MASON CITY – Just blocks west of the hallowed Cultural Crescent in Mason City, where gambling dice are perched forever in front of City Hall, life has become a game of chance for some residents and business owners.
“There’s a lot of sketchy activity in these parts,” a resident who lives near the intersection of Monroe Avenue and 1st Street NW said recently. “Lots of rentals, low income people. There’s a whore house over there,” the man said, pointing in the vicinity of the intersection. Minutes later, on a snowy, icy day, a petite woman in a short skirt and black six inch pumps hurried out of the house he pointed at.
SUBJECT IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
A nearby business, Dimensional Graphics, was burglarized on November 24th, 2013. The suspect, Justin Holt, allegedly broke into the Dimensional Graphics Group, located at 325 North Jackson Avenue, and stole some cash out of employees’ desks (less than $50 total), broke into the soda machine, and stole a laptop.
“We got the laptop back,” said owner Adam Gold.
Holt was arrested two days later by Mason City police on the other side of the Cultural Crescent and charged with felony burglary. He is still in jail after his bond reduction appeal was denied Friday. He awaits an arraignment hearing on December 16th.
Police told NIT that documented burglaries in the area were not many, but another area businessman who wished not to be named told NIT that police have been vigilant in patrolling the area, in an attempt to squelch illicit activity.
“I bought a pretty sophisticated video monitoring system,” the man said. “You can see the police drive by every few minutes, through the intersection.
“They know it’s bad,” the man said, pointing to video of a Mason City police squad car rolling through Monroe Avenue and 1st Street NW slowly, with a large, powerful spotlight pointing directly into adjacent rental properties. “People in this one (residence), come and go all day and all night. They show up on foot, on bikes, in cars, come in for 10-15 minutes, then leave. We know what’s going on. We’re sick of it.”
SUBJECT IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY
As recently as Friday morning, police arrested a man for sitting in a parked car at a nearby vacant rental property. According to a report, at about 2:00 AM Friday, a Mason City police officer came upon suspicious vehicle parked at the vacant house at the 000 block of North Monroe Avenue. The subject inside the vehicle, Lewy Lee Curtiss, age 43 of Rockwell, was arrested on two counts of possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine and a schedule IV substance) and possession of drug paraphernalia and taken to jail. He plead not guilty and was soon released.
In another video taken in late November and shared with NIT, the business owner points to a male walking through a nearby parking lot and then moments later, the video goes dead.
“He pulled the camera down with this,” the business owner said, holding up a metal broom handle with a hook fastened to one end with electrical tape. “Then he went around back and pulled down the other camera.”
Police have no suspects in the theft of the cameras.
“I’d just ask people to keep an eye out,” the business owner said. “If you see anything suspicious, please call police.”
I live on the Northwest side, have a professional career, am drug free, drink maybe twice a year and don’t even smoke. I have lived on the Northwest side for about 15 years and go into Cenex quite often and sometimes as late as 11pm (just one block down from State and 1st NW). I have never heard gunshots flying over my head, have never been murdered, raped, or robbed in this area. I have not seen anyone that is any different in this area than would be in an area such as…. the Southeast side for example. I do not fear for my life when going to this area, I do not stay in my car and lock the doors shaking with fear should my car break down. I don’t smoke weed, crack, etc. I am not on welfare. I don’t have a permit to carry. I don’t own an AK-47. I don’t fear the people in this area will take money out of my pocket anymore than I would when I go to the bank to speak to “Mason City’s upper crust” that like to have their toast buttered on both sides. All is good as long as you treat everyone with the same respect you would like to be treated with. Sorry, a little lengthy here but I guess what I’m saying is… I have no clue what you’re talking about in this article or any of your other rants of the “Northend” as it is no different than any other part of Mason City.
Try living up by monroe park,
@maybe-we live a couple of blocks from Monroe Park and I must say it has gotten a lot better up here this year. We have some decent people as renters in the area and the trouble bar has shut down. It looks like a lot of the trouble makers from out of town have moved to the center and south end of town. They are still here but their hang out is now downtown. I wonder how the mayor likes that.
I also live a couple blocks from monroe park and I must admit that I haven’t seen as much this last year but I still hear gunshots every once in a while, at least during the summer months.
@maybe- I live near Monroe Park. Nothing. Nada. Zilch for crime rate in my neighborhood. How about yours? NIT, can we please put a stop to the segregation among differing sides of town and admit the problems in Mason City are shared between all of us.
In 2013 I admit that crime was down in my area but in 2012 the gangbangers were all over the place and I had to have my garage locked up every night.
@Concerned-Glad you feel safe. It only takes once and we will be reading about you on here.
History -every BIG well do do city has dumpster divers – BUS-EM OUT —RAWHIDE !!
All units be on the look out for anyone wearing a sandal.
This is a pretty rough area and has just gotten worse over the years. It all started when the slum lords bought all those fine old houses and turned them into low rent apartments. If you go into that area at night you had best be very careful. If your car should break down just call someone. Don’t try to get out and walk. The whole down town area is deteriorating.
Welcome to Bookmeyersville, USA, where you need 3 of the plentiful jobs paying $9 bucks or less and still need to steal to feed your booze and drug habit.
How about you report just the facts and drop the sarcasm.
How about you get lost if you dont like it.