Experienced Activist help needed.

I've owned my small house in metro Atlanta for over 20 years. My neighborhood has slowly deteriorated over time and is becoming a haven for crime and gangs. My county government and the police dept are so busy with infighting and power grabs that they are incapable of doing anything.

I am a "nobody". But I want to start somewhere to take back my neighborhood - turn around the county government etc. I lack experience and I am concerned my race may create a problem. I need a mentor. I'd like to hear from people on DU with some experience in local activism. If you think you can help guide me on how to start and how to find contacts to create a citizens group please post your ideas here or private message me on the DU system.

Ideas from the 101 fighting keyboarders are welcome but I'm hoping someone with successful realtime experience will be willing to kinda take me under thier wing.

Thanks ahead of time.

contacting churches or nonprofit groups in the area? It's best to get other people from within the neighborhood to start positive change. I know I was part of a neighborhood group before that watched eachothers homes, did canned food drives, wrote into the local paper ect. It can be effective.

residents who you know may be upset about these changes. If you can create a network with them, you can all plan how to approach the city/county government with concerns. I'd also suggest, as soon as you get a group going of concerned neighbors, to contact your local city/county board member and ask for a meeting in your neighborhood - make him/her get a good look at what is going on and prepare a list of practical suggestions.

You say the police department isn't being very helpful. So the first thing you do when you talk to a few neighbors is get a neighborhood watch program going - particularly with the police departments guidance. They have a P.R. department which is supposed to encourage that activity. At the same time, you can concentrate on meeting the police yourself, despite their own infighting problems - meaning you should go right down there and schedule a meeting if necessary to outline the specific problems in your neighborhood.

In my parents old neighborhood, people got together and held a block party - something that had never happened in my whole neighborhood the entire 48 years that my parents have lived there. From that experience, they organized groups of younger families and singles in a two block area, and on nice fall days they went to senior citizen's houses and offered to rake up the leaves in the front yards - an extremely nice gesture. The seniors did a lot to help look after the kids playing outside, which does mean a lot when parents are busy doing chores and kids aren't bound by just playing in their own yard all the time.

If your neighborhood is already deteriorating enough that you aren't comfortable talking to most neighbors, then I would look for a church nearby to start - or a nearby business. You can bet if there is increased gang/drug activity, the business may have experienced headaches already with people in their parking lot, behind the building, etc. You can also consider approaching the schools, particularly if you have a grade school in the immediate area. Chances are the school may have some concerns of its own, and that gives you an immediate ally for research and a network for contacting people in public positions.

But start with looking around the neighborhood - and think about anyone who you know has lived there for many years. . .and start by talking with them. They may be very relieved you decided to pick up this effort.

http://www.atlantapd.org/index.asp?nav=CPI

Here's some neighborhood watches in GA:

http://www.citizencorps.gov/citizenCorps/partnersforstate.do?partnerid=2&state=GA

http://www.lavistapark.org/neighborhood_watch.htm

http://facstaff.morehouse.edu/~outreach/neighborhood.html

Ulysses, I think, is a teacher in metro Atlanta somewhere, he may have some ideas too or be willing to work with you if he happens to teach in your area.

I live in a really small town so this probably won't translate to a large city; but I told our mayor and chief of police that if one of the old people on our block was hurt by the crackheads up the street, I'd make sure they knew that I had already informed the police of the problem and would testify in the liability trial that they did nothing in response. The crackheads were gone in 2 weeks. Like I said, not so easy in a city, but I do think at least the local precinct needs to know the neighborhood is serious about getting the drugs and gangs out.

You gave me some great ideas on where to start --- a kickstart if you will! :) THANKS.