Release Date: January 6, 2012
 Office of District 2 Councilwoman Ivy R. Taylor: 207-2122

Councilwoman Taylor announces action plans after Eastside Community Meeting

On January 3, more than 400 Eastside residents attended a community meeting hosted by Councilwoman Ivy R. Taylor to discuss the series of shootings that occurred during the holidays. The two-hour long meeting consisted of a presentation by Police Chief William McManus, a series of questions and comments from the public, and comments from Councilwoman Taylor and Mayor Julián Castro. Meeting attendees expressed concerns about gang violence, drug activity and the need for community policing. Other topics of discussion included the need for additional youth programming, employment opportunities and more positive economic development. As a result of the public input, Councilwoman Taylor has developed the following strategy to address concerns discussed at last Tuesday's meeting:

• SAPD SAFFE Division will canvas neighborhoods to determine where more lights can be installed.

• Budgetary resources and locations for surveillance cameras will be identified. Camera locations will not be revealed to ensure their effectiveness. The estimated timeline for installation is three months.

• Councilwoman Taylor is in communication with United Way for the Justice Department grant. In two weeks, the Department of Justice will release its notice to provide details on the award amount and eligible activities.

• In response to the concerns about the availability of jobs for young people, Councilwoman Taylor will convene a group of employment specialists, job trainers and tradesmen to discuss options available and determine how best to link job seekers to those options. The meeting will occur in January.

• Councilwoman Taylor will meet with a group of ministers who expressed an interest in becoming involved. The meeting will be scheduled next week.

• SAPD will continue to actively pursue information and suspects for pending cases related to gang violence. In addition, District Attorney Susan Reed and Police Chief McManus will investigate the possibility of implementing a gang injunction to address this issue. The estimated timeline is two to three months.
  
  As Councilwoman Taylor and City staff work to address citizen concerns and increase safety measures in key areas, SAPD is encouraging residents to report any suspicious activities occurring in the Eastside anonymously to (210) 225-TIPS (6924). SAPD will host a crime prevention meeting, Eastside Strategic Intelligence Driven Exchange-StrIDE, on January 10, 2012 at 10 a.m. in the Alamodome. This is a follow-up meeting to the first StrIDE meeting held in October. The two-and-a-half hour meeting will include information on strategies and plans on how SAPD can maintain safety in the Eastside. The community is encouraged to observe and listen to the meeting but should expect limited seating. Time will not be allocated for public comment. Citizens are always encouraged to attend and participate in the Captain's Substation Briefing. The briefing will discuss crime trends occurring in the Eastside and provide residents with updates that were suggested from previous meetings. The next briefing will be held on Wednesday, February 8 at 6 p.m. in the Eastside Substation, 3536 E. Houston.
  
  For more information about the community meeting, call 207-2122 or visit the District 2 Youtube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/district2sanantonio  for a recap of the meeting. If you would like to receive updates regarding District 2,email district2@sanantonio.gov.