Property owners on East Side fund anti-crime, cleanup efforts

“Whatever we can do to clean up the neighborhood — some type of program to clean up the streets.”

A pair of Community Crime Patrol members are walking routinely along East Main Street between Bexley and Whitehall on the East Side, funded by property owners along the street who are assessing themselves as part of a new special improvement district.

From noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, the two meet with Main Street businesspeople and property owners to hear their concerns and generally David Ornstein of the Pfeifer-Ornstein Insurance Agency

keep an eye on things. The patrols started May 9.

Property owners formed the special improvement district to provide more security and clean up the area. They’ve been concerned about crime and prostitution. One magnet for those problems had been Motel One, until a judge ordered the demolition of that building in 2014.

But that didn’t eliminate the problems.

“There’s certainly prostitution going on. It’s an ongoing basis,” said the improvement district’s treasurer, David Ornstein of the Pfeifer-Ornstein Insurance Agency. In addition to security, the property owners could decide to pay for trash receptacles, and perhaps flowers and banners.

“Whatever we can do to clean up the neighborhood — some type of program to clean up the streets,” Ornstein said.

Herb Talabere, the district’s secretary, said the assessments are raising $54,000 a year.

The district also is receiving $18,000 from the city of Bexley and $2,500 from the Whitehall-Bexley Rotary Club. Bexley is paying into the district because the patrols extend a few blocks into Bexley.