Westhaven Trails Residents Concerned Over Shooting, Crime
Man Shot To Death Sunday Lived In Neighborhood
Updated: 7:41 am CDT July 1, 2008
MADISON, Wis. -- Westhaven Trails is the latest West Side neighborhood to see violent crime. It was the site of Sunday night's fatal shooting.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportNeighbors said they would like to see more police and more neighborhood involvement to keep their community safe.For sale signs adorn the front lawns of many homes along Silverton Trail in Westhaven Trails."It's not the same neighborhood that it used to be," said resident Barbarann Klinger."A lot of traffic rolls through here doesn't belong here," said resident Nate McCorvie."Think of crime as a balloon and if you just squeeze that balloon, all you're really doing is moving crime, that air, from one place to another," said Alderman Zach Brandon.Brandon said Tempe Drive, which was the site of Sunday night's shooting, and a street lined with rental properties on one side is one of the more recent places where Madison is feeling the effects of that squeeze."Most of the crime we've had though has just been theft, car break-ins and a lot of garage break-ins -- people leaving their garages open," said McCorvie.City officials said the little crimes lead to larger ones."We have to be able to say no to certain behaviors," said Brandon. "If it happens on Allied Drive we should say no to it, but also if it happens on Raymond Road we should say no to it."Brandon told WISC-TV that part of saying "no" involves getting to know the neighbors."The more we get to know our neighbors and who they are and where they live, the more we can take a stance and pick up the phone and say, 'Hey you got some kids in your back yard, you may want to check it out,'" said McCorvie.Neighborhood Watch will soon set up shop on the streets of Westhaven Trails."The homeowners say, 'That's two streets away from me, I don't really care,' and when people stop paying attention, that's when crime like this starts to happen," said Brandon. "It's early enough in what's going on in this city that we can absolutely turn it around."The Westhaven Trails neighborhood borders the Meadowood neighborhood, which has also seen increasing crime.Concerns about west side crime prompted a series of neighborhood meetings last summer.Hundreds of residents attended those meetings, including Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, police and other city leaders.The top five concerns from those listening sessions included: loitering drugs speeding traffic thefts, burglaries deterioration of property At that time, police told WISC-TV that Madison's West District was the city's busiest, averaging more than 100 calls a day for service.
Previous Stories:
- February 1, 2008: Council Discusses Pilot Program To Evaluate Madison Neighborhoods
- September 14, 2007: Madison Police Outline Response To West Side Crime
- September 13, 2007: East Side Residents Express Crime Concerns
- August 21, 2007: North Side Residents: Crime Happens Here Too
- August 17, 2007: Madison's West District Has Fewer Police Than Smaller Communities
- August 16, 2007: West Side Residents Aim To Keep Pressure On City Officials About Crime
- August 10, 2007: West Side Eyes Next Steps In Fight Against Crime
- August 9, 2007: West Side Residents Voice Crime Concerns To Police Chief, Mayor
- June 19, 2007: Police Say Efforts Working To Reduce Crime In Allied Area
- March 20, 2007: Madison Police Report Spike In Violent Crime During 2006
Copyright 2008 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.







