Auburn Greens takes steps to change tough image

Bicycles, wading pools and wagons are sprinkled across the manicured lawns of its tree-lined streets - but that's not the image that first comes to mind when many think of the Auburn Greens.Management and residents of the North Auburn housing area are taking steps to improve the complex's image."We are trying to raise the bar and the comfort level of the tenants," said Ron Roskelley, manager of the Auburn Greens No. 2. "It's a nice place to live and people should feel safe in their community."Members of local law enforcement agencies will descend upon the Auburn Greens Tuesday for a good cause.The community will celebrate the 22nd Annual National Night Out with a barbecue and fun for the family.JoAnn Herron has lived in the Auburn Greens since 1981 and is one of the coordinators of the event."We want more people drawn out with this event so that we can expand the knowledge of what is expected from a Neighborhood Watch program," she said. The area has had a watch program in effect, but over the years the group disbanded. Herron and others would like to see it start up again."People need to learn how to interact with the Sheriff's Department and to know that they are here to help," she said.National Night Out was introduced in 1984 as a way to heighten crime and drug awareness, strengthen neighborhoods and police-community partnerships.It its first year, according to its Web site, 400 communities in 23 states participated nationwide. It has since grown to more than 34 million people in 10,000 communities from all 50 states."We want our community to know the Sheriff's Department is here to help," Herron said. Member of law enforcement and local fire agencies will be on hand to visit with residents."Our convoy is scheduled to arrive at Auburn Greens No. 2 at 7:50 p.m. and to the other side about 8:15 p.m.," said Dena Erwin, community service officer for the Placer County Sheriff's Department. "We'll have marked units, K-9, the California Highway Patrol and AMR on hand to talk to the kids and meet the neighbors."Ron Roskelley, manager of section No.2 of the Auburn Greens, said getting to know your neighbor is beneficial to the community."The idea is to interact in a social setting trying real hard to improve the appearances and how they get along," he said. The Journal's Penne Usher can be reached at penneu@goldcountrymedia.com.Located near Regional Park in North Auburn, the housing area is divided into two sections, each with its own management. The area has been plagued in the past by crime and has had a reputation of being an undesirable place to live. Roskelley and homeowners in the area want to get the message out that things are changing.A recently revived Neighborhood Watch program will help. Roskelley plans to have a bounce house, barbecue, games for the children and a raffle during the Aug. 2 National Night Out, which will coincide with the Neighborhood Watch kickoff. Last year about 450 people showed up for the event. This year Roskelley hopes to beat that number by at least 100.Mary Valcour has lived in her Park Drive townhouse for about five years. She said with more young families moving into the area, the streets are taking a turn for the positive."We have a good neighborhood," Valcour said. "If we can just get the bad (influences) out of it."There have been Neighborhood Watch groups in the development in the past, but management said that interest tends to wane when crime rate drops.Valcour and other neighbors try to do their part to keep the streets safe."We keep a lookout for suspicious cars and such," she said. Her neighbor, Jenelle Davis, 27, who was watching her daughter and friends frolic in the front yard under the canopy of a large tree said she has lived in her unit for a few months."In the eight months I've been here the crime has lowered," she said. "I think it's getting better."Just a few months ago the Auburn Greens was the location of two high-profile crimes - arson and a stabbing.On March 27 an arson fire destroyed a Sapphire Drive four-plex causing an estimated $500,000 in damage. Alton James Steele, 17, of Colfax, was arrested April 21 on suspicion of starting the blaze in the 3600 block of Sapphire Drive on Easter morning. Jacob Bradley Robbins, of Weimar, was arrested June 9 on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact, according to officials. Steele remains at the Placer County Juvenile Detention facility, while Robbins has posted bail.Weeks later on April 8, Paul Teubner, 27, of Auburn, was stabbed numerous times in the head and neck, allegedly by 24-year-old Derrick Raymond Brister. Neither the victim nor the suspect lived in the housing area. Brister remains in Placer County Jail awaiting trial. Roskelley said in the past the negative reputation was somewhat warranted, however, with improvements to the buildings and the grounds he feels things are taking an upswing."The owner ratio has increased tremendously," Roskelley said. "In the last six months a lot of units have sold and the owners are moving in."He said for a young family, townhomes in the Auburn Greens provide the "biggest bang for your buck." Considering the median single-family home price in Auburn for June was $573,000, getting into a townhouse for less than $175,000 is a pretty good deal.But the well-kept lawns, thanks to a landscaping contractor, contrast sharply with graffiti spray painted on mailboxes and newspaper racks. "According to our gang unit there is definitely gang activity in the Greens, but it's cyclical depending on whose living in the area at the time," said Dena Erwin, community service officer for the Placer County Sheriff's Department. "It's something our detectives constantly keep an eye on."She said there hasn't been a tremendous increase in police calls to the area. "It's been small things like vandalism and vehicle burglaries," Erwin said.Roskelley said by getting the community and neighbors involved, the bad reputation of the area could be dispelled."If they interact they are more likely to help each other," he said.The Journal's Penne Usher can be reached at penneu@goldcountrymedia.com.