Trinity Park Association takes steps to combat crime

The Trinity Park Association-a neighborhood group that comprises both student and non-student residents-has taken steps to curb the steady tide of break-ins that has plagued the area over the past few months.

In a newsletter sent out to residents in September, the association outlined three initiatives that should be taken to improve the safety in the neighborhood: First, the association recommended that tenants of Trinity Park volunteer as block captains to patrol every neighborhood block; second, residents were encouraged to report suspicious activities on their block to police; and third, the association advised residents to leave their porch lights on during the night to deter crime.

Association President Don Ball said that approximately 80 block captains are needed to cover the area's 44 square blocks-but less than half of the required number have volunteered thus far. Still, he added, although numerous break-ins have transpired in the last couple of months, crime during the last three weeks has diminished.

Community leaders in Trinity Park said they think a productive means to increase a feeling of neighborhood safety would be to encourage residents to get to know one another. To that end, Ball said, the association has held several block parties at which safety issues have been discussed. "The better residents know their neighbors," he said, "the better they can police their own block."

To improve communication between off-campus University students and the University, Trinity Park has forged an alliance with Duke Student Government through a series of initiatives designed to increase safety in the Trinity Park area.

A newsletter representing a joint effort between the Trinity Park Association and DSG is forthcoming within the week, Ball said. He said the newsletter will serve as a forum for off-campus students to discuss their rights as tenants and provide background data concerning whom to contact should a problem arise.

Nevertheless, although the actual number of crimes has diminished in recent weeks, some University students who live in Trinity Park said the perception of criminal activity within the neighborhood still remains.

"There's a big difference between safety and perception of safety," said Trinity senior Randy Fink, who serves as a Trinity Park student delegate, "and though the reality of crime has gone down, the important thing is that the work that DSG and the police are doing gets publicized so that we will feel safer."