Burglary Suspect/Vehicle

Louisville Police have issued information regarding a serial burglar that is allegedly responsible for crimes in the Bon Air and Hikes Point area.  All residents are asked to keep an eye out for a green, 1995 Cadillac DeVille with Kentucky plates 371-AHW.  The vehicle is believed to be driven by a black male in his early 40's.  If you see this vehicle, you are asked to call police immediately and report that you see a suspicious vehicle that may have been involved in burglaries.  The number to call is 574-2111 (option 5) in order to reach a dispatcher.

This is an example of a 1995 DeVille.

Homicide Near Bon Air

http://www.wlky.com/r/25772130/detail.html

WLKY and some other Louisville news outlets have reported that a homicide investigation is underway "near Bon Air".  The headline in the above article actually states that there was a murder "in" Bon Air but this is not the case.  The body was discovered in the 2500 block of Gardiner Lane which is just on the other side of the Watterson Expressway from Bon Air and is technically in the Hawthorne neighborhood.

The deceased is a 22 year old male who apparently died from multiple gunshot wounds.  The incident happened at approximately 7:00 pm last night and police are still searching for suspects.  If you have any information about this crime, please call 574-LMPD.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the young man's family at this difficult time.

Bon Air Crime Awareness

Crime is always a hot topic for neighbors and neighborhoods.  A home is the largest purchase that the vast majority of Americans will ever make and the security of our property, homes, and the loved ones who live in them is obviously going to be at or near the top of the list of concerns for anyone.  The Bon Air neighborhood associations (Bon Air, Bon Air Estates, and Highgate Springs) are all focused on helping residents stay informed about crime, crime prevention, and safeguarding our homes and neighborhoods against criminals of all kinds.

One of the most effective ways to combat crime in our neighborhoods is also probably the simplest...communication.  In today's connected world, we have the following tools at our disposal to help communicate with neighbors about crime or suspicious activity.

1. Mail (newsletters)
2. Phone (a simple call to inform neighbors)
3. Email (can reach a large number of people quickly and cheaply)
4. The Internet (may not be timely but reaches a lot of people)
5. Twitter (turns your cell phone into a powerful tool capable of reaching everyone)
6. Sneaker-net (signs on telephone poles, posting at the library or in stores)

If you count simple, friendly, word of mouth, that's 7 ways that we can get the message out about crime or suspicious activity in our neighborhoods.  If anyone is interested in helping us to create a crime mailing list or you wish to be added to one, let us know by writing to feedback "at" bon-air.org (sorry but if I type the address, spammers will clog our inbox).  If anyone has any questions about Twitter or some other services, we're happy to assist.  Twitter is free and can be used almost entirely without a computer.  All you need to do is know how to send a text message (which is surprisingly simple).

For anyone who wants to keep general tabs on crime in the area, there are three decent websites that we are aware of.

• Louisville MetroWatch - http://www.lojic.org/crime/viewer.htm
• This site is more or less straight from the horses mouth and is supposed to represent police reports that were filed into a database.  The location on the report is then used to place an icon on a map of Louisville so residents can see where crimes are occurring.  This is the disclaimer offered by the city though with regards to accuracy.
• "The Louisville Metro Police Department does not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained herein.  While all attempts are made to insure the correctness and suitability of information under our control and to correct any errors brought to our attention, no representation or guarantee can be made as to the correctness or suitability of that information that is presented, referenced, or implied.  Data is provided by initial reports received and processed by the Louisville Metro Police Department.  Crime Data may be amended or corrected by the Louisville Metro Police Department at any time to reflect changes in the investigation, nature, or accuracy of the initial report and the Louisville Metro Police Department is not responsible for any error or omission, or for the use of or the results obtained from the use of this information.  This mapping service does not reflect the official crime index totals as reported to Kentucky State Police for Kentucky Incident Based Reporting System (KIBRS) nor that of the FBI's UCR report.  LMPD has not authorized any person, business or media source to make representations or base opinion on this map data.  Misuse of the map data may subject a party to criminal prosecution for false advertising under KRS 517.030.  The Louisville Metro Police may, at its discretion, discontinue or modify this service at any time without notice."

• Courier-Journal Crime Reports - http://datacenter.courier-journal.com/crime/
• This site is part of the Courier-Journal's "Data Center" and seems to be nearly the same data as MetroWatch, but with some better search capabilities and a nicer map (in my opinion).  It also offers a disclaimer to users.
• "These are recent reports to the Louisville Metro Police Department. The reports are updated daily, but they typically lag several days behind when the incidents happened because of the time it takes police to process the reports and make them public."
•  Spotcrime.com - http://spotcrime.com/ky/louisville/bon+air
• Again, the underlying data appears to be the same, but this private site seems to be doing some very interesting things regarding metrics and searching.  I believe they are managing a more comprehensive database and are storing historical data indefinitely, or much longer than the first two.  They also have the Bon Air Neighborhood Association borders so you can easily hone in on our area and will send you crime updates right to your inbox if you wish and those emails include a map so that the recipient gets a quick look at where things are happening.

So all three of those options have drawbacks and are only as good as the data provided by the police, but all three are a helpful way to stay informed about crime in Bon Air.  We hope it's useful to everyone and we look forward to your suggestions on how to better prevent crime in our neighborhood.

REMINDERS: If you see suspicious activity, get as many details as you can (time, details, license plates, etc) and call 574-2111 or 574-7111 and hit option 5.  That will put you in touch with an LMPD dispatch operator who can contact police directly to respond.  If there is emergency or a break-in or you witness a crime as it is happening, always call 911.

A Box of Popcorn and a Soda

Demolition on the last portion of the Showcase Cinemas continued yesterday (and today) and as I drove by on my way home from work, I could clearly see the menu over the snack bar in the front lobby...facing Bardstown Road, lit by the light of day.  I couldn't read the wording but hopefully someone can snap a picture because I bet the prices are revealing (if any are still displayed).  It's a curious monument to the old structure.  Almost 99% gone, one of the last images the citizens will have is of a snack bar menu that probably hundreds of thousands of movie-goers looked at before heading into a theater.

I will attempt to take some photos of the old cinemas and post them on the blog this week.  If anyone else has photographs, please let us know as we'd like to post them.

Showcase Cinemas: RIP

The work is almost complete on the site of the old Showcase Cinemas and the structure is little more than a pile of rubble.  As of yesterday, a small portion of the original lobby was still standing under some debris but it is expected that the crews will take care of this in the coming days.  Thus far it looks as though the materials are being separated into piles, likely to be transported to scrap metal recyclers which should help offset some of the costs of the demolition.

A source from Metro government stated that the city was discussing some of the property maintenance issues with the owners of the property (National Amusements) and there was at least some discussion of increasing pressure for numerous property maintenance violations.  National Amusements allegedly "got the hint" and took the steps that have led to the demolition that we are witnessing the last stages of.

The path forward is now a little clearer without the aging structure on that property and Bashford Manor, Bon Air, Bon Air Eastates, and Highgate Springs will continue to work to find interested parties who will develop this property into something that residents can be proud of.  It's impossible to predict who may come forward with the cash to buy it, but if we don't attempt to drive the sale at least in the small way that we can, we run the risk of something less than desirable going in on that 19 acre lot.

Please use the comments section to tell us what you would like to see at the old Showcase property.

Cops and Robbers

As I type this a police helicopter is circling overhead and shining a spotlight on Downing, Chevy Chase, and Wilmar just south of Hikes Lane.  I heard some sirens earlier tonight but that's not all that uncommon.  A police helicopter search, however, is something of note.  Hopefully they will have found who they are looking for by the time everyone reads this.  Please remember to look your cars, doors, and windows at night and secure personal belongings so they are not an easy target for opportunistic criminals.

Sign Are In!

Our second order for yard signs has come in and they are ready for distribution.  We placed a slightly larger order this time so the per unit cost has gone down to $6.  This price covers only the cost of having the signs printed.  The signs are a durable white cardboard or plastic material with a slogan that the Vice President of the Bon Air Neighborhood Association came up with.  It is simple and tasteful with a red heart and the words "I Love Bon Air".  If you are interested in purchasing a sign, please visit www.bon-air.org and you can place an order directly through the website.  Or feel free to attend a meeting of the Bon Air Neighborhood Association on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 pm in the Bon Air Library.  Orders will be taken at meetings and can be fulfilled the same night if some advance notice is given.


Bon Air Neighborhood Association can also be contacted at 502-509-2471 or P.O. Box 18071, Louisville, KY 40261.