Neighborhood Advisory Council

Area 5

Meeting Minutes

Thursday, March 18, 2004

I. Opening –

The meeting of NAC Area 5 was opened at 7 p.m. by Diana Halleman at Waverly Elementary School. This was a joint meeting with the members of NAC 8.

II. Public Comment (3 minutes per speaker; speakers must sign up 30 minutes prior to meeting)

Kate Palmisano, Director of CALM (Community Alternative Mediation), stopped by to provide a quick overview of her organization and the free services it provides in both English and Spanish. The mediation center is funded through a grant from the judicial system and other sources but all the services provided to the community (with some exceptions such as training) are free of charge. Questions or referrals to CALM can be directed to Kate at 301-631-2256 or via their website www.frederickcalm.org.

III. Minutes –

The minutes of the February meeting were approved.

IV. Frederick City Police Department Update –

Detective Robert Marker (301-624-1242) gave a brief presentation on gangs and their presence in Frederick. He talked about the different ethnic makeup of various gangs, their locations, their purpose, etc. He reported that while it was not yet a major problem in Frederick at this time (as in many major cities), the problem was growing and staying informed was one of the best ways to combat that growth. Det. Marker define a gang as “3 or more people who have a commonality and engage in criminal acts and create fear or nuisance in a community.” Among the names discussed were MS13, Latin Kings, Brown Union (all usually Latino participants); Crips, Bloods, United Blood Nation (usually African American); and local gangs included 40 West Crew (since 1995), PA (Penn. Ave) Mob in Sagner, John Hanson Uptown Crew, “D” Block and B6 or “Bottom of 6^th Street”. Hagerstown has had a problem in years past with the Crips and Bloods and it is now migrating to Frederick.

Det. Marker also noted that the State is looking at 3 gang-related laws as well. Det. Marker, following his presentation, then took questions from the attendees. The consensus of the discussion was that one of the best ways to combat gang activity and/or crime in a specific area is to be watchful – know who your neighbors are and who belongs in that area – if you have concerns or problems, you should notify the police immediately.

V. Latino Community

Antonio Ramirez, Executive Director of Nuestra Casa del Pueblo, spoke to the group for a few minutes about the growing Latino community in Frederick and how we can better promote communication and understanding among the groups. He explained some of the issues that his organization is dealing with including:

· Culture clash for new immigrants (language, lifestyles, etc.)

· Need to plan events with community and schools to educate

· Need to motivate parents to come to school programs and communicate with school system

· Need more information in Spanish

· Need for more English classes around town (in varied locations)

· Need for interpreters

Antonio explained how Nuestra Casa del Pueblo is addressing some of these issues via a street fair in Hillcrest in April, Spanish language training for city police and an “Adopt A Policeman” program where those officers studying Spanish will also spend time with individual Latino families learning directly from them about their culture. He did explain that there are still lots of stereotypes out there about Latinos and as a result many still experience lots of harassment from police and other agencies. There are currently 8 different dialects spoken among Latino groups now residing in Frederick. Communication, according to Antonio, is key to bringing all the groups in and creating a real sense of “community”. Due to time constraints, questions from attendees were limited but it was determined that Antonio would attend future NAC meetings and continue to interface with us to find workable solutions and partnerships.

VI. Update from NAC 8

Mike Watkins, Chairman of NAC 8, just gave a brief overview of their activities since our last joint meeting in December. He indicated that the Hillcrest Commons Project (also known as Hope VI) had been approved in three phases: Townhomes, Community Center and 3 apartment buildings. Mike also mentioned a second joint NAC roundtable was tentatively planned for early April. It was determined that our two NACS would meet jointly again in June or July.

VII. Old Business

• Due to time constraints, much of the old business was tabled for future meetings
• A possible street fair or ethnic festival was discussed as a joint venture between NAC 5 and NAC 8 and this will be further cemented when information on dates and locations are provided by Sarah Finefrock.

VIII. New Business

· A brief discussion was held to talk about finding a more permanent meeting location so that a regular day and time can be scheduled. Kimber Foster will continue the search.

Again, due to time constraints there was no other discussion of any new business at this time.

IX. Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m.

The next meeting is scheduled for April 15th at 7 p.m. at Waverly Elementary School.

Respectfully Submitted,

Diana R. Halleman

Secretary