In response to Jonah Braun’s recent Opinion piece (“Where in the world is Rene Gonzalez?”, Oct. 14), I would like to shed some light on how my Greek organization, as well as myself, has interacted with Officer Rene Gonzalez. Since becoming the Langdon Street neighborhood officer, Gonzalez has shown nothing but a willingness to communicate with all Langdon residents. This includes him coming to speak to our Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter every semester to keep open lines of communication. He has even expressed interest in making himself available for ride-alongs so that Langdon Street residents can be more aware of the day-to-day situation around their neighborhood.
I know from personal experience that people have contacted Gonzalez with problems and concerns via e-mail and phone. Gonzalez has always responded in a timely manner. He is a great example of Madison police working with students, keeping our interests in mind while at the same time maintaining a safe environment around Langdon.
Braun makes the incorrect assertion that Langdon Street safety has been compromised under Gonzalez’s tenure. In fact, crime continues to go down on Langdon Street. According to the Central District’s monthly newsletters posted on the Madison Police Department’s website there were six incidents of crime reported in the “Crime Overview” on Langdon Street between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31. Of those, there were three burglaries, two batteries, one robbery and (most importantly) zero sexual assaults or homicides. Compared to the same period last year, this represents a 16 percent decrease in overall crime.
Braun claims, “The most troubling aspect of Langdon Street safety is the lack of communication between MPD and residents who don’t live in Greek houses.” Although I am a member of the Greek community, 75 percent of SigEp’s membership does not live in a Greek house. Yet, those members have also maintained open and appropriate communication with Gonzalez. A good example of this was a recent non-Greek event I attended on Langdon Street where Gonzalez stopped by to introduce himself and make sure everything was running smoothly.
As both a member of SigEp and an individual living on Langdon Street, I have found Gonzalez not only approachable and responsive but also proactive in his communication with the neighborhood.
Geoff Zahn
Junior, biology and economics
Sigma Phi Epsilon, VP-Communications
[email protected]