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Monticello Avenue Public Safety Concerns

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.

  • What: residents of the Monticello Avenue area (Ward F; the captions render the street as "Monaceel") say drug activity, shootings near schools, litter and fewer trash cans make the corridor unsafe, and asked the council for a plan, timeline and point of contact.
  • Where it stands: the West District commander reported on police actions at the October 21 meeting; residents were not satisfied. More community meetings are planned.
  • Why it matters: a repeat topic at council meetings (residents said they also spoke on October 7).

Council meeting (October 21)

  • The West District commander (captioned as "Captain Joseph Bolzooski"; spelling uncertain) reported on police work on the Monticello Avenue corridor (captioned "Monaceel"), after residents criticized the council at the previous meeting. He said it followed a community meeting in June: added directed patrols, a federal grant-funded patrol car, an off-duty walking post, a camera, tree trimming that had blocked the camera, quality-of-life inspections and summonses to out-of-town property owners, and a motorcycle and street crimes squad.
  • Figures he gave: about 17 to 20 arrests by October 1; about 300 tickets this year versus about 60 to 70 the year before; 18 vehicles impounded and 100 tickets in one day; a reported 100% drop in aggravated assaults, shots fired and weapons offenses, and drops of 40% in burglaries, 29% in thefts and 40% in harassment and domestic violence. These are the commander's numbers and were not independently checked.
  • Gilmore said two things can be true: the area is better than years ago but still has quality-of-life problems. Another community meeting was set for the following Wednesday, and the commander and a councilmember discussed a larger meeting in 15 to 20 days and a block watch. A councilmember, apparently Brooks, asked about the September 25 shots-fired incident that ended near schools around dismissal time; the commander said it began elsewhere, both men involved were arrested, and charter schools now get alerts through a group text set up months ago, though the message did not reach one school that day.
  • About six residents and a preschool director spoke later, describing an open drug market near schools, broken glass and drug paraphernalia, an armed incident at 11:30 on a Sunday morning, and fewer public trash cans. They asked for a written plan, a timeline and a named point of contact, and for enforcement of the 1,000-foot school drug zone. One said a recent meeting felt like "performance"; another said she had met Gilmore and Griffin about lifting the area's alcohol ban to encourage foot traffic.

Sources

Discussion time

About 26 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting Minutes
2026-10-21 - Municipal Council 26

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