Residents from Charleston's West Side expressed concerns Thursday about crime caused by vacant and burned-out homes in the area as part of a community meeting at Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary.
Nearly 60 people attended the event, organized by the Charleston Police Department.
People shared concerns about various issues, from squatters in vacant homes to drivers speeding in their neighborhoods.
While in the past these meetings have drawn larger crowds, Charleston Police Chief Brent Webster said the small crowd was a good sign that neighborhood watch groups formed over the past few years were doing their jobs by decreasing violent crime on the West Side. But Webster said these meetings still appeal to some people.
"Some people don't want to email, they don't want to call it in," Webster said. "They want to come in face to face and tell you."
Dozens of community members asked questions about vacant properties. Tony Harmon, Charleston's building commissioner, said dealing with the vacant properties isn't a simple issue. He said there are more than 600 vacant structures throughout the city. He said removing the structures isn't a simple process.
"I have to have a reason to tear those structures down," Harmon said.
The simplest reason, Harmon said, is if the building is not structurally sound. But even then, the process costs quite a bit of money, and with limited funds the building commission can only take care of so many properties.
Another factor is finding the owner of these properties. While the city can send letters to owners, it doesn't ensure that action will be taken on the properties. Only two people are able to work on vacant structures on the building commission staff.
"We've been stepping up to do what we can do," Harmon said.
Several community members also expressed issues with homelessness and vagrancy. Officers explained laws involving homelessness, and encouraged people to reach out to police if there are any situations where people who are homeless cause public nuisances or break the law.
Charleston Police Department Sgt. Paul Perdue, who leads the public service unit, credited Prestera counselors hired by the city for helping people find treatment and housing.
Webster said the meetings are effective because they help residents understand the long process of waiting for changes to be made, whether it has to do with changing speed limits or tearing down burned-out buildings.
"We don't want to blame everything on due process. If there's a complaint for instance where grass has been growing and growing and growing, call back," Webster said.
Multiple city leaders attended the event as well, including five city council members, city clerk J.B. Akers and Kanawha County Assistant Prosecutor Maryclaire Akers. They would chime in with answers and questions for the several officers organizing the event.
"I saw a lot of people see who had light bulbs go off in their heads. But I also saw a lot of continued frustration," Webster said. "All we can do is keep working together through city leaders and community groups and try to make the West Side a better place to live."
Reach Ali Schmitz at ali.schmitz@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4843 or follow @SchmitzMedia on Twitter.