Salem Police Meet with Neighborhood Associations

Citizens attending the meeting learned that 5,000 go 7,000 feet of new graffiti hits Salem's walls each month, and it hints of much bigger problems.

Graffiti cleanup photo: panim.org All inset photos by: Lela Taylor

(SALEM) - Gang activity and graffiti are both on the rise in Salem. Police say these issues are placing an increasing load on officers and eroding safety in neighborhoods. These were the topics at a special meeting Salem Police held with the community Thursday evening. They say it is part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness of these growing problems before they get out of hand.

Several key players from Salem Police were involved, including Sgt. Russ Isham and Angela Maria Hedrick of Community Enforcement, Kim Nelson who works directly with graffiti abatement; and Officer Cole Hughes with Gang Enforcement. They met with concerned citizens from Highland, Grant, and Northgate areas at the Salem Senior Center.

This was the second meeting in this area concerning gang involvement and graffiti related problems. I asked one guest why she was attending this meeting and she answered, “I am here to listen to what the Salem Police has to tell me.” This is exactly why the officers were there. To share information, to inform the citizens, and to answer any questions they may have.

Officer Cole Hughes

Thefts, graffiti, and other related crimes generally point to gang related activities. The concerns mentioned from the audience were that there seemed to be more gang activity and an increase in graffiti in their neighborhoods

Officer Hughes stated the Salem Gang Enforcement Unit increases its size in the summer as the school liaison officers join their team, but when school begins they return to their school duties. This leaves the Gang Enforcement Unit with two officers. Hughes states the awareness and response of the citizens in reporting crime activities assist them in how quickly they can respond and how they know if a neighborhood is experiencing an increase in gang related activities.

Graffiti leaves a negative impression on a neighborhood and is linked to gangs and to criminal activity. Hughes pointed out that graffiti is a crime and if it is witnessed as it is occurring, call 911, as this is a crime in progress. If the graffiti is discovered after the fact, then call the graffiti hotline 503-588-6243.

New graffiti is pictured and filed at the Salem Police Department and investigators can reference that data for comparitive purposes if a graffiti suspect is caught in the act. If this is the culprit’s first time, his work is identified and filed. The next time this individual is caught doing graffiti then Salem P.D. files are referenced and they are busted!

Salem P.D.'s Kim Nelson

One of the questions asked was “Who is responsible for covering up the graffiti?” Kim Nelson states the property owner is responsible and the graffiti must be removed in five days. If it is on city property, then the proper city agency will respond in covering it up.

Nelson says gray primer paint covers graffiti up, and then the person can paint over it with any color they want.

Also, she stressed to not paint over by following the letters, as it just makes “gray graffiti.”

Paint over it by forming a box design. Also, it is very important that once you discover graffiti on your property, you need to call the graffiti hotline and take a picture before covering it up. If you cannot take a picture, call the hotline and the officer responding will take care of it. This aids in the logging and reference of the designs.

The sooner you take care of it and get it covered up, the better it is. If you don’t, then it is an invitation to other gang members to add to it. So, eventually a small problem becomes a bigger one.

Officer Cole Hughes stressed that if you are witness to an assault while it is occurring, call 911 immediately. If you see groups of individuals walking together and think they are gang members, it is not necessary to call it in, as it is not a specific crime to be a gang member, only when a crime is being committed is it necessary to call the police.

Once the police respond to possible gang activity, they will identify persons involved and they will be on record showing their prior actions.

If you witness individuals carrying what look like weapons or groups of individual harassing or threatening others, then call Salem Police with your concern. Police will respond and talk with them. It is not considered an emergency unless someone is actually being assaulted or property is being damaged.

If it is a case of just being a concerned citizen, call the police non-emergency number 503-588-6123. The best thing you can do to help deter crime is to call the police and help them by providing information as to what you have witnessed.

Further information given concerning gang members is that they travel in packs and criminal activity usually occurs while a part of the pack. When asked, “What kinds of crimes are committed by gangs?” The response was, “They do it all.”

Gangs put fear in neighborhoods and this is emphasized by the existence of graffiti. The gangs record their territory by their graffiti and messages are relayed by using this method of communications. Graffiti tells officers what is happening with gangs, so it is essential they are informed. There are 5,000 go 7,000 feet of new graffiti each month.

Further tips for helping detour the wave of thefts is to keep a record of your belongings. Salem Police Department is developing a bicycle registry on-line program that will enable citizens to enter serial numbers of their bikes.

With this data base, if a suspicious individual is stopped and the serial number of the bike is run, it will reveal the owner and whether the bike has been stolen. Also, a sticker will be provided to put on your bike with identification numbers. The adhesive on this sticker is strong enough to thwart any attempts to peel it off. When they are viewed by potential thieves (as proven with same type of sticker on cars), they will go on to another bike that has no sticker.

It was stated that stolen bicycles decreased 10 percent since last year due to strict law enforcement. The increase in people becoming involved in the Neighborhood Watch programs has resulted in burglaries being down 14 percent, proving that involvement by citizens does work.

“What was the typical age of a gang member?” was another question asked. The response was startling. It is as young as grade school, typically fifth grade, with junior high school students being the most vulnerable for recruitment. Once a gang member reaches high school they usually get expelled because of their gang activity.

Sgt. Russ Isham

Russ Isham ended the meeting by giving added information about the pipe bombs recently found in Salem. His warning was to please check under your cars. If anything at all is suspicious, such as loose wires hanging down, or anything out of the ordinary, please do not touch it. Back away, keep other people away, and call 911.

Further information is available by calling the Salem Police Department Crime Prevention Department, 503-588-6175, ext. 7048. The best way to keep your neighborhood safe is to become an involved citizen, know your neighbors, and if there are any problems let the authorities know.

Isham also stated the Salem Police is offering its Citizen’s Police Academy training in early September and any interested parties should call to get enrolled. Classes will be held on a weekday evening from 6:30 – 9:30 PM, with the exception of three Saturdays when students get to drive a police car on an Emergency Vehicle Operation course, attend a Firearms Training Simulator session, and attend a bomb and SWAT presentation.

The program is 52 hours in length with classroom and “hands on” instruction. Also, on September 16th Salem Police Department is having their Open House. Call 503-588-6175, ext. 7048 for further information.

If you are interested in slowing down crime in your neighborhood, become involved with Neighborhood Watch programs, attend the informational meetings the law enforcement agencies have, and keep your eyes open!