The Brewer apartments in Oneida
ONEIDA -- The City of Oneida is looking at whether a neighborhood feud involves hate crimes.
Mayor Leo Matzke tells CNY Central's Jim Kenyon that he has directed Police Chief David Meeker to meet with the Madison County District Attorney's Office to look into claims that recent fights had racial overtones.
The incidents took place at the Brewer Housing Complex on Elm Street in downtown Oneida. People there say some neighborhood bullies have gone way too far. Resident Nicole Clark said "There's a lot of foul language being yelled out, a lot of racial slurs."
Phyllis Buda accused a group of people living at a nearby apartment building of "Harassing us... beating people up and saying all kinds of horrible things to people."
Clark and Buda are among 25 residents of the Brewer apartments who signed a petition calling up the City of Oneida to crack down on the alleged bullies. Mayor Leo Matzke has promised a crackdown which includes stepped up police patrols, surveillance cameras and eventually a public nuisance law. The nuisance law could force landlords to shut down apartment buildings after police respond to complaints more than three times.
If the D.A. agrees that the harassment qualifies as a hate crime, Matzke says the punishment could be much harsher for those involved in the neighborhood feud.
Reporter Jim Kenyon witnessed such a racial slur when he approached a group of residents at the apartment building on Elm Street. One woman called the woman who sponsored the petition drive a "n***** lover." She said she was "sick of those people."
Another resident, Josh Joslyn blamed "drug dealers" in the housing complex for the problems. "We're harassing them? They should take their drugs and get out of town. As you can see we have little kids," said Joslyn.
Read more in the Oneida Daily Dispatch.
