Week in review: 62nd Street is a busy place

At approximately 11:10 p.m. on August 12, the residents of the Octopus hit the floor as a volley of 8-12 shots rang out in close proximity to our home. Tentacles immediately placed calls to OPD's emergency number, and after several minutes' hold time, finally got through. We remained on the floor of the kitchen until the police arrived several minutes later.

Further down the block, in front of the apartment building, two cars were struck, with one man (who witnesses believe was not a target) nearly being shot, and a young passenger in one of the cars sustaining injury from broken glass. It appears that despite the fusillade nobody was actually shot.

Two hours later, the street remained in disarray and we housemates remain in a state of shock. Along with the five shots that woke us up from our sleep last Friday morning at approximately 3:40 a.m., the past week has been the most violent I have experienced in the two years we've lived in this neighborhood.

According to a neighborhood elder, much of the problem revolves around the Oakland Housing Authority buildings and their poor tenant screening and lack of controls on tenants' behavior, and that's a problem that can be resolved with some focused, consistent attention and the involvement of the local city councilmember, Jane Brunner, and the police-civilian apparatus.

The following people are our contacts in Neighborhood Services. They work directly with residents:

• Brenda Ivy, Neighborhood Watch: 510-238-3091
• Titus Taylor, Community Policing Advisory Board Support and Personal Safety Specialist and Neighborhood Watch: 510-238-2384
• Claudia Albano, Neighborhood Services Coordinator Supervisor: 510-238-6372

Also, the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Committee is meeting next Wed., Aug. 20th and several tentacles will attend and report back. Other safety measures we're considering are more sensor lights, a community event, a new screen door for the back door, and a possible evaluation by a security consultant.