Let's take back our streets!

The house or apartment building in the 600 block of Plane Street has been the scene of five police calls within the last 24 hours. Tuesday night, a large number of individuals were involved in a fight with baseball bats. In one of the fights last night, a crow bar, stun gun and pellet gun were involved.




Is it time that true Columbians ban together and take back our town?

Here are just a few examples of the need to take our town back.

Within about the last month, there have been numerous incidents in the 400 block of Locust Street where car windows have been broken out as the result of disagreements. At least one business had a window broken out and about two weeks ago was raided by the Lancaster County Drug Task Force and is now closing.

There was a fight Wednesday night that resulted in a car being confiscated. Not sure of there were arrests.

Earlier this week, allegedly there was another brawl in the 300 block of Walnut Street.

Tuesday and Wednesday, police were called five times to the 600 block of Plane Street for multiple fights. Yesterday and last night they were in the area four times with numerous citations for simple assault, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief issued. Tuesday night, baseball bats were the weapons of choice. Last night, apparently the weapons of choice were a crow bar, pellet gun and stun gun.

Last night, one person was take n to Lancaster General Hospital. Tuesday night, emergency crews treated at least one person.

So what is going on? Well, part of the problems deal with rental units and who landlords are renting their buildings too. The other part is dealing with illegal substances.

Those problems are not new town, but it appears to be getting bad again.

It’s time we band together and take back our streets.

We need to force our displeasure to Columbia Borough Council about these problems – with the landlords, with the tenants occupying these buildings and with drugs.

We as citizens don’t want to know what the borough is planning, but what they are going to do to combat the problem and stay on them.

We need to toughen our ordinances and tell those who are violating them they are not welcome.

If we do that and continue to press upon our borough leaders and these individuals we are serious about taking back our streets, they will get the word.

I understand that eviction proceedings have started on the property in the 600 block of Plane Street. But it shouldn’t get to that point. Landlords need to take responsibility for who they rent too and not take on someone else’s problems. If they are evicted or leave another area, not only in Columbia, but other areas a swell, that should throw the red flag up.

Perhaps, the borough needs to evict the landlords as well, as many of the problem types are from out of town.

And just don’t go to one borough council meeting. Keep going and keep asking questions and keep calling police. And, don’t be afraid to testify if needed as well.

Now let’s move on to the next problem. Yes, Columbia has a problem with skateboaders. Not all those who ride boards are bad. But it is the ones who are bad that give our town a bad name and many of them are from out of town or transients.

Late last year, a skateboard park opened in Columbia at an old warehouse on Chestnut Street between Second and Third streets. It has done its job, taken skareboarders off our streets and given them a place to go. But, .there is now a problem. Twice in the last three months there have been after hours’ events held at the facility involving loud music and alcohol. Residents of the area are furious and last Saturday an after hours party was shutdown by police from Columbia and West Hempfield Township.

Again, this needs to stop and the owners of the facility should be held accountable. This is not what Columbia Borough or residents of the area want or need.

We need to get serious about taking back are town and whatever we can do to do it, it has to be done.

If not, all the good to bring people into town and projects such as the River Park expansion and Turkey Hill Experience won’t mean a hill of beans because of the problems being created by those who are only use to one way, which isn’t the COLUMBIA WAY.