Elm Grove resident fumes over vandalism, theft, drugs
By CASEY JUNKINSArticle Photos
Fact Box
Elm Grove Crime Watch meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month at the Elm Grove Civics.
Kruger Street resident Gina M.T. Domenick-Hanket says a group of teenagers are causing problems in her neighborhood. Now she wants her neighbors to help her rid Elm Grove of the criminal element.
''We don't want Elm Grove to become like East Wheeling or Wheeling Island,'' Domenick-Hanket said referring to frequent reports of criminal activity in those areas of the city.
Domenick-Hanket said there are about 12 teenagers threatening Elm Grove residents, committing vandalism, stealing property and using illegal drugs in her neighborhood.
''I had to buy a security system and put up 'No Trespassing' signs. We have even gone so far as to set up booby traps to keep the thugs away from our houses. There is no reason we should have to do things like this out here in Elm Grove,'' she said.
Domenick-Hanket said the problems have persisted during her entire two years at the Kruger Street residence.
''It is not as if these things just started because they have been going on for a while,'' she said.
But Domenick-Hanket does not blame the Wheeling Police Department for the criminal activity in her neighborhood.
''The police do an excellent job, and they come when you call them. The problem is that a lot of the people around here are afraid to call the police because the thugs threaten them,'' she said.
Wheeling police Sgt. Jim Braden said there have been several recent reports of vandalism in Elm Grove. Braden said similar acts take place throughout the city.
''It is pretty much the same thing in every neighborhood,'' he said.
But Domenick-Hanket wants Elm Grove residents to stand together to fight crime.
''We have to call the police when we know these things are going on. We have to go to our crime watch meetings every month,'' she said.
Elm Grove Crime Watch generally meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month at the Elm Grove Civics.
''We need people to go to the meetings to tell the police what is going on. Then we need to work together as citizens to make sure we watch out for each other so that we can get these criminals out of here,'' she said.
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ElmGroveResident
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07-25-08 11:08 PM
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You want to call these teens 'thugs' due to the way they dress. There are teens who are in YOUR neighborhood who dress in tight jeans,and t-shirts,and no ballcap who don't even try to hide things they do,yet YOU seem to never mention any of this[I am trying to get my mother to move out of your neighborhood now.]True,kids who wear baggy pants and a ballcap turned sideways are looked at as being 'trouble-makers' by a lot of people.But,is it always true?I guess the same could be said then about a woman who rides on the back of a motorcycle wearing a jacket with the name of a motorcycle gang on it?That should hit home,as that person is YOU
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lightninloosey
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07-09-08 7:13 PM
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NOW AIN'T THAT JUST THE POT CALLIN' THE KETTLE BLACK !!!!!!!!!
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JustMyOpinion
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07-07-08 11:49 AM
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She sure is a looker.
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RobinHood
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07-06-08 10:11 PM
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Holly Molly snagle tooth. KidsInElmGrove, she does look the type to do what you are saying, though I shouldnt sterotype.
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KidsInElmGrove
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07-06-08 3:47 AM
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I wonder how they would feel if they found you were out driving after you had been drinking, like the night you called them. Not to mention how you bad talk certain upper businessmen in this town, cops, lawyers, & such, whenever you don't get your way. Everyone in this neighborhood has heard you, after all you do have a very loud mouth. I just wish folks like you, who like to put people down, no matter if they are kids, teens, or adults, & tarnish reputations for your own benefit, would just walk out of this town & not come back!!!
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KidsInElmGrove
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07-06-08 3:47 AM
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I agree with all that ElmGroveResident said. Ms. Domenick-Hanket, you really need to survey the reasons that you REALLY put that security system in. After all, just a couple weeks ago, you were complaining about your next door neighbors & how they were after you about this & that (& I won't tarnish your pride or supposed reputation by saying what the this & that is) & how you were fed up about it. Wasn’t it you who just recently called the police in due to them (your neighbors) allegedly breaking into your home? AND come to find out now, you are out partying with them until all hours of the night, boozing, being extremely loud the dogs barked and wouldn’t shut up, & enjoying a bon-fire!! Too bad the police, who you tend to harass into donations for your benefits, did not stay & do something about it. I guess you sweet talked your way out of that one also?
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ElmGroveResident
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07-06-08 3:14 AM
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And everyone should realize that it is NOT just the kids or teenagers here. There are MANY adults involved in these activities as well. Just as there are the Bad Kids', the same goes for a lot of the adults here. We all need to band together,not only here,and make constant complaints to the police,council or whoever will listen and the ones who don't want to for us to maybe accomplish any change at all. The police don't want us to bring together a NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GROUP like it was first intended to be.There was a time when residents took turns,being visible,patroling the neighborhoods giving names, addresses,license plate numbers,descriptions of cars, not from the neighborhood, that frequented certain houses usually late at night.The police now call that a vigilante group.But that is what the neighborhood watch groups started out as.Even walkie talkies being provided to the residents so they could communicate as each took 'their watch.' As residents we NEED to do this again.
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ElmGroveResident
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07-06-08 3:03 AM
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If the residents made more complaints and became involved,you can make anonymous calls if you worry about retaliation,maybe Elm Grove would not have so many problems. However,yelling at these teenagers,as they pass their homes,telling them not to walk near their house or to stay out of the alleys behind their homes won't do any good.We all have to worry about property destruction,or our home being broken into. That's the same everywhere,not just here.Not ALL THE TEENAGERS here are BAD KIDS.But they get that lable by people like miss hankett.Instead of only concentrating on the trouble makers,there are people that harrass all of the kids here.Public property is just that,not private property.No one should be told to leave the ballfield,the play ground,or stay off sidewalks,or out of an alley for the simple fact that someone else does not want them there. That IS dicrimination AND harrassment.
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ElmGroveResident
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07-06-08 2:51 AM
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In reply to MrMonday,Elm Grove HAS been a multi racial neighborhood for quite some time now. But,the problems have increased as 'kids' got older.A lot of it has to do with some parents here that don't care what their kids do,as long as they're out of the house. Many of the 'problem kids' are coming from the Cedar Rocks area near here,as well as other parts of Wheeling. There are not just a handfull of 'thugs' causing trouble here,much much more than that.A lot of trouble comes from Jones Street and Valley View.The police have been informed about certain 'activities' and they wait,trying to catch the 'big fish' instead of trying to rid ALL areas of Wheeling of the 'small' ones.I agree, if curfew would be enforced strictly,we would be having fewer problems.It takes a 'major' event,or lying,to the police when you call to get them out here at all.When they do come,most of the time they don't even get out of their car,or decide to look the other way.Many of the E.G. residents have seen thi
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MrMonday
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07-05-08 11:10 PM
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Ms. Domenick-Hanket, regarding your remarks on Wheeling Island and East Wheeling: Well, just wait until Elm Grove becomes a multi-cultural neighborhood like East Wheeling and the Island-- then you'll REALLY have lots of crime there!
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E2Driver
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07-04-08 2:47 PM
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And just a month ago there was a huge bust of the prostitution and the people griped the cops were wasting there time with that. No matter what they do, people are unhappy.
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TheRealityPolice
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07-04-08 12:02 PM
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I agree with the Rottweiler comment - a big dog, esp. a Rott or GSD is a great deterrent.
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PCGS70
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07-04-08 11:12 AM
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Typical cover up with Wheeling Police Department...I am glad they are kids, it just shows how much of a coward the WPD really are. Walk down 14th and 15th street, or better yet come to my building and clean up the Drug Dealers here..how many times have I reported the plate numbers, rooms and individuals dealing this poison within Supported Housing Program. I have only met one police officer, a undercover police officer...because he was actually doing his job and helping the tenants...he was transferred somewhere else...so the drug problem and violence again continues where it left off in the building. But let someone jaywalk in front of the 7-11 and the cops are there to cite the law....freak'en cowards WPD...
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E2Driver
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07-04-08 8:41 AM
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The neighborhhod involvement is what is most needed.
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E2Driver
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07-04-08 8:38 AM
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I personally know of some curfew arrests, so yes it IS enforced.
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wheelingizded
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07-04-08 8:36 AM
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anyone thinking of maybe a neighborhood crime watch. it is easy to find fault with the police, but ultimately people have to take care of their 'hoods. identify who these clowns are and put their faces in the paper.
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Wondering
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07-04-08 8:15 AM
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Glad the WPD is so proactive in their crimefighting efforts. "Just call us and we'll come take a report."
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joesr66
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07-04-08 7:50 AM
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Guess what there is a curfew in the City Of Wheeling but they don't enforce it at all and where have you been hideing in your basement or something. If you habe booby traps set your in big trouble young lady.
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UNCOMMONSENSE
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07-04-08 7:30 AM
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As far as securing your property, NOTHING says security like a 130LB Rottweiler in the yard!
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UNCOMMONSENSE
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07-04-08 6:59 AM
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The city needs a CURFEW and they need it NOW! Instead of wasting tens of thousands of dollars on fake DUI checkpoints maybe it's time law enforcement actually begins to SERVE and PROTECT the citizens!
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