Residents of many Pacific Beach neighborhoods are regularly awakened from their nightly sleep by the loud voices of people leaving nightclubs and wandering back to where they parked their vehicles.
For other residents, nights are disrupted by rowdy parties with loud music blaring into the street.
More than a few residents tell of confronting people urinating in their front yards.
Besides decreased quality of life, residents worry about increased crime.
According to 17-year PB resident Jerry Hall of EnjoyPB.com, some local crimes have risen dramatically. Hall analyzed crime data from January to July of 2007 versus the same period the previous year and noted the following crime categories are up in Pacific Beach:
“¢ Armed Robbery is up 40 percent (9 vs. 15 this year to date)
“¢ Aggravated Assault is up 18 percent (89 vs. 108 this year to date)
“¢ Residential Burglary is up 15 percent (126 vs. 148 this year to date)
“When it comes to alcohol-related crimes, we’re off the charts,” Hall said. “PB has 42 times the citywide average of those.”
Some residents have said “Enough!” They want their neighborhoods back.
Marcella Teran is doing something about the problems Pacific Beach faces. A founding member of SavePB.org, Teran is working with the Pacific Beach Town Council (PBTC) to help organize neighborhood watch groups throughout the community to help combat the disturbing effects brought on by increased crime and alcohol-related problems.
Teran said she believes that a neighborhood watch program is “a step toward rebuilding our community,”
Marilyn Link has worked with founder Patty Wilson on the neighborhood watch program in their Emerald Street block for three years now.
“The program helps make people feel not so alone fighting the problem,” Link said. “It’s a good way to get different ideas about how to combat loud parties and music, how to find and contact apartment and condo managers if the problem originates there.”
In Jennifer Sprofera’s Diamond Street area, different problems dominate, such as car theft, break-ins and vandalism. Neighborhood Watch Captain Sprofera says there’s also trouble with having things stolen off porches as well as people parking in front of houses, going elsewhere then coming back drunk later.
The Diamond Street group has inaugurated social events to get neighbors acquainted and more involved. As a result, “young professionals here help the elderly homeowners when needed, while everyone keeps an eye out for one another,” Sprofera said. “It knits the neighborhood together more, and people are happy that some of their concerns are being addressed.”
Members stress that they know they live in a beautiful place ” one that many other people enjoy visiting. They just want the visitors to bring consideration with them when they come to Pacific Beach.
Unfortunately, when publicly discussed, their longtime residents’ complaints are often met with “if you don’t like it, you should move.”
That’s not an acceptable resolution to the problem, say the homeowners.
“My husband and I are homeowners, we have a family, friends, and care about our community,” Teran said. “Why should our rights and freedom to live in a peaceful place be jeopardized by people who come here just for the night, day or week?”
“We can change it back, but that takes effort and people coming together,” Sprofera said. “But it’s so worth it!”
For neighborhood watch information visit SavePB.org or contact the PBTC at (858) 483-6666.