A CAPital
Idea!
To give a taste of what
it would be like to be part of the CAP service area, CAP will patrol and
provide services in the Loft District Dec. 6th–10th. During the 5-day trial, a CAP will also be
available at Urban Standard and Rogue’s to answer questions and sign up
property owners. (Renters should
encourage owners to sign up.) They can also
call or email for a copy of their form (251-0111 or TThorneCAP@aol.com). During the 5-day preview,
residents, business owners and visitors in the Loft District can expect to see
CAP patrols and are encouraged to call for any of the free services
provided—help with a dead battery, flat tire, vehicle unlock, out-of-gas,
panhandlers, or security escorts
For fifteen years the CAP
District has remained the same, a 90 block area in the heart of downtown where
CAP officers patrol and provide extra services.
Now, an effort is underway to expand the boundaries and the hours. Years ago, when big department stores fled
for the suburban malls, downtown suffered.
The thought of living downtown
was an alien concept. CAP’s original
operating hours were 10 am-6 pm, and they patrolled on foot. As restaurants and
unique retail began to return and flourish, complementing the many cultural
attractions, calls from employees arriving for work led to a 7 am morning
shift. Stranded motorist services were
added to the program, along with bikes and trucks. As more people stayed after work and moved
their homes to downtown, the CAP program expanded to midnight. Responding to that continuing trend and recognizing
the vitality residents bring to downtown, CAP’s weekend hours have changed to 7
am-2 am on Fridays and 2 pm-2 am on Saturdays.
One area that has been a
focus for residents, but outside the current CAP boundaries is what’s been
tagged the Loft District, (Morris Ave. to 2nd Ave No; 22nd
to 27th St.) Over the years,
those folks have asked for CAP services, but the legal issues were complex and
required an amendment to state legislation.
That’s been done. The next steps entail collecting enough signatures by
property owners to represent 2/3 of the total property value and then obtaining
a City Council resolution. Pat Ballard,
a local attorney and loft owner and Mike Calvert, who recently retired as
president of Operation New Birmingham, have contributed their time and
leadership to the effort, and 90% of the needed signatures have been collected. But unlike horseshoes, we need that last 10%!
When
the legal process is completed, property owners in the Loft District will pay
an assessment (1.2 mils) based on county property tax value (For example, if
the property is valued at $100,000, the CAP assessment would be $120 annually). That allows CAP to offer free services to
anyone in the area.
Crime in the current CAP
District has fallen 67% since the program was initiated in 1995. CAP responds to thousands of calls for
assistance every year. In 2000, property
owners were offered an opportunity to stop paying the assessment and close down
CAP. Not one wanted out.
CAP is proud to be part
of a changing, dynamic downtown!
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