A mother in Syracuse’s Strathmore area is on a mission towards making things safer for her family and her neighborhood. In the summer and fall of 2014 Tracy Grimm’s son was attached and robbed twice while coming home from school thru Upper Onondaga Park. The first incident led to an arrest and conviction of the juvenile offenders. In the second incident no one was ever charged because the assailant could not be pinpointed in the crowd.
Incidents like this one have become a common theme in the neighborhood. Statistics have shown that the number of robberies, larcenies and burglaries has risen over the past few years. The community members have taken note and increased safety measures by creating a neighborhood watch group and increasing police patrols before and after school. Now Grimm and her neighbors are leading a campaign for crime cameras, which have been effective in other Syracuse neighborhoods.
“We really should have cameras in the park and at trouble spots in our neighborhood. Because so many times the police just have their hands tied and there is not anything that they can do. They want to be able to help us clean things up. They are frustrated with the situation too. One way is to work together to get these cameras placed.”
The park is the heart of the community that has attracted many homeowners into the area. It is also where increased incidents of crime have occurred over the past few years. The cameras placed in the park will join the 85 cameras that are currently around the city of Syracuse.
Adding cameras to Onondaga Park will cost an estimated $119,000. The neighborhood is working with the Syracuse police department and state representatives to secure the funding needed.
