North Charleston Neighborhoods turn out to Stomp out Crime

On Tuesday, August 6th citizens, law enforcement agencies, community groups, businesses and local officials in over 10,000 communities and military bases worldwide will join forces to mark the 30th Annual National Night Out.

Locally, the North Charleston Police Department, in conjunction with national sponsor Target Stores, and communities throughout the city take a stand against crime by holding various walks, cookouts and crime prevention projects.

At 6:00 p.m.  Police Chief Eddie Driggers, along with Mayor Keith Summey and Councilmember Rhonda Jerome and residents of the Pepperhill community, will kick off a neighborhood cookout and crime prevention education activities at the Pepperhill Community Center on Brandywine Road.

Similar events will occur simultaneously in neighborhoods throughout the city to include:  Forest Hills I, Charleston Farms, North Charleston Old Village, Woodlands, Coosaw Commons and Indigo on the Ashley  to name a few.  Citizens are asked to turn on their porch lights as a sign of unity and to let the criminals know that the City of North Charleston is organized and fighting back.

National Night Out is designed to (1) heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; (2) generate support for and participation in local anti-crime programs; (3) strengthen neighborhood spirit, police and community relations; and (4) send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods around the world are organized and fighting back.

Nationally, over 33 million people will participate in ‘America’s Night Out Against Crime’ this year.

Neighborhood Events/Schedule
Pepperhill - At 6 p.m., residents will gather for an evening of fun, entertainment, networking and crime prevention awareness at the Pepperhill Community Center on Brandywine Road.   Target, New York Life, Highway Patrol, Consolidated Dispatch, and the Christmas and Howell Law Firm will participate in this event.

Ferndale - Community cook-out from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Community Center on Bolton and Piedmont.

Charleston Farms - Community cook-out from 6 to 8 p.m. at the community center (1633 Sumner Ave).

Indigo on the Ashley - Community cook-out from 6 to 8 p.m. at the entrance to the neighborhood.

Forest Hills - Community Walk and cookout beginning at 6 p.m..  The walk is to begin at Foxwood and Desmond, and the cookout is to take place at the Evans Community Center.

Woodlands - (Wescott) Community cookout starting at 6 p.m. at the playground.

Terrace/Waylan - Community cookout starting at 6 p.m. at the Community Center.

Coosaw Commons - Community cookout starting at 5:30 p.m. at the club house.

Oak Terrace Preserve - Community cookout starting at 6 pm.

North Charleston neighborhoods turn out to Stomp out Crime

On August 7, citizens, law enforcement agencies, community groups, businesses and local officials in over 10,000 communities and military bases worldwide will join forces to mark the 29th Annual National Night Out.  Locally, the North Charleston Police Department will host National Night Out in conjunction with Target, the national sponsor, on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

At 6:00 pm, Police Chief Jon Zumalt, along with Councilman Michael Brown and residents of the Accabee community, will kick off a neighborhood cookout and crime prevention education activities at the Accabee Community Center on Appleton Avenue. The event will conclude with a neighborhood walk.

Similar events will occur simultaneously in neighborhoods throughout the city to include: Forest Hills I, Midland Park/Stall Road Corridor, Charleston Farms, Union Heights, Olde Village, and Indigo on the Ashley to name a few. Citizens are asked to turn on their porch lights as a sign of unity and to let the criminals know that the City of North Charleston is organized and fighting back.

National Night Out is designed to (1) heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; (2) generate support for and participation in local anti-crime programs; (3) strengthen neighborhood spirit, police and community relations; and (4) send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods around the world are organized and fighting back. Nationally, over 33 million people will participate in ‘America’s Night Out Against Crime’ this year.

Schedule of events

Ferndale - Community cook-out from 6-8 pm at the Community Center on Bolton and Piedmont.

Stall/MidlandPark/Pepperhill - Neighborhood- Watch Block Party from 6–8 pm. Games, food, and community/vendors invited. The event will take place at the Stall Road Community Center.

Accabee - The community will be hosting a cookout and a walk. The event will take place at the Accabee Community center from 6 – 8 pm. The North Charleston Police department will be hosting a bicycle rodeo.

Olde Village - The community will be hosting a cookout and walk. The walk will start at 5:30 pm meeting place is Triangle Park at Justice/Beaver. The cookout is from 1830-until.

Charleston Farms - The community will be hosting a cookout at the community center (1633 Sumner Ave). The event will take place from 6 pm.

Indigo on the Ashley - The neighborhood will be hosting a family movie night under the stars. The event will take place in a community common area from 6–9 pm.

Taylor Plantation - Community cook-out at the amenity center from 6–8 pm.

Forest Hills - The neighborhood is having a “Going Away Party” for crimes and drugs. They will be conducting a walk starting at the Lil’ Cricket at 7 pm.

Wando Woods - Community Walk starting at 7 pm. Meet at the Community center.

Chicora/ Cherokee - Community cookout from 6–8 pm at the Community center.

Union Heights - Community cookout at the Community Center at 6 pm.

Coosaw Commons - Community Cookout at the Pool House starting at 6:30 pm.

Police Community Panel Announces Annual Gun Buy Back Initiative

Update: Postponed until March 31, 10:00am - noon.

The North Charleston Community and Police Panel will hold its 4th annual Gun Buyback Initiative on Saturday, March 24, 2012 Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 10 a.m. until Noon, as part of its commitment to reducing gun violence in the City of North Charleston. The gun buy-back initiative is an opportunity for people to turn in weapons to authorities with no questions asked. Residents must be 18 years or older and must follow state concealed weapons laws when transporting weapons to a buy back site. No identification will be required to participate.

The program is open only to residents of North Charleston and limited to 3 weapons per vehicle. No payments will be made to gun dealers. Only weapons in working order will receive payment.

2012 Site Locations

Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 7396 Rivers Avenue 

St. Matthew Baptist Church, 2005 Reynolds Avenue

Schedule of payment

$100 gift card for hand-guns 

$50 gift card for long guns|shot guns

Since 2008, nearly 500 weapons have been collected (handguns, shotguns, rifles and assault weapons) during the annual event.

The collected weapons are processed by the police department before destruction, in accordance with the department’s policies.

Commentary by Chief Zumalt: "Setting the record straight"

In 2006 North Charleston was identified as the 7th most violent city in the United States. We experienced 28 murders that year. In 2007, 26 people were murdered. This epidemic of black on black violence was devastating to our City, its communities, and the families of the victims. Something had to change. In 2007 I pleaded to the public and community leaders for help. While many did help us the leader of the Charleston Branch of the NAACP was quoted in the paper that year saying “Don’t make your job, my job.” Since that time the leaders of the Charleston NAACP have been critical of our community and police efforts to stop the violence and most troubling, have offered no help or solutions. I guess it is easier to criticize than to roll up your shirt sleeves, come to the table and work together to make our communities safer. Until now I have refused to get involved in the negativity directed at our police department. The time has come for me to set the record straight.

The statics tell us that over the last decade 84 percent of violent crime in our City was committed by black suspects and the majority of the victims of those crimes were black. The vast majority of the violence was committed in predominantly black neighborhoods. The majority of people in these neighborhoods are good, law abiding citizens. They were sick of the violence and deserved better from all of us. They wanted our presence and challenged us to make their neighborhoods safe.  In response to those facts I moved a significant portion of our police resources to these high violence neighborhoods and instructed our officers to take a zero tolerance policy toward unlawful behavior. As a result a higher number of blacks are stopped for traffic and pedestrian violations than whites. During each stop I require the officers to remain respectful, explain why they are in the neighborhood and explain to the person the reason for the stop. This communication between the officer and offender is necessary and expected and has proven fruitful in gaining information and in most cases compliance has been achieved through a warning citation. Because of this proactive and focused use of our police resources we had 5 murders in our City in 2011. Murders have dropped 82% and overall violence has dropped by 55 percent since 2006. We must and we will continue this approach to crime control.

We have implemented a number of innovative programs to prevent violence in the future. Our “Cool to be in School” program provides impoverished children the supplies they need for their classroom education and we work with the schools and parents to reduce truancy. Our juvenile diversion program is working to keep children that commit minor offenses out of the juvenile justice system and instead, surround them with the types of services that will help them change their behavior. We do a gun buyback every year to reduce the number of guns on our streets and provide gun safety locks to prevent gun injuries to children. This is positive change. This is problem solving. This is hard work. There are a number of dedicated community leaders that meet with me and the department and help us make our city safe. The leadership of the NAACP has not helped us with these or any of our crime reduction efforts and I wish they would.

I am human and so are my Officers. We make mistakes. When we do, please let me know and I promise that we will work to resolve it and improve. In the sense of fairness, when we do a good job let us know that too. We should all be supporting and thanking the brave and dedicated police officers that are working to reduce crime and gain the trust and respect of our citizens. These men and women are heroes.

Jon R. Zumalt
Chief of the North Charleston Police Department

Project CLUE - Communities Lighting Up with Energy Efficiency

The goal of the project is to implement a lighting initiative aimed at helping communities illuminate their porch areas, while at the same time become familiar with greener living.  Many communities are dimly lit and inviting to the criminal element.



Program Objective

• Distribute new CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs to residents.
• Officers will issue light bulbs and literature at civic club meetings and to any resident that requests the bulb.
• Contractors will donate time and supplies, free of charge, to residents requiring upgraded wiring for the CFL bulb.

Benefits to the Resident

• Four times more efficient, late 10 times longer. 50-80% less energy than incandescent.
• Uses 1/3 less energy (heat) therefore cost .02 cents daily to operate.
• CFLs give high quality light and do not flicker or hum.
• Saving electricity reduces carbon dioxide emission for pollution reduction.
• Assists financially challenged residents.
• New wiring for residents with a need supplied by professional electricians.

Benefits to the Police

• Increased positive interaction with community members.
• Deterrence of the criminal element in some inviting areas.
• Bridging relationships with citizens
• Increased visibility for any potential witnesses of crime.

Project CLUE Pilot Locations

• Chicora Cherokee – Florida Street/Carlton Street
• Glynn Terrace – Eva Street
• Union Heights – Delaware Street/Forest Avenue
• Charleston Farms – Read Street/Greenbay Street
• Midland Park – Stall Road/South Kenwood
• Dubois MHP
• Dorchester Village MHP
• Accabee – Filmore Street/Baker Street
• Dorchester Terrace – South Allen

Project Coordinator

• Lieutenant Joyce Smith

Sponsors

• SCANA
• Wal-Mart
• local electricians

North Charleston Neighborhoods Turn out to Stomp out Crime

Citizens across North Charleston will hit the streets to take back their communities. On Tuesday, August 4th from 6:00-9:00 pm, citizens, law enforcement agencies, community groups, businesses, and local officials in over 10,000 communities and military bases worldwide will join forces to mark the 26th Annual National Night Out.

At 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 4th, Mayor Keith Summey, along with Police Chief Jon Zumalt and Housing Authority Executive Director George Saldana, will join residents of the Horizon Village community to kick off a neighborhood cookout and crime prevention walk.

Similar events will occur simultaneously in neighborhoods throughout the city to include: Forest Hills I, Wando Woods, Midland Park/Stall Road Corridor, Charleston Farms, Olde North Charleston, Cameron Terrace, Oak Preserve, Union Heights and Accabee. Citizens are asked to turn on their porch lights as a sign of unity and to let the criminals know that the City of North Charleston is organized and fighting back.

National Night Out is designed to (1) heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; (2) generate support for and participation in local anti-crime programs; (3) strengthen neighborhood spirit, police and community relations; and (4) send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods around the world are organized and fighting back.

Nationally, over 33 million people will participate in ‘America’s Night Out Against Crime’ this year.

--Schedule of Events--
Horizon Village
Mayor Summey, along with Chief Jon Zumalt and Housing Authority Executive Director George Saldana, will kick off the event at 6:00 pm. Residents will take part in a neighborhood walk and cookout . Back to School activities will also take place. The event will take place at the Activity Center, 3800 Spruill Avenue.

Forest Hills
Residents of Forest Hills I will meet at 6:30 pm at Foxwood Drive and Dorchester Road (beside the Lil Cricket) then walk through the neighborhood with banners and hand held signs accompanied by police and fire vehicles and others.

Cameron Terrace, Oak Preserve, Charleston Farms, and Oakdale
Residents will host a cookout in front of the School of the Arts beginning at 6:00 pm. Seacoast Church will be providing assistance.

Wando Woods
Residents will participate in a community flashlight walk beginning at 6:30 pm.

Midland Park/Stall Road Corridor
These two communities will come together beginning at 7:00 pm at New Covenant Church on Stall Road. A cookout is scheduled to be followed by a community meeting.

Accabee
Residents will host a picnic at the community center starting at 6:00 pm.

Union Heights
At 6:00 pm residents will host a walk through the community followed by meeting at the Gethsemane community center.

The Lakes at Northwoods
Residents will meet at the pool area on Brookforest at Lake Marion Drive at 8:00 pm for a flashlight walk through the community.

Olde North Charleston
Residents of Olde North Charleston Neighborhood Council will meet at 4722 O’Hear Avenue to celebrate National Night Out! Refreshments will be served at 6:30 pm followed by a walk down O’Hear to Oakwood, Glenshaw, Bexley and Buist Avenues.