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Sterling Park needs our help
Despite the frustration exhibited by residents at a heated community meeting at Park View High School Sept. 23, we think Loudoun's elected leaders and its Sheriff's Office are doing the best with what they have to address the violence and quality of life issues plaguing Sterling Park.
Still, more could be done.
Over the past 12 months, the Board of Supervisors has made a concerted effort to steer much of its attention from development matters in western Loudoun to improving the quality of life in the county's aging eastern communities.
Late last year, supervisors, in an effort to weed out boarding houses and to identify unkempt lawns, ordered zoning officials to step up inspections in Sterling Park. This summer, it created an ordinance giving the county more authority to cut overgrown lawns on private property. It recently decided to crack down on people who park their cars on their front yards.
Even more far reaching, county leaders this past spring held a series of community meetings in Loudoun's Sterling and Potomac districts to get residents' input on what the county should do to make eastern Loudoun more livable. Time will tell if the board heeds many of the residents' suggestions.
As for law enforcement, Sheriff Steve Simpson said at least four deputies are in Sterling Park at all times, with that number bumped up to eight when shifts overlap. He also said his office increased patrols in Sterling Park during the recent string of prowler incidents that struck neighborhoods in Leesburg and Sterling.
More encouraging, of all the recent violent crimes that have occurred in Sterling Park, he said the longest response time by deputies was only three minutes.
We applaud all these efforts. But sadly, it is still not enough.
Many homes in Sterling Park still appear to be flop houses for multiple families, while violent crime in the community is on the rise. According to the Sheriff's Office, there have been 29 aggravated assaults in Sterling so far this year, up from 17 at this point in 2007. Burglaries have also increased.
So what is the answer? More zoning inspectors and deputies, for one. Also, perhaps a committee of residents and county officials is needed to examine possible solutions to the problems Sterling Park is facing.
Finally, the board, as it did last week, needs to continue to involve the community in its efforts to resurrect Sterling Park. In order to tackle a problem as big as this, opinions from all affected parties are needed.
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