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Speaking during the city commission meeting last week, Humphrey and four other residents asked the city for help “restoring law and order” where they live, claiming police are not doing enough to address the crime problems.
But the city is helping develop a plan for the North Main Street corridor to reduce crime and improve safety for residents and motorists, officials said.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said the city hopefully will be able to “expedite” the safety components of the plan.
At 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, a woman told police she was shot on North Main Street near Helena Street after a man attempted to force her into his SUV.
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The woman said the man opened fire after she refused to enter the vehicle.
North Main Street is a hotbed of prostitution activity, police say.
The woman described the shooter as an older, light-skinned black male, with a Afro-style haircut. His vehicle is believed to be an older-model maroon SUV.
The victim was transported to Grandview Hospital by a customer of a convenience store.
Multiple residents who live near North Main Street say they have been victims and witnesses of crime. Humphrey, 70, was attacked last year by a juvenile who broke into her home. The juvenile was apprehended, convicted of burglary and felonious assault, and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
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Humphrey and her husband on a variety of occasions publicly have called on the city to increase police patrols and reduce crime along the North Main Street corridor.
Neighborhood associations can do more with the police to be their “eyes and ears” to report prostitution, illegal drug activity and other crime, but citizens and neighborhood groups could use some training from the city to be more effective watchdogs, said Debby Schafer, who lives on Odlin Avenue.
Multiple houses on Odlin Avenue have been hit with gunfire, and some local residents have been shooting victims, she said.
“I’d also like to see more proactive policing in the area,” she said.
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Patrick Duffley, who lives on Imo Drive, said drug deals frequently take place on his street and, a couple of months ago, after witnessing a drug transaction, a drug dealer pulled a gun on him when he raised his hands in a gesture of frustration.
Last spring, a naked prostitute was dumped from a car into Duffley’s front yard on a Sunday morning, he said.
Duffley praised the city for assembling a committee to focus on how to improve the North Main Street corridor, but he said the city shouldn’t wait for the plans to be finished before taking action to reduce crime.
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Whaley said she heard many complaints from residents in the North Main corridor about crime and public safety issues during her porch tour listening sessions.
The North Main corridor plan — developed using neighborhood input — will address crime, traffic flows, aesthetics and environmental conditions, said Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein.
The city has devoted a portion of its new revenue from the income tax hike passed last year to hiring new police, which hopefully will increase patrols in high-crime parts of the city, said Dayton Commissioner Joey Williams.
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