H -°, L 7° | Tomorrow: 
H 17°, L 4°Like many members of the UW Greek community, I couldn’t get ahold of officer Rene Gonzalez for this article. Several phone calls, voice mails and strolls along Langdon Street and the surrounding area — the one neighborhood Gonzalez patrols — weren’t enough to find the elusive policeman.
Now, for the scores of Greek houses on Langdon Street, that might not be the worst thing in the world. Frats can throw parties with little police interference as long as they’re registered with the Interfraternity Council and not bursting onto the sidewalks.
But whereas the traditional party-busting cop agenda might be vacant from Gonzalez’s agenda, Langdon Street safety shouldn’t be compromised either.
In fact, while Madison police simply patrol most areas in the central district, the Langdon neighborhood officer’s sole responsibility is to communicate on an even closer basis with the area’s residents.
Madison Police Department Capt. Mary Schauf said in a press conference that the neighborhood officer’s purpose, aside from building a relationship between MPD and the student body, is to be able to stabilize the area so police resources can be used elsewhere.
“[State Street and Langdon] are particularly challenging because of the turnover in the populations in both of those areas,” she said. “And one of the things we look for when we stabilize a neighborhood is that the people who live there kind of take over a new level of ownership, essentially to solve the issues in the neighborhood.”
While those issues haven’t been solved yet, on Langdon major efforts are being made to increase safety, at least on weekends. Newly elected Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, has stepped up his efforts in the neighborhood by working with the Greek community on Langdon Street Watch, a program started by former Langdon community officer Tony Fiore.
Eagon’s work on the project is a continuation of what Fiore created with the Greek community in 2006. In 2008, the project was deemed so successful that Fiore was honored for his work with Greek life and Langdon Street safety.
Currently, Eagon is satisfied with Langdon Street Watch but also feels it requires more involvement from the Langdon Street population.
“One of things about the Greek community, especially with the Langdon Street Watch program on Friday and Saturday evenings, is that we’re trying to be proactive and be deterrent to crimes,” Eagon said. “It’s been pretty successful especially when there’s big Greek involvement. … It’s been an important tool in the community to get people to participate and make the area safer.”
In addition to Eagon’s involvement with Langdon Street Watch, he is also currently working on an initiative to reimburse property owners up to $500 for installing effective lighting that could deter crime in the area.
But nevertheless, the fact still remains that while Eagon’s efforts have been candid, Gonzalez could be doing more. Although he speaks at some safety meetings and gives crime updates for the Greek community, some fraternity members have found it difficult to reach the neighborhood officer. One particular fraternity executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to keep good relations with Gonzalez, has attempted to reach his community officer several times but often has to wait sometimes as long as a week before hearing back.
“Honestly, sometimes the best course of action would be to go out and find him walking up and down the street because he never picks up his phone,” he said. “When you can find him, he’s really helpful, but most of the time that’s the hardest part.”
The most troubling aspect of Langdon Street safety is the lack of communication between MPD and residents who don’t live in Greek houses. According to Eagon, while Gonzalez makes a clear effort to reach out to the Greek community, those living in apartments or houses on Langdon won’t know to contact Gonzalez if something occurs.
“Without seeing him at a chapter meeting, it’s going to be hard to know that he’s the guy to go to,” Eagon said. “I mean, if people are talking to me or their property owners, then we can connect people with officer Gonzalez. I know he’s been trying to be a visible presence in the community, but it is often hard to reach people who aren’t in the Greek community.”
With Gonzalez and Schauf looking to step up enforcement on Langdon, it doesn’t look like Schauf’s goal of stabilizing the neighborhood is close to happening. Gonzalez’ unreachable status isn’t helping Schauf and the MPD’s cause either.
Jonah Braun ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in journalism and Hebrew and Semitic studies.
IP hash: c91a0a70
Jonah,
Thanks for bringing these issues of safety to light, (pun somewhat intended) especially as it relates to the grant-matching reimbursement program with property owners in the Langdon neighborhood. I would point out that Officer Gonzalez has been extremely helpful with this lighting program. From getting it off the ground to targeting areas most in need of improvements, he and Capt. Schauf have been great resources for me to work with. I agree with your ideas that things from multiple ends can always and should improve and welcome any and all input on how to make good programs, like the lighting initiative and Langdon St Watch, even better!
Best,
Ald. Bryon Eagon
IP hash: 2c037217
“bringing these issues to light”
…lighting initiative
GETIT
heh heh heh
IP hash: 04f05694
an anon fraternity executive member? LET ME GUESS WHAT FRAT, Jonah
IP hash: 04f05694
Jonah this “editorial” reads like you are unsure how to write opinion articles. Stop with the J201 style quoting, ever so gently piecing layering your “argument”. Drop the news section feel and write better.
IP hash: 42927358
this was his first op-ed piece! shove it!
IP hash: ece02bc4
Bryon, can you use proper english grammar if you are going to release a statement? This isn’t facebook. Thank you.
Yours truly, Concerned Citizen
IP hash: 04f05694
It’s okay. I’m sure Katrina Flores would have danced her way right on to the page (assuming she ever found the time to do anything in the position) if she were Alder!
IP hash: c91a0a70
WOW! You’re a douche bag…
IP hash: 1fd9984b
“Jonah this �editorial� reads like you are unsure how to write opinion articles. Stop with the J201 style quoting, ever so gently piecing layering your �argument�. Drop the news section feel and write better.”
Hey shithead, they don’t teach how to write in j201, as it’s a media analysis class. And it’s good that he quotes, rather than just rants. At least it gives his piece some credibility. How can you argue against him when he has sources? Do you read the NY Times Op-Ed Section? They consistently quote individuals. So, maybe the reason you don’t know he learned what he did in J202 and J335 is because you were too dumb to get into the J-School to begin with. This was a great piece and I actually learned something from it, unlike in a lot of dumb, ranting opinion columns that I see in the BH on a consistent basis.
IP hash: 1fd9984b
As for the Eagon comment: you’re damn right. You just make yourself look like an idiot by posting on this comment board using incorrect grammar that would make high school English teacher cringe. Maybe next time you’d be better off not writing on the BH Comment Boards if you’re going to disgust all of us with your horrible grammar issues.
IP hash: 60797b55
disgusted by Eagon’s grammar!!! on a badger herald comment section no less!! Get a life you dork
IP hash: 6b645537
how stupid can you be in calling out a guy like gonzalez. first of all, hes cool as shi_t and has been nothing but helpful and reasonable to anyone who lives in the area- all your going to do by writing this article is to get people mad and make your frat (zbt) look bad by quoting “anonymous” statements
IP hash: ece02bc4
OR maybe he’ll act professionally and respond to the article with better communication with people who live on Langdon. Just because he’s cool doesn’t mean he deserves a free pass when it comes to being available to students.
IP hash: 2b5e0c44
This is comedic. When (now Sgt.) Fiore held the post as Langdon St. officer, he was criticized for being too visible and authoritative in his attempts to create a safer Langdon St. The reality is he undertook an admirable effort to reach out and work with the Greeks to establish a community based initiative that produced (and continues to produce) a heightened sense of personal awareness, safety, and responsibility. Now Officer Gonzalez might have a different policing philosophy and may not be the imposing presence on Langdon St. that his predecessor was, but it is silly to attack him for being M.I.A. (he’s a busy man, so sorry if he doesn’t have time to return a reporter’s calls - you wonder why after an article like this) and an apparent “lack of communication between MPD and residents who don�t live in Greek houses”.
When was the last time anyone living on the 600 block of Langdon was interested in engaging in a dialogue with MPD? Um, never. And when has anyone ever needed an officer’s cell phone number or email address to handle a pressing issue? There’s an easy number to remember in the event of an emergency, it’s 9-1-1. Need more? Go on to the MPD website and look him up - I promise you, his information is there.
Instead of knocking the hard working man for something he doesn’t APPEAR to be doing (because there is no evidence to suggest that he isn’t communicating with non-Greek residents), why don’t you save us all from the tired “blame the MPD” act and applaud the man for continuing to bridge the gap of mistrust that has long divided students and police officers in Madison.
Great job Rene (and to all the students involved in continuing to make Langdon St a safer place for all its residents)!
IP hash: 7985b9e1
I’ve worked with officer Gonzalez on a number of occasions. From my perspective he does have the interest of the Langdon St. residents safety and well being at heart. Shame on you Jonah for printing an entire article of officer Gonzalez because you couldn’t get a hold of him on one occasion just so you’d have something to write.
If you really needed him I think you know where to find him. So officer Gonzalez didn’t respond to you because you had a deadline for a story. Is that really the job of a police officer? Talk to a journalism student so he has material for a school newspaper?
What is the point of your story? How hard it is to get a hold of officer Gonzalez for a school project OR the safety of Langdon Street residents? Your article spends a lot of time discussing the first point. Maybe you and your fraternity should participate or become a Langdon watch sponsor/coordinator. I hear they could use more.
IP hash: 5f9ab0db
Oh my gosh!!! You can’t get ahold of an officer on his cell phone? Are you kidding me? Is this the extent of your worries with MPD? This is what passes for professional journalism these days? His editor should’ve proofread this, then asked the author to turn around & bend over, while he delivered a swift kick telling him to come back when he had something worthy of print, and not to wait til the last minute to meet his deadline.
IP hash: 745730bb
Oh my gosh!!! You’re a douchebag!
IP hash: 7985b9e1
That’s it? That’s all you have? Really intelligent.