Politics & Government

Sewickley Residents Air Concerns about Crime and Safety in Their Neighborhood

Nevin Avenue residents say crime is on the rise; council and the mayor plan a walk through the neighborhood.

Nancy Musser loves her neighborhood, but she said she believes crime there is getting out of hand.

She's among several Nevin Avenue residents who have formed a crime-prevention group that reports suspicious neighborhood activity to police in an effort to make their streets safer.

Residents said they are grateful the  has stepped up patrols in the area following complaints to police and the mayor. But Musser said neighbors want reassurance that the police presence will remain.

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About a dozen residents appeared at the meeting Monday night to make council members aware of the issues they say are plaguing the neighborhood.

“We’re asking that you make sure that it continues and make sure you’re using every resource to keep our neighborhood safe, our kids safe and our properties safe,” Musser said. 

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Musser said in the past six months or so, neighbors have seen a noticeable spike in crimes, from burglaries and  to  in which a resident found a syringe on the sidewalk. 

“For all of us who moved on Nevin, Centennial ... It’s a great place. We love it,” Musser said. “It’s not that I feel my neighborhood isn’t safe, but I feel it’s a problem that could get out of control.”

Police recently arrested three men on charges connected to a  at a home on nearby Cochran Street. In a separate incident last month, the home of an elderly Nevin Avenue resident was and in September, police responded to  heard in the neighborhood.

Councilman Charles Driscoll, who lives on Nevin Avenue, said some residents had to tell departing guests to look out for an armed man. 

Driscoll said one of his neighbors also reported seeing another person come down from Dickson Road, park on the street for several minutes and "shoot up."

“That’s not Sewickley,” Driscoll said.

Neighbors said troubling activity often picks up on weekends, with traffic coming in and out of certain houses. Part of the problem, they said, lies with empty, abandoned properties that have become safe havens for drug users. 

“My main concern is up on Dickson Road,” said resident Henry Scales. “There are only two or three places where all the problems really are.”

Sean Collins of Nevin Avenue said people who aren’t paying taxes on those homes provide a safe haven for crime activity.

“I’m not a lawyer, but I know there are solutions to be had here," Collins said. "It’s an inventory problem in that area, so however we can best resolve that, we look forward to working with you.” 

Councilman Stan Ference said council has taken the initiative in the past few years to crack down on tax-delinquent properties, collecting $80,000 in back taxes and working through the courts to obtain the rights to market usable properties.

Those efforts have reached a point where property rights must be dealt with and obtained through the legal system, and council has to prioritize which properties to act on first, Ference said.

Kevin Flannery said dealing with abandoned properties is a cumbersome process that also involves dealing with delinquent borough taxes as well as school and county taxes.

Mayor Brian Jeffe, who has been working with the residents along with Chief James Ersher and Sgt. Dave Mazza, thanked the neighborhood group for taking the initiative to report crime.

“We know exactly where the problem areas are. We’re embracing the communication... We are listening and I think that the presence has gotten better and we will continue to listen,” Jeffe said.

Council President Robert Hague also praised the residents, saying their efforts reinforced to the board that a budget decision to hire an additional full-time police officer is a cost worth taking on. Council members and the mayor also plan to take a walk through the neighborhood soon.

“The only thing that evil needs is for good people to do nothing,” Hague said.


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