(Memphis) One of the five men that police say were involved in shooting-up an apartment complex before crashing into an 18-wheeler is in jail. The other four have been charged but are recovering in the hospital.
All the violence in the Parkway Village area has people asking for more police patrols, but police say their patrols in that area are sufficient.
Thomas Fowler lives close, less than a half a mile away, to where violence, gangs and drug dealing are a way of life.
“It’s horrible,” he said.
Police say they’re doing their job, targeting Mendenhall and Knight Arnold. They say two sweeps of the Aspenwood Apartments in March and May led to 65 arrests and the collection of five hand guns.
Yet people who live in the neighborhood say it’s “not enough” and a long way from solving the problem.
“Stuff like this wouldn’t be happening if people were out here patrolling,” said resident Carl Anderson.
Fowler’s on the same page, saying, “What we really need is more police presence.”
He’s actually tried to make a dent in the crime himself.
“I tried to organize a neighborhood watch program,” Fowler said.
That was back in 2007.
“When you were doing the neighborhood watch, what did you accomplish?” asked reporter Sabrina Hall.
“Nothing,” said Fowler. “I could get no other participation. Not one person.”
Not one person, yet he believes strong community involvement would get police to also step things up, conducting more sweeps, more patrols, with more determination to see things change.
“I think the neighborhood is not beyond help and I think if people get involved, we can revive the neighborhood before it`s too far gone,” Fowler said.
If you are someone who lives in the Parkway Village area and would like to help Fowler create that neighborhood watch program, you can email him at tnfowler@att.net
