TO SOLVE
NEIGHBORHOOD PROBLEMS OF:
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CRIME OR DISTURBANCES OF THE PEACE, CALL:
911 for crimes (including robberies) in progress, violence, loud quarrels, shots being fired, or guns being displayed, muggings, rape, exhibitionism, child abuse, and fire or medical emergencies. (Dispatchers will see your address and phone number.)
827-9301 to report any problem if you do NOT want the police to know the address and phone number you are calling from.
787-6320 for non-emergency complaints such as barking dogs, unregistered or abandoned cars parked on the street, cars parked on the sidewalk, noisy parties or cars, drug dealing and use, prostitution, auto repair in streets, cars parked on or blocking the sidewalk, housebreaks, unregistered or abandoned cars on streets, tractor trailers parked on the street, illegal dumping on roadsides or parkland, unleashed, or vicious dogs, dog owners who do not clean up pet feces. (Dispatchers will see your address and phone number.)
Note: If you know or suspect that the bad guy has a scanner, say so and officers will be notified via computer.
787-6330 to reach Deputy Chief William Fitchet, commander of the South District,
or contact him at WFitchet@springfieldpolice.net. to leave a short message
about on-going problems such as noisy neighbors, endlessly barking dogs,
loitering, suspicious persons or suspected drug activity. He will call you
back and tell you how the police can help.
787-6352 to report chronic problems involving morals offenses (prostitution,
child abuse and neglect), stalking, cruelty to animals [cockfights and
dog fights], after-hours parties, sale of cigarettes to minors, and illegal
dumping.
Special Note: If the dispatcher gives you a hard time, hang up and call the “Captain of the Watch,” at 787-6325 and explain what happened. If you’ve waited several hours or even a day to report an uncooperative response to your call, report it to the Police Commissioner at 787-6313 or the Mayor’s Office at 787-6100.
HOUSING and LITTER:
Department of Housing Code Enforcement: Call 787-6730 between 8:15 and 4:15
or fill
out an online form on the City's website to report: Problems in yards
such as trash, litter, overgrown grass and bushes; icy and snow-packed sidewalks;
unregistered
cars
on residential
property.
Examples of exterior problems on houses: broken windows, missing or broken
gutters or downspouts, sagging or broken steps, rotted porch floors, broken
porch railings or missing hand rails.
(over)
Examples of interior problems: No heat or hot water, peeling paint; broken
windows or plaster; exterior or apartment doors no locks, broken plumbing
fixtures, sewerage back-ups, broken stairways, lack of porch or hall lights.
ZONING:
Building Department Call 787-6031 between 7:30 and 4:15 or fill out an online form on the City's website to report: Outdoor auto repair at auto-oriented businesses, “junkers” or “hulks” stored outdoors at auto-oriented businesses, illegal signs (too big, on sidewalk, too many, unpermitted banners), cars parked in front yards, illegal apartments or businesses, illegal home-based businesses, construction work being done without a building permit, among others.
Hampden County Housing Court: 748-7838, 50 State Street, Springfield 01103. Citizens may bring to Housing Court any matter having to do with housing including failure by a landlord to make necessary repairs to a house or apartment, failure of a property owner to maintain land and buildings in a safe and sanitary manner, failure of residents to conduct themselves in a law-abiding and respectful manner. Using Housing Court is often effective, but it requires being well-organized, clear about what you want the Court to tell the person to do, and having your paperwork in order. It also takes time and sometimes money for filing fees.
DESCRIBING PROBLEMS EFFECTIVELY: Before calling any helper, organize your thoughts. Jot down names of streets and individuals; house numbers, make, model, description and license number of vehicles; days, dates and times when problems take place; breed and color of problem dogs; physical descriptions of bad guys, and specific problems with lots and houses. The more detail you provide, the sooner help will arrive.
GROUPS WHO CAN HELP:
Forest Park Civic Association, P. O. Box 80841, Springfield MA 01138-0841,
746-5916. Their website: www.forestparkca.com has lots of useful information.
Sector H Community Police Beat Management Team meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month at Sinai Temple, 1100 Dickinson Street and will hear and help with almost any problem. Solutions involve the police and/or other agencies including Hampden County Housing Court. The Beat Management Team is both sympathetic and effective!
Section 8 Agencies: HAP and the Springfield Housing Authority administer
Section 8 Housing Subsidy Programs and want their participants to be good
neighbors. To report problems with either landlords or tenants, call Eileen
Wilkinson at HAP (233-1521) or Betsy McCright at the SHA (785-4512).