was needed. Officer Marshall did not mention the no-trespass order that he claimed he would have for me to sign, and there was no mention of the incident report that he was supposed to be checking on.

I began this summer with the belief that Officer Marshall was the one who would help me to turn things around here. But everything he did seemed designed to simply tell me to shut up and quit making noise. During the following years I would still encounter officers in this area who had no clue who I was. They would stop me because they thought I was just here looking to buy drugs. They would sometimes accuse me of being a part of the drug problems here, even though I had literally been begging them for help with it. One officer even asked me if I would consider letting FWPD install cameras on my property, seemingly unaware that I had made that offer myself a couple years earlier.

I had always ascribed FWPD’s reaction to the situation here as being due to apathy and/or incompetence. Thinking back though, I’d say that my experiences with Officer Marshall was what first caused me to consider that FWPD might actually be involved in the drug trafficking here. Now I realize that to many people, merely suggesting this idea sounds absurd. But I still struggle to find a better explanation. Reconsider what happened in October of 2003.

Officer Marshall had been regularly ignoring my calls for quite a while. Then, only after I had applied political pressure, Officer Marshall suddenly seemed to take a real interest in me. The fact that it took this prompting to force Officer Marshall into action only proves a lack of professionalism, not necessarily corruption, on his part. Then, the fact that Ted (the drug dealer who asked if I was trying to shut down their operations) came to home only a few hours after I spoke with Officer Marshall does seem like a strange coincidence, but it is possibly just that. I had been acting very aggressively towards some of the dealers here and it is altogether possible that Ted was acting on this, rather than having been sent by Officer Marshall.

But here’s the really strange part. I had lit a fire under Officer Marshall’s ass, then told him I was ready to talk in great detail about what was going on here. Yet when I met with Officer Marshall the next day, I was nearly silent on the matter. This prompted absolutely no reaction from Officer Marshall, and that is what I find to be very strange. My reluctance to speak that morning should have enraged Officer Marshall. I had went far above his head to demand that I be listened to, then I had nothing to say when my opportunity to speak came.

The fact that he had no adverse reaction to my behavior that day seems very strange. I can not think of a better explanation than to suggest that my silence that morning was expected by Officer Marshall. And the best reason I can think of to explain this is that Officer Marshall knew that one of the drug dealers had paid a visit to my home the night before. I think it is very likely that Officer Marshall showed up at my house that morning merely to confirm that I had received his message. That message was that I should ignore the drug activities in this neighborhood.

Testing the FWPD

I've been working outside a lot this past month and it has allowed me to get to know many of the new guys on the block. I had a few interesting experiences, such as when I kicked one guys boxed chicken dinner off the sidewalk and into the road. He had eaten the food already, but his drugs were still inside. There was a little tension in the air early on, but for the most part the current freshman class and I have gotten to know each other pretty well now. I know most of them by their names and by their habits, and all of them know me.

Once I've gotten the introduction out of the way, I am able to speak to them directly and give them a pretty clear message. It usually goes something like this. "You need to keep a clear line between your activities and my property. Do not set on my property. Do not throw trash on my property or on the sidewalk where I have to pick it up. Do not be loud. Do not intimidate anyone who comes and goes from my home. If you guys fight over something, take it to an empty lot, away from my home. You need to conduct your activities in a manner that allows me to ignore it. If you don't, I'll come out and remind you or I'll call the police."

To a certain degree, they have been surprisingly receptive to what I've said. Very few people act aggressively towards me. They don't mess with my tools when I walk away for a couple minutes. And they don't litter, trespass, or shout very much when I am within sight. However, they still often engage in the latter group of activities when I am out of sight. Usually I remind them, but occasionally I call the police.

A couple weeks ago, the corner had been active for most of the day. It started out rather quietly in the early afternoon. But as the evening progressed, the number of people and the noise outside my house was starting to bug me. At nine in the evening, I called FWPD. I identified myself, gave my address, then said this "Could you send a car through the area when you get a chance. The guys on the corner have been there all day and they're getting pretty noisy. This is not an emergency, just please send one of your cars through when you get a chance and that will probably quiet them down."

The operator's response was to ask "Is that all they're doing, being noisy?" I interrupted the operator and said "Listen, I hope you’re recording this, because I want to make this very clear. These guys are running an open-air drug market here. You know it, all the police know it, and everyone in this neighborhood knows it. When I call to tell you the guys on the corner are getting too noisy, I expect you to send a car to check on it."

This really pissed me off. I shouldn't have to police the drug dealers here myself. That's what I pay FWPD to do. And I think I have done enough by now that FWPD should realize I am legitimate and take my calls seriously.

Now, in most neighborhoods, people standing on the corner and being a little noisy might not seem like enough to get worked up about. But in most neighborhoods, those guys don't stand there all day and night. In most neighborhoods they don't drop a bunch of trash in other peoples yards. In most neighborhoods they aren't selling drugs right outside your front door and frequently creeping into your yard. I do not call FWPD every day about the problems here. I have come to the realization that they are either unwilling or unable to effectively deal with this problem. I would say that I probably police this one corner as much or more than FWPD does itself. But when I do call FWPD about this bullshit, I expect them to respond, not to give me more bullshit!

Anyway, within five minutes a patrol car came through the area. The guys left the corner as soon as he came in sight. I saw the police make one or two passes through the area as the guys kept trying to walk back to the corner. I didn't see the police stop anyone, and they left after a few minutes. It didn't take very long for a few people to return to the corner, but they remained quiet for the rest of the night.

I appreciated the fact that FWPD sent a car through to tell the guys to sell their drugs quietly. I did not appreciate that the operator's question seemed to insinuate that I was making a frivolous call. The next day, I briefly considered doing something very stupid. I came up with a plan that involved balloons, a funnel, and a few cans of brightly colored paint. I was curious to find out how FWPD would like it if someone trashed their property. I didn't go as far as making the paint balloons, but I did go to FWPD and this is what I saw.

Okay, maybe the drug dealers are everywhere. Evidently somebody has been setting in front of the police station and tossing their trash on the front lawn. I actually walked inside to the front desk and told the little old lady behind the counter that there was trash strewn across their front lawn. Her reply was that she had just come in the building and it wasn't there then. She said she was sure that someone would clean it up soon. Actually, the trash (including the big microwave popcorn bag) remained there for at least another two days.

Anyway, I then asked the little old lady for change for a dollar, so I could get a piece of bubble gum out of the machine in their front lobby. I stood in the foyer of the FWPD, chewing the stale gum and reading their public safety posters, for about five minutes. I assume they have cameras there, as well as in front of the building where I had stood for fifteen minutes before walking in. I began to wonder about this. Does it not seem odd for a man to be loitering in front of the police station for fifteen minutes, then walk up to the desk only to report that there is trash on the ground and ask for change for bubble gum, then loiter in the lobby for another five minutes? My anger towards FWPD turned to bemusement. The paint balloons was just a passing thought, and I really didn't want to get arrested, I just wanted to feel them out. Call it an intelligence test - finding out what it takes to get noticed while standing in front of the police station.

.

On the following day, I went back to the FWPD and sat in front of their doorway eating my lunch. My intention was to just set there until an officer stopped and asked what I was doing, to which I would have given a nonchalant answer such as "just setting here eating my lunch." If the officer told me that I had to move along, then I was going to ask what law I was violating. It seems that the guys can stand in front of my house (dropping trash and selling drugs) all day long and the police can't (or won't) do anything about it. If there is a law forbidding me from loitering in front of the police station, then that same law should apply to others in front of my home.

My attire was not really what you would call inconspicuous that day. I sat in front of the police station for a full fifteen minutes eating my lunch. Several officers, including at least one member of the Command Staff passed by without even glancing my way. It really surprised me that not one officer seemed to question my presence here. I thought about actually setting down on the steps for a bit, but decided on another plan.

I left my trash from Arby's setting on their staircase and walked across the street. I sat down by a tree there and watched to see how long it would take before one of the passing officers picked up the trash (or at least seemed to notice it) which was right at their front door. After watching several officers pass by, I went back to my truck and got my camera again. On the last of these four photos the trash had actually blown down onto the steps themselves, and it still went unnoticed.







Maybe I am overreacting here. Maybe it's really no big deal that the dealers loiter in front of my house all day long and throw their trash on the ground. Then again, maybe I should show these pictures to the guys here and suggest they start selling their drugs at FWPD. Anyway, I had my fun for the day. And I did pick up the trash when I was done and brought it back home.

At times, FWPD seems rather indifferent to the problems I am facing here. And apparently they might not even notice it if these guys were standing in front of their own building. I was curious as to whether this type of activity occurred everywhere. Below are photos of the homes of Tom Henry (Mayor of Fort Wayne), Rusty York (Fort Wayne Chief of Police) and Marty Bender (Fort Wayne City Councilman and Deputy Police Chief). The first thing I noticed about these properties is that they do not have people loitering in front of them and they do not have trash strewn about.

I also noticed that none of these houses have public sidewalks in front of them, and began to wonder if that is the solution. Perhaps I can petition the city to remove the sidewalk from in front of my home. Then, the dealers won't have anyplace to stand. But seriously, I am certain that the lack of illegal activities in front of these homes is simply due to the fact that these are powerful people who matter. I'm quite certain that if either of these three people called to report that there were people outside of their house being noisy, a car would immediately be sent before any more questions were asked. And if my friendly neighborhood drug dealers tried to set up shop at these locations, I am quite certain that FWPD would spare no resources in shutting them down.

Unfortunately I live in the inner city, where everyone is considered to be a criminal or simply someone undeserving of any respect (just ask FWPD), so I really don't matter to them. Combine this with the fact that they don't even seem to notice the obvious when it is right in front of them, and I guess that explains why my neighborhood sometimes appears to be officially sanctioned for selling drugs.

In one of the photos above, you can see the Sunday paper lying in the front driveway. This photo was taken at seven in the evening, so Chief York was either a very late sleeper or more likely he was out of town for the weekend. I find this interesting also because I can't do that at my house. Because groups of criminals standing in front of my home is considered commonplace, I have to change my habits to accommodate this problem. If I am going on a trip somewhere I have to begin loading my vehicle early and a little bit at a time. I have walked out with several bags in hand before only to have one of the drug dealers turn to me and ask with a smile "You going away for a while?" Unattended newspapers or an overflowing mailbox is the equivalant of announcing that the house is unoccupied. I may as well put up a bright orange sign that says "Please Trespass."

Below are a couple of photos that show what these guys do with their trash when they're not simply throwing it on the ground. I am going to call the City to see if they can clean this out before it causes a problem. I wonder if they'll charge me for this. After all, as the owner of this property, I am required to keep the public sidewalk and the grass median maintained. Of course, I have no rights over these areas (I've been told that by a high ranking member of FWPD).

Below this are a couple more photos of my house which show the work that I've been doing outside lately. Hopefully this will begin to send a statement to the oblivious FWPD and to the disrespectful drug dealers that the owner of this property gives a damn and he will work hard to take care of his home.

Stinson's Day Nursery; 315 Dalman Ave

Kristina,

When you said "nursery," I was thinking screaming little brats, not plants. You were correct that it was very near my house, and I thought that might be an issue. People in this part of town don't usually like strangers taking pictures of their houses. Although Schenkel & Shultz would seem to disagree, I don't believe a person could legally stop someone from taking pictures of a building which is visible from a public street. However, the people I would be worried about here are not the type to really be too concerned about legalities.

Anyway, you will be pleased to see that the nursery is still standing (and apparantly unoccupied). The exterior appearance is not great, but it does appear to be structurally intact still. I was curious about the interior and I actually looked to see if I could find a way inside (without breaking anything), but they had it boarded up pretty good. It is located right next to a Mexican restaraunt which appears to have way more parking space than it needs.

If you look at the last photo you'll see that it is currently for sale. So, if you're looking for an excuse to move back to Fort Wayne, here it is! Better hurry though. I had to pick that sign up and re-plant it in the ground for my photo. I'm sure this has resulted in them being flooded with offers now.