Conners: A Continuing Problem in Concord

By Kathy Conners

In May 2014, I wrote a letter to the Concord City Council asking for help.

An abutting house had long been a source of concern: Unleashed dogs, noise both day and night, a bucket of vomit and trash thrown into our backyard, a man urinating on the stonewall overlooking the back yard, someone unlatching our front gate and coming into our front yard, and most disturbing, was what appeared to be widespread illegal drug activity.

I obtained a police report for this residence, 74 Rumford St., which indicated that they had been called to this apartment building 140 plus times in a three-year period. We had not used our yard for more than 10 minutes at a time for the last three plus years, and on occasion I felt unsafe in my own home.

After my request, the matter was referred to the Concord Public Safety Committee. I requested that there be research into a chronic nuisance building ordinance. In December 2014, the committee voted not to pursue an ordinance, and to see if better collaboration between the code office, the police and city prosecutors office, and the institution of the POP unit (Problem-Oriented Policing) would make a difference. The board recommended “taking six months to see if the coordinated effort continues to work.”

Seven months later, on July 27, 2015, I wrote a letter requesting that we again discuss 74 Rumford St. and described at length the situation.

Although the open drunkenness atmosphere had decreased, there was the return of foot and car traffic day and night, and other indicators of drug activity. Recently the police were back, doing a comprehensive investigation of the apartment building and more arrests were made.

I feel grateful that something is being done and for the professional, caring and dedicated law enforcement we have here in Concord. And yet, I have a feeling of hopelessness because I have seen this before and those arrested will be back or others with similar leanings will again take up residency at 74 Rumford St.

The vast majority of landlords in Concord are responsible, but there are some in Concord who are not. There are landlords who do not care about the degradation of our neighborhoods.

From my point of view, these landlords provide a safe haven for illegal drug activity, some of them knowingly and some unknowingly due to a laissez-faire attitude.

I stand firm in my belief that a chronic nuisance property ordinance, carefully crafted, would make a difference by holding these landlords accountable.

But I have other suggestions.

The Public Safety Committee should be given an updated list of houses or buildings where the police have had to go on multiple occasions.

The Public Safety Committee should, as part of their policy, extend an invitation to the landlords of these problem buildings and request their presence before the committee.

The Concord City Council should discuss this issue and institute a formal landlord notification process. A responsible landlord would want to know if they own a problem building and therefore could remedy the situation. With this mandated notification, those landlords who are irresponsible, could never say that they were not aware of their problem real estate. At the very least, it would put them on notice (I was told by a police chief from a New Hampshire city that has an effective chronic nuisance property ordinance, that simply notifying the landlord seemed to make a real difference).

Landlord accountability needs to be discussed and addressed. Landlords who provide a space for illegal drug activity are a very important part of the equation when dealing with drug addiction. At the same time, we should be prepared to help landlords willing to go through the difficult process of eviction of incorrigible tenants.

I also suggest the formation of a coalition of Concord neighborhoods, where people in a geographical area of the city periodically meet to get to know each other, express any concerns, and build a more trusting and cohesive neighborhood that will ultimately make our city safer. (Robert D. Putnam, author of “Bowling Alone,” found that communities are safer, happier and healthier where neighbors know each other).

City councilors representing these areas and a representative from the police department should be part of this coalition (When a neighborhood meeting was organized and held August 2014 at the Green Street Community Center, my husband and I watched as people introduced themselves to each other for the first time, although they lived on the same block). At this meeting, people expressed their concerns and desire for a safe neighborhood.

Several families with children have moved away from my neighborhood because of this apartment building. A neighbor recently lamented that she and her husband would like to start a Bed and Breakfast, but question the feasibility. These are just two examples of economic and social loss for the city of Concord in this one neighborhood. How many other neighborhoods, especially those within walking distance to Main Street, are silently suffering? How many young people with families are choosing to move to another area or city because of a problem building in their neighborhood?

We are facing a serious drug problem in Concord, which is not going away any time soon, and it affects all of us directly or indirectly. Whether you live next door or you live blocks away, every citizen in Concord should care about what goes on in buildings like 74 Rumford St.

Kathy Conners lives in Concord.