Hillside residents tired of reputation for crime
By ALI DRAVES
DCN Reporter
In recent years, the majority of crimes reported in the city of Duluth have been rumored to occur in the Central Hillside.
Despite the negative press that sometimes circulates about the area, many residents are sick of the gossip.
“It gets a bad rep, but it’s not that bad at all,� said 55-year-old Tom Potter, a full-time employee at Spur. “If you think about it, there are bad areas everywhere you go. It’s not any different than other parts of Duluth.�
Potter, a Duluth native, said it isn’t what everyone makes it out to be.
“I moved to the Hillside in 1983 and I knew there was some crime here,� he said. “Now, I realize it’s only a small minority of people that are actually committing those crimes and the area shouldn’t be judged on just those people.�
In the last few years, the Hillside has been reported to be the main station for drug trafficking, according to the Duluth Police Department Web site.
In fact, from 2004-2005, drug- related crimes in the Hillside increased by 20 percent, according to the Web site.
Despite the statistics, Potter remains optimistic.
“It’s a pretty big area, full of a lot of ethnicity,� said Potter. “We have a big variety, including a lot of senior citizens, college houses and families. Who wouldn’t want to live here?�
Daugherty Hardware employee Shannon Hall agrees.
“I’ve worked in the area for a long time and I wouldn’t move anywhere else,� she said. “It’s a great area to meet new people and hang out. It isn’t as bad as they say it.�
Hall said that it bothers her that people label the area as “ghetto,� but she is used to the term.
“It’s a little rough, sure, but it’s shaping up,� Hall said. “Nothing crime related has happened to me.�
Sixty-year-old Leona Krieg begs to differ.
Crime always seems to happen in her neighborhood, she said.
“I’ve been here my entire life and it’s really changed,� she said. “Just recently, my neighbors had a break-in and I had some things stolen from my garden.�
Krieg, however, refuses to be bitter about it.
“I love my neighbors and the community we’ve built together,� she said. “It all comes down to that.�
The residents of the Hillside enjoy their lives and disregard the rest, she said.