Highland Square residents meet to combat crime
By Stephanie Kist
HIGHLAND SQUARE — About 30 people were in attendance for a special meeting of the Hereford/Highland Area Block Watch July 18 to discuss recent armed robberies and criminal activity in Highland Square. Four armed robberies took place at ATMs in Highland Square in four weeks, all after 10 p.m. A robbery occurred June 17 at the National City ATM at 889 W. Market St., and June 19 and July 3 and 12 at the FirstMerit ATM at 855 W. Market St.
Ross Dilley was the victim of the June 19 incident, which he described for his neighbors gathered at the meeting.
A bit distracted by the happenings of his day, he drove up to the ATM “just withdrawing 20 bucks” about 10 p.m. that night. As soon as the ATM emitted a whirring sound indicating it was about to present Dilley’s cash, the robber struck him across the face with a gun.
“This guy’s really clever. He knows when to attack,” said Dilley, who added he feels the suspect targeted him because he was in a low-riding vehicle, which made him more vulnerable.
When he was struck by the robber, Dilley’s foot came off the clutch, stalling the car, and he struggled with the gunman’s arm in the window until he could get the car started and flee, leaving the robber, his $20 and his bank card at the ATM.
“We have to talk about
this,” Dilley said. “I’m just wondering
what we can do to make this
problem go away.”
Lt. Steve Phillips, a detective
with the Akron Police Department, agreed the suspect
needs to go away — away to jail, not just to another
part of the city.
Phillips distributed a composite
sketch of the suspect, who is described as a tall black
male between 15 and 25 years old with a medium build
and black eyes weighing 175-200 pounds.
Phillips said the suspect is
difficult to identify and left no physical evidence
at the scene. Solving the crimes is “going to
take a lot of work. It’s going to take some time,”
he said.
He asked the residents to be
vigilant and to be careful not to make themselves a
target.
Kathy Robinson, loss prevention
coordinator for FirstMerit, welcomed suggestions —
which included better lighting and surveillance or a
large fish-eyed mirror or panic button at the ATM —
for increased safety.
She and Phillips also distributed
safety tips for using ATMs, including:
• Be aware of surroundings
and don’t use the ATM if something seems amiss.
• Have your card and all
information ready if walking up to an ATM.
• Wait until leaving the
vicinity of the ATM to count the money.
• Remain in the car with
the doors locked and keep the windows rolled up before
and after conducting a transaction.
• Remove cash as soon as
it is distributed.
Akron City Councilman Dan Horrigan
(D-Ward 1), in whose ward most of Highland Square is
situated, encouraged residents not to be afraid to call
police if anything seems out of the ordinary in the
neighborhood.
The department’s nonemergency
number is (330) 375-2181, and he said calling and describing
any strange characters or circumstances — such
as juveniles out after the 11 p.m. curfew — can
be helpful.
He said he and Councilman Bob
Keith (D-Ward 8), who owns Summit Tailoring (itself
the victim of a break-in last week) in Highland Square,
have been compiling ideas to help with crime in the
neighborhood, including heightened police presence and
surveillance.
Highland Square resident Lisa
Bostwick, who organized the special block watch meeting,
said she called Fairlawn, Bath and Copley police departments,
and it appears the crime rate still is lower in Highland
Square than in the Montrose area.
Despite being afraid the suspect
eventually will be emboldened and use his gun, residents
need to be alert and not give up Highland
Square to crime, she said.
“We need to still go about
our lives and let them know this is still a great neighborhood,”
she said.
Bostwick said she plans to schedule
another meeting next month and also would like to organize
a West Market Street block watch group.
This rendering depicts the suspect
in a string of robberies in the Highland Square area.
Rendering courtesy of
Akron Police Department
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