Policies for dealing with Security / Police Issues

[Mary B.]

An interesting question/topic was brought up recently on the Coho.org listserv. I've copied it here:

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While we don't have a policy per se, Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing is a very urban community located 1 block from the infamous "CHOP" or "CHAZ". We have had a number of instances over the past 5 years where we had concerns over trespassers, thefts, homeless individuals sleeping in our doorways/emergency exit routes - and last year tear gas, flash bombs, and shootings (much of which was instigated by police). And while some residents initially thought that calling the police was the right thing to do (in case of theft), many pointed out the inequities and unintended consequences of calling police for simple trespass or sleeping in doorways.

While we want to keep all of our residents (particularly our small children) safe, we have acknowledged that police are not the right "call" for all instances of "safety and security". It is still a work in progress, but we are doing more with signage (to deter trespassing/notify about security cameras), and contacting social service providers/intervention specialists and referring people to neighborhood resources (service providers who can offer shelter, food, clothing) rather than assuming the police should be the obvious first responders.

grace h. kim faia | schemata workshop, inc.
principal
pronouns: she/her

[Mary B.]

What problems do your communities face with things like trespassing, homelessness, break ins, etc.

What solutions have you tried or implemented?

[Mary B.]

I was on the Security Team at my former cohousing in Tucson, which was pretty much a joke as there were only two of us. Coming from a business background, I assessed potential problems, proposed solutions, and did some initial price comparisons, to be sure the proposals were workable and cost-efficient.

Nothing happened. Mainly because there was a contingent of members who insisted that the community must always be "open" and "inclusive" to the neighborhood at large. They did not want to live with a perception that they were "walled off" from the neighborhood. The members resisted gates, motion-sensor lights near common entryways, improved locks, and security cameras--all easily within the coho budget. As a result, we had break ins of our public spaces, thefts, night lurkers, and discarded needles in the playground.

A local policeman explained to me that our cohousing was smack in the middle of a triangle formed by three rehab facilities, and as such would be an attraction not only for addicts, but also for all their friends, who often get cheap apartments near these facilities.

I suggested to my coho that we host a Coffee With A Cop* evening for the entire neighborhood (heavily Latino) to learn more about how to keep our homes and families safe and how to appropriately respond in an emergency. Sadly, those who said they wished to appear "inclusive" did not support the idea at all.

In a related event, the heavily Latino apartment complex next to us was being renovated to include community gardens and spaces, inspired by the coho. When they scheduled an open house, I suggested that we attend en masse, and bring plant starts from our own gardens as gifts for their community beds. Only 2 people attended with me. So much for "inclusivity" ...

* Coffee With A Cop is a program started by my friend Chris Cognac, an LAPD detective. It rapidly spread across the US and proved a useful tool for community outreach. If your local PD does not yet have one, I encourage you to contact the PD's outreach department and suggest it.