PHOENIX — A North Phoenix community concerned about the crime in their alleyways still struggles to find safety, despite their coordinated effort. The barrier to keep their neighborhood from gating off their alleyway can be measured by a gap in the wall.
Just west of Interstate 17, near 29th Avenue and Cactus Road, homeowners like Ruth Garcia-Fellenz don’t really mind the tall grass in their alleyway. We’re told when they mow it, they sometimes find things they wish they hadn’t.
”We’re running into needles,” said Garcia-Fellenz.
The issues in the arteries behind the homes of the Biltmore Lakes community are common for a city that has more than 860 miles of alleyways.
Garcia-Fellenz says it’s typical to wake up to trash in their alleyway daily. As part of Lake Biltmore’s Block Watch, she reports the foot traffic of those who are homeless has left some homes vulnerable to burglary.
When the public works department responded to their request for help, they determined their community should move their trash to the front of their house to avoid scattered debris. They’re in the process of making that change.
For now, on trash day, the bins are put out way before sundown.
”We can’t go in our alleyway at night, no one takes their trash out at night, because we’re afraid of what is going to happen next. Confrontations are becoming more frequent,” she said.
Garcia-Fellenz saw ABC15’s previous coverage on how communities can get help to clean up their alleyways.
Ultimately, the city says it’s the responsibility of the surrounding community to keep their alleyway clean.
The city does have resources for homeless services, a tool rental program, and ways to report illegal dumping and remove graffiti.
None of that was news to Garcia-Fellenz.
In fact, she’s been canvassing to get the needed 51% of the neighborhood signatures for a gated alleyway, which is a growing program the city recently allocated more money for.
She says she has nearly every homeowner’s signature. However, those signatures will stay stagnant as she explained they don’t qualify for the program, due to a gap in the wall about 120 feet long.
With everyone from their councilmember to home and property owners on board with building a wall, Ruth and her community are looking to raise north of $12,000 to build the last thing keeping them from what they say is peace of mind behind their houses.
”I think collectively the resources are there, but it does take a lot of effort from the community,” she said.
