Semple residents use caution

Angelo Harris wasn’t surprised by the three incidents of armed robbery that occurred within… Angelo Harris wasn’t surprised by the three incidents of armed robbery that occurred within hours of each other on his street.

“It just makes me aware that Semple is one of the most shady, ghetto streets in Oakland,” he said.

Harris, a Community College of Allegheny County student, has grown accustomed to hearing about occasional incidents of robbery and violence on his street over the course of the three years he has lived in South Oakland.

The recent attacks are just another expected feature of living on the weathered Oakland street flanked by McKee Place and Meyran Avenue, he said.But other residents reacted more seriously to the robberies.

“It’s scary,” said Pitt senior T.J. Hoopes. “It makes you think twice about going out.”

Hoopes has been more vigilant since the robberies, closing and locking the door of his Semple Street house more often than he used to, but he is eager to get on with his everyday life.

He added that, like Harris, he knows crime sometimes comes with the turf on Semple.

Carl Manawelian, who graduated in May, was less acquiescent about the robberies, which he said changed his opinion of the neighborhood.

“I was shocked,” he said. “I always thought this neighborhood was safe.”

Manawelian expressed concern about the violent nature of the crimes – the fact that guns and knives were involved – and the short time frame and close proximity in which they occurred.

“We always say it’s just a community of students who live together, but now it seems like something different,” he added.

“It’s kind of disappointing that it could happen in such a small area,” said Brian Jourdan, one of Manawelian’s housemates. He added that he thought some of the incidents could have been prevented.

Manawelian suggested beefing up police presence with foot and bike patrols to secure the area and make residents feel safer.

These Semple Street residents exhibited a range of emotions, from resignation to the fact that violent crime occurs in Oakland, to fear about the likelihood of future incidents.

But, for the time being, none of their comments indicate that they feel completely safe.

While Manawelian and his housemates attested to seeing more patrol cars on the street recently, and Harris noticed a broken streetlight was repaired after the incident, none of them has seen enough of an increase in police presence to calm their fears or change their opinions about their block.

But there’s more to the operation than meets the eye, according to Pitt police Chief Tim Delaney.

Delaney described a unified and comprehensive effort by both city and Pitt police to secure the area. Police cars patrol more frequently, while officers in unmarked police vehicles, parked in inconspicuous locations, watch the streets into the early hours of the morning, as do plainclothes police working the beat on foot.

The message is in the medium, he said. By patrolling the area covertly, the police can ensure an optimum level of protection while allowing residents to return to their daily lives.

“There is a fine line between public safety and civil rights,” he said, referring to the careful balance police must achieve between vigilance and reason. The police do not want people to feel like they are living on top of a dangerous crime scene, so most of the action takes place in the shadows and out of sight.

It is also important for other potential robbers to be unaware of police presence, he added.

Delaney, who knows many residents of South Oakland, was quick to defend the overall safety of the area and expressed concern about the residents’ negative opinion of Semple Street.

“I take great pride in this area,” he said. “When people knock it down, I’m quick to bring it up.”

Delaney said that while he can understand the attitude of certain residents, he believes Semple is safe, as is Oakland in general, for that matter.

But no amount of increased police presence can prevent such “violent crimes of opportunity,” he added.

“This is an unusual situation,” he said. “This is something that occurred. Unfortunately, this is society.”

With two police forces on call and a neighborhood ripe with newfound awareness, Delaney holds that Semple is now safer than before, whether or not residents can see it.

He hopes that city police, Pitt police and students can forge a strong, formidable network to fight crime, assisting each other in the future to ensure the safety of Semple Street and the well-being of its people.

“I hope the real story for us is not behind, but forward,” he said.