Whitefish pushes alarm over downtown vandalism

Business owners share concerns over upswing in criminal mischief

Whitefish downtown business owners may be forced to hire their own security guards or send out teams of volunteers to curb a burgeoning problem of after-hours vandalism.

Police officers provide daily foot patrols in the downtown area, but bigger crowds during the past couple of years have stretched the police force as far as it can go, Whitefish police Chief Bill Dial said.

"This frustrates the hell out of me," Dial told a group of downtown business leaders Tuesday. "Our dilemma is we have limited resources. We need to find a way to service you."

Business leaders met with Dial and Assistant Chief Mike Ferda to share their concerns about the upswing in criminal mischief.

Broken store windows, stolen flower pots and benches, damaged signs and vehicles, egging and paintballing are the biggest concerns, according to Whitefish Chamber of Commerce Director Sheila Bowen. Empty beer bottles and litter strewn in streets and drinkers urinating in public are other problems.

Last week a bench was thrown off the balcony of Flanagan's Central Station, smashing the windshield of a car. Another time, a police officer had beer bottles thrown at him as he patrolled downtown, Dial said.

The area of Central Avenue north of Second Street is home to 10 bars and restaurants that serve alcohol.

"It seems like more of a year-round problem now," said Rick Nelson of Nelson's Hardware.

Nelson cited broken signs, damaged flower pots, broken front windows and damage to Christmas lights as continuing problems at his downtown business.

Ferda said the upswing in vandalism seems to parallel the population growth in Whitefish during the past year and a half. Criminal mischief is tough for police to prevent, he said, because most of it happens when no one is watching.

"There are four quick ways to get out of town, so you have a 25 percent chance of picking the right road [to patrol]," Ferda said.

The egging and paintballing are typically youth-related; most other vandalism is linked to drunken bar patrons, he added.

Jill Evans, director of the Stumptown Historical Society and overseer of the historic train depot, said she doesn't want Whitefish "to turn into a place where we can't have pretty things."

Community leaders pointed to Durango, Colo., where similar vandalism problems prompted the community to remove all benches, hanging signs and planters in the downtown area. They don't want that scenario to play out in Whitefish.

"I'd like to make sure you know our entire purpose is to find out how we can help you," Evans said.

Dial gave the group three suggestions.

First, "put pressure on fellow retailers," he said. "Talk to the bar owners. Have bartenders attended training to not overserve people? It's dead wrong for bars to produce this problem."

Second, business owners should work with the Police Department to coordinate volunteer groups to walk the streets during late evening and early morning hours, Dial said. Some local churches on occasion have provided volunteers.

"A business-watch program would solve a lot of problems," he said.

Finally, hiring a security guard also may be a viable way of providing some immediate relief. Dial suggested merchants pool their money to pay for a guard.

Better lighting could deter vandals, too, he said.

Tom Gilfillan of Whitefish Pottery said he intends to put up a light at his business on the south end of Central Avenue. His signs and flower planters also have been vandalized.

As the city considers the budget for fiscal year 2007, Dial said he has a plan to present [for more enforcement resources] in the next month and a half. Long term, he'd like to see the city invest in wireless cameras for better surveillance.

The next step in the downtown leaders quest to quell vandalism, they decided, is to set up a meeting with Whitefish bar owners.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.