The crime spike in District 3 during the past several months has community members asking what they can do to curb the problem. It has also brought officials and business owners together to brainstorm ways to teach residents and business patrons to act more cautiously when out and about.

Last week, Councilmember Toni Atkins led a community planning meeting to discuss methods to counter crime in Hillcrest and surrounding areas.

At the meeting, spearheaded by the San Diego GLBT Tavern Guild and co-sponsored by the Greater San Diego Business Association and Atkins’ District 3 City Council office, Atkins discussed ideas for a public education campaign.

“We did a series of public safety meetings at the end of last year and learned that our forums were not reaching the people who had been the victims of some of these assaults at the bars,” Atkins explained. “Of course many concerned citizens and the business associations go to these meetings and forums all the time, but it is just not the way the younger crowds get information.”

Consequently, Atkins along with the Tavern Guild and other business associations at the meeting, discussed ideas for a public education campaign to target patrons who frequent the businesses and take advantage of the nightlife in the greater Hillcrest area.

“We don’t want the businesses and people within the community to wait until something happens again in order to step up and become involved,” explained “Big Mike” Phillips, a co-founder of the Tavern Guild who was present at the meeting. “That’s why it’s important for us to have a public education campaign to let people know they should be aware of their surroundings at all times.”

However, according to Phillips, some Hillcrest residents have expressed concerns that campaigns to educate the community about crime, may be harmful to the revitalization of the area.

Atkins explained that is not the intention of the campaign.

“I want this campaign to be positive because Hillcrest has been very successful in its revitalization. The message we want to get out is Hillcrest is a wonderful place to not only live, but to spend the evening and enjoy the businesses. We’re not going to let it become a negative [campaign], instead we’re going to work together to reclaim our community,” she said. “We want to reinforce the notion that we’re paying attention in Hillcrest and that’s why we’re stepping up to do something about it.”

The group is still working on the message, but Atkins explained the challenge is how to put it into a format that will make people pay attention.

“We have the facts and tips on what people should or should not do when they’re out. Now we’re just trying to come up with something ‘sexy’ that the people will want to read and it will make them think about being aware when they are out,” Atkins said.

Atkins’ office is working with the businesses and organizations on a card to be handed out as people go in and out of the bars to give them information on how to be more cautious.

The councilmember assured that she’s going to be working very closely with the community to make sure the word gets out to the target audience.

“I’m looking forward to going out late at night and handing out the information to the patrons. I just hope that we get something that grabs their attention, and I have people who are making me aware of ways to reach out to the 20-something crowds we’re targeting.”

For more information about the public education campaign or crime in District 3, call Councilmember Toni Atkins’ office at (619) 236-6633.