Riverside neighborhood doesn't want to lose its resident cop

Residents along Antioch Avenue have felt much safer since Riverside Police Officer Marcus Smail moved into a city-owned house on their street. The police sergeant wasted no time helping neighbors fight crime and blight. But while crime has fallen since Smail's arrival, so have property values. That has complicated efforts to sell the city-owned house to Smail and keep him in the neighborhood, reports Amanda Strindberg of the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

The city of Riverside slashed its price for the one-story home to about $250,000 -- a steep discount from the $375,000 it paid more than two years ago.  Despite being far less than what the city paid, the asking price remains at the high end of recent neighborhood sales and about $50,000 above Smail's last offer.

With negotiations over price and other issues having broken down, Smail is now house hunting in other places. His neighbors, meanwhile, worry that his departure will mean that crime will move back to Antioch Avenue.

"You know people won't mess with you if there's a cop in the neighborhood," said Walter Herrera.

But if the recent plunge in home sales and prices continue, it looks like the city will be coming back to the negotiating table.

-- Jesus Sanchez

Photo: Karen Tapia-Andersen / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Just an ordinary observer]

What does Small have to do with the price of homes going down in that neiborhood. I think it is a irrelevant observation. The reason for the drop in homes sales is a nationwide problem .This nation is facing a drastic wooping foreclosures due to poor method of underwriting and sub-prime lending practises.

Now, regardinog the drop on crime rate in his neighborhood due to his presence is a good news to these residence of the community. But, my interesting question is, You mean to tell me, no police presence in that neighborhood in the past at all? Hmmm, interesting.

Hey other police officers, there is a neighborhood in Riverside that need your residency to control crime in that community. And maybe the leaders of that County can chip in to bring the neighborhood's value up to code and meet the market value within their zoning area.

Maybe, the members of the neighborhood watch can all get together and start cleaning the graffitis and manicure their lawn, to bring the value up. Part of underwriting cridteria by the banks as one method of looking at the potential value of each neighborhood. Good luck folks!

[Just an ordinary observer]

What does Small have to do with the price of homes going down in that neiborhood. I think it is a irrelevant observation. The reason for the drop in homes sales is a nationwide problem .This nation is facing a drastic wooping foreclosures due to poor method of underwriting and sub-prime lending practises.

Now, regardinog the drop on crime rate in his neighborhood due to his presence is a good news to these residence of the community. But, my interesting question is, You mean to tell me, no police presence in that neighborhood in the past at all? Hmmm, interesting.

Hey other police officers, there is a neighborhood in Riverside that need your residency to control crime in that community. And maybe the leaders of that County can chip in to bring the neighborhood's value up to code and meet the market value within their zoning area.

Maybe, the members of the neighborhood watch can all get together and start cleaning the graffitis and manicure their lawn, to bring the value up. Part of underwriting cridteria by the banks as one method of looking at the potential value of each neighborhood. Good luck folks!