UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS
Safety concerns are amplified after slaying of UB grad
Safety concerns were amplified among University Heights residents Tuesday in the wake of the shooting death Sunday of recent University at Buffalo graduate Javon R. Jackson near the university’s South Campus
Residents attending a regular monthly meeting of the University Heights Collaborative in the Gloria J. Parks Community Center sought reassurances that local law enforcement officials would soon apprehend Jackson’s killer and that they are boosting efforts to catch perpetrators of other crimes in the neighborhood.
“There’s a lot of disappointment, considering that it was graduation weekend and Mother’s Day,” said David Ellerbrock, president of the University Heights Collaborative, just before the start of Tuesday’s meeting.
“There’s always concern about crime in the Height,” he said.
Though some residents among the 35 people assembled at the meeting complained about a surge of burglaries, among other nuisance crimes, in some parts of the area, Ellerbrock said, statistics show that crime overall is down in University Heights.
“Well, the statistics are showing that it is getting better, but the perception is not the same as what we know from the [statistics],” Ellerbrock said. “The University Heights Collaborative has a strategic plan to set up neighborhood watches and block clubs on a street-by-street basis. That’s how we’re going to revitalize the community.”
E District Police Chief Frank Young and University at Buffalo Chief of Police Gerald W. Schoenle Jr. were invited to the meeting, though neither was able to expand on the investigation into Jackson’s shooting.
Jackson, who was from the Bronx, had received his degree in electrical engineering only hours before the shooting, which took place as he was crossing Main Street between Lisbon and Highgate avenues at about 3 a. m. Sunday. Buffalo police Tuesday were investigating whether a minor dispute inside a Main Street restaurant might have triggered the shooting.
Residents questioned whether footage from a city surveillance camera in the vicinity of the shooting was proving helpful. Young, earlier, said he was unsure about the quality of the footage.
On the topic of burglaries and other crimes in the neighborhood, Young offered tips to help thwart potential burglars and urged residents to be more cooperative with law enforcement to help solve such crimes.
Schoenle later talked about efforts at UB to make students, particularly those from out of town, aware of the need to be vigilant about their off-campus safety.
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments