About 25-30 neighbors appeared to support complaints about the most recent house party, held last Sat., March 14. One neighbor who spoke at the meeting said that the party started at about 9 or 10 PM and went on until 1 or 2 AM, with loud music and vast numbers of people coming into the neighborhood, near the intersection of Calaveras and Marengo. Other neighbors complained that many of these gatherings are paid parties, and that alcohol is served to minors.
Sheriff Capt. Roosevelt Blow said that he keeps a file in his desk about Fred Spears, the home’s owner, with whom he’s had longstanding problems, but the sheriff’s hands were tied for various reasons — deputies can’t go into a party without a warrant unless they see something illegal going on, and they haven’t had sufficient evidence of paid parties or underage drinking.
Altadenablog’s sources, however, say that the parties are frequently advertised through fliers and over the internet, and that this information is shared with the sheriff’s department.
The house parties have been going on for over ten years, according to one resident of the area, and have been the subject of petitions and community meetings, and yet they continue unabated. Shots have been fired during at least one of these parties, neighbors say, and neighbors said that they had been subject to break-ins and other crime that they traced to the parties. In addition, there have been long-standing problems with Spears’ dogs attacking people, according to some neighbors.
Councilman Allen Wasserman said at the meeting that Spears was convicted of a domestic violence charge where he spent three days in jail and had to attend a 52 week parenting program. Blow said that Spears is presently on probation.
(Pictured: 325 E. Calaveras St. this morning).
Bruce Linsenmayer said…
Sheriff Capt. Roosevelt Blow said that he keeps a file in his desk about Fred Spears, the home’s owner,…”
Quite apparently the good captain had not read it or it was incomplete. He did not know the terms and conditions of his probation and what constituted a violation of same.
Perhaps the neighbors would be better served by initiating a public nuisance abaitment process themselves using the California Civil Code for Nuisance Abatement.
Or perhaps our Altadena Station could copy the plan in effect at the Norwalk Station, which is outlined below and will work on other than drug houses:
CRIMINAL ABATEMENT PROGRAM: The Norwalk Serious Nuisance Abatement Partnership (SNAP) is made up of a Public Safety representative, Special Assigned Sheriff Deputy, Station Fire Captain, Property Maintenance Inspector, Building and Safety Inspector, a Housing Authority representative, and a representative from the Los Angeles County Environmental Health Services. The mission of the partnership is to optimize the quality of life for the Norwalk Community, by the eradication of chronic blight and public nuisances. The Serious Nuisance Abatement Partnership is committed to efficiently eliminating conditions in the Community that present a threat to the safety and welfare of the citizens of Norwalk.
Goals:
• To identify properties that are used by street gang members, drug users/dealers, transients, and delinquents to congregate and commit crime;
• To remove elements from properties that are attractive to street gang members, drug users/dealers, transients, and delinquents;
• To provide support and assistance to property owners in eliminating criminal and nuisance conditions from their property;
• To hold property owners responsible and accountable for continued criminal nuisance activity and blight upon their property.
The group’s primary focus is the elimination of serious, chronic, nuisances in the City of Norwalk. The organization’s goals are achieved through collaborative efforts and the utilization of various resources and authority available to its partners.
Criteria for SNAP Consideration &Involvement
• Documented, chronic, gang, drug, gambling, and/or prostitution activity at a specific geographic location in the City of Norwalk, or
• Documented, chronic, real property related, municipal, county, or state code violations.
• Upon request from a property owner for the organizations assistance in eliminating criminal or nuisance conditions from their property.
Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 09:14 AM
does it matter said…
kind of sounds like a couple of overly uptight people who hate seeing two hundred happy people.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 02:12 AM