Learning about ways to better their neighborhoods was the goal of more than 100 La Crosse-area residents who gathered inside of the Black River Beach Neighborhood Center Saturday.
The first La Crosse Mayor’s Neighborhood Conference began at 8:30 a.m. and included presentations by the La Crosse Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, Couleecap and the city’s planning department.
Richard Kyte, director of Viterbo University’s D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership, also addressed civic engagement during a special keynote address. Social capital — a measurement of civic engagement — is defined as a network of relationships that help communities bond and build trust and cohesion.
“Social capital is correlated with all of the good things that we want,” such as a safe and welcoming neighborhood, he said. “When we focus on one thing, social capital seems to be the key.”
The key factors of increasing social capital include volunteering, commuting, “third places” and natural beauty, Kyte said. Therefore, people that volunteer their time and resources regularly, spend minimal time commuting, feel welcomed and accepted in a place other than their home and work, and live in a place of natural beauty will be happier and more engaged in their communities overall.
People that don’t volunteer, commute for several minutes every day, aren’t involved in a “third place” and aren’t aesthetically pleased by their surrounding won’t have a good social capital, he said.
“La Crosse is the fourth in the state of measured cities for social capital index,” Kyte said. “We have some of the highest social capital in La Crosse than anywhere in the nation.”
By maintaining — and improving — social capital, the safety and character of a community will advance. But there are other ways La Crosse residents can promote a secure neighborhood.
Phil Ostrem, a representative of the Powell Poage Hamilton Neighborhood Association, and Lisa Barrix, community policing officer of the La Crosse Police Department, informed event-goers on how to prevent crime by improving the appearance of their home. If a home is well groomed and maintained, a criminal is less likely to strike, Barrix said.
“The biggest thing is if people see that you care about your property and it’s taken care of, people see is as less of a target,” she said.
Barrix also encouraged residents to build relationships with their neighbors and watch out for one another.
“No one group can reduce crime by themselves,” she said. “Everyone needs to work together to make La Crosse a better place to live.”
The event was designed with the goal of bringing local groups and associations together to share ideas on how to reduce crime and enhance the quality of life and welfare of residents in La Crosse.
By spotlighting the possibilities of a safer, more welcoming place to live, it’ll encourage people to get involved in their neighborhood and get to know their neighbors, said Janice Hauswirth of the Washburn Neighborhood.
“It’s important to become involved in your neighborhood,” she said. “You think you alone cannot make a difference, but you can.”
Plans for next year’s conference are already in the works, said Mayor Tim Kabat. Meanwhile, he intends on continuing working with local neighborhood associations and encouraging other residents to become involved.
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