Neighborhood Learning How to Cure Its Ills

For years, residents of the Thorman Projects have been intimidated by an array of social ills in the unlit alleys behind their homes: public drinking, drug dealing and loitering gang members whose insolent stares carry the threat of violence.

Local stores, residents say, sell cigarettes and alcohol to neighborhood youths, and the area does not have enough recreational facilities and social services to meet their needs.

But recently, a nascent activism has emerged.

Aided by Communities in Prevention, Central, a Santa Ana-based nonprofit organization that helps neighborhoods learn how to solve problems, dozens of Thorman Projects residents have banded together to form Tustin Concerned Citizens.

“These problems are not unique and many communities fail to solve the problem,” said Blasa Robles, 39, speaking in Spanish. Robles, a mother of four, addressed neighbors at a recent community forum this week. “The reason we’re going to be successful is we’re hear to talk openly about our problems. But to be successful, first the community tolerance for these problems has to go down.”

Communities in Prevention first approached the Tustin residents in May, after its regional advisory board identified the area as a candidate for organizing. Tustin already had a coalition that included the city, Campfire Boys & Girls of Orange County, the school district and other groups residents could tap into once they had organized.

An outgrowth of the Santa Ana community group Project Sabado, Communities in Prevention is funded by the Orange County Health Care Agency. The Tustin venture is its first project, although 11 cities in the county are targeted to receive its services.

First, residents and Communities in Prevention staff conducted door-to-door surveys to learn which problems seemed most pervasive. The group interviewed 152 residents and held several focus groups. The results showed that the average respondent was a woman who spoke only Spanish, rents and has a household of about five. Primary concerns were safety, public drinking, drug dealing and gangs.

In particular, several residents singled out a Circle K store at McFadden and Pasadena avenues for allegedly selling cigarettes and alcohol to minors.

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Officials at Circle K’s Phoenix headquarters said they had received no complaints about sales to minors.

“If there’s a problem, I’d love to know about it,” said Leanne Wilhardt, executive director for public affairs. “We’d love to work with them because we don’t want that happening. But it really takes the whole community coming together to resolve the issue because the retailer cannot be the policeman, the parent and the teacher.”

Secondary issues raised in the surveys included poor police relations because of language barriers, and problem families who contribute to the neighborhood ills.

“What we found was many people showed an interest in helping but at the same time were fearful,” said Micaela Alvarado, a resident and mother of three who helped with the surveys.

But fears are slowly being overcome. The group, which has from eight to 12 members, meets monthly at a local home and participation is increasing.

“That group has something to offer not just that community, but all of Tustin,” said Radon Lopez, an organizer with Communities in Prevention. “They can be leaders and when we’re done organizing there, we hope to leave behind the skills they’ll need to deal with agencies and the government. Because problems never will all go away.”

Communities in Prevention project director Prinda Donchuanchom said she hopes the group’s efforts become a model for the county: “What we do is teach people to build bridges to the resources that already are available to them in the community,” Donchuanchom said. “For example, instead of targeting a drug addict and saying, ‘We’re going to put you in treatment,’ we look at the high-risk environment and try to change that environment.”

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With a lot of cynicism and a little hope, Nina Oneill, who owns one of the buildings on Myrtle Street where drug dealing takes place, listened to the survey results at the forum Monday at the Currie Middle School. Also in attendance Monday were school and housing officials and police officers.

Several years ago, when she lived in the Myrtle Street building, she was shot while watering her front lawn. She moved about five years ago.

Over the years she said she has called many officials--police, health inspectors, building officials, county housing officials--to try to stop drug dealing at the four-unit building she owns to no avail.

“That neighborhood used to be real nice and now it’s just gone to hell,” Oneill said. “I’ve heard everything they’ve said a hundred times, but I guess there’s a little part of me that’s hoping this will really work.

“Truthfully, there’s a lot of nice people there, and I’d say 80% of the people who’ve lived in my property go on to buy their own houses.”

Police Sgt. Jim Peery, who heads the anti-gang unit, said Oneill’s complaints have not reached him. But he urged Oneill and other property owners and residents to call him to report crime.

Most of the problems mentioned at the forum revolved around the area’s youth, but Tustin High School student Marta Silva blamed adult permissiveness for teen misbehavior.

“I know you’re all concerned that kids are drinking and smoking--now everyone thinks it’s normal and acceptable and it’s what you do when you grow up,” Silva said. “But you adults make it very easy for us. I sit outside my apartment and see kids drinking and smoking. It’s easy for us to get cigarettes around here.”