Chief Brown addresses the Hollywood Park Homeowner’s Association last week.
Hollywood Park was the scene of a Home Owner’s Association meeting late last week pulling in three council members, originally four, but one had been asked to go home so there would not be a quorum. Attending as well was the city’s police chief Robert Brown, the Criminal Investigative Division Lt., Charles Smith and a number of law enforcement officers from other cities like Dallas and DeSoto.

The topic was lowering crime in the Hollywood Park area.
Hollywood Park is located in the Southeast part of Duncanville and in this particular section of the city there were 33 more Part I crimes committed in the Southeast District during 2011 as compared to 2010. Overall, the Part I Crimes added up to 581 in that area, which included homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson.
While councilmember Grady Smithey, whose district Hollywood Park falls into, had noted he called the meeting he and other council members in attendance did not speak except during introductions.

Commissioner John Wiley Price, also in attendance, asked questions trying to get a better idea of the area in relation to the crimes. This district also borders Dallas and DeSoto.
While Chief Brown began the meeting by passing paperwork to remind the residents in attendance that his department had been busy working on this area of the city, residents wanted to know what was going to happen in the future to cut down crime, not what has been done.

Overall, the homes on Barrymore Street where the residents were gathered for the evening has had a number of break-ins, sometimes as many as five or six times at the same house.
Residents also voiced concern about police patrolling the stop sign in the area, but not patrolling the bigger problem in regard to break-ins.
One resident was especially frustrated when he mentioned that he had been calling a detective working on a case in regard to his stolen property for six months with the detective having done nothing.

Lt. Smith said that Hollywood Park is not the worst part of Duncanville, but again, residents didn’t want to hear that. They wanted to know what was going to be done to fight the crime that they are facing in this area whether it’s the worst part of town or not.
Resident Sir Frederick said “If we can walk these streets why can’t you” talking to the police in attendance.

Putting camera in the park was topic of discussion and Chief Brown reminded residents he had discussed this idea before when past councilmember Deborah Hodges was in the council seat. At the time it was voted “no” and some had grumbled “big brother.” Now, residents are thinking it might not be such a bad idea after all.

Hollywood Park HOA President Charles Freeman said in closing “We are going to become a proactive community because we are the best intelligence,” but all the residents reiterated they need the police to do their job too. Many crimes seem to go unreported in Hollywood Park as residents have long since given up on the police doing their part in the area.

By Russell Dandridge