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Subscribe to RSSSome church volunteers and construction workers complain that strict rules controlling access to the worst-damaged neighborhoods in Arlington prevent them from helping tornado victims.
City leaders say the process of requiring daily permits to get past police roadblocks is necessary to keep out looters and shady contractors.
Contractors are required to go to a police station in South Arlington to apply for a permit to get into certain areas. A homeowner must verify the company has been hired, and the contractor must provide detailed identification information. Residents also must show proof of their address to get to their homes.
Don Tate, of Tate Roofing in Mansfield, said his company wanted to help put free tarps on damaged roofs.
"You can't help people if they won't let you in the neighborhoods," he said.
Another contractor, Gerardo Gonzales, of Royalty Roofing in Fort Worth, waited at a police station for city officials to verify with a resident that his company had been hired.
"The problem is, the homeowner is not answering to verify we actually have work to do with them, so it's holding us up," Gonzales said. "All we want to do is get in, get out, and help the homeowners out."
Ken Leonard, a volunteer for Churches of Christ, said he had a truck with water and other supplies to donate to victims, but he was unable to get a city permit.
"They're locked up pretty tight right now," he said. "I'm sure things will loosen up soon and we want to be there ready to go in when they let faith-based organizations like us in."
More tornado coverage by NBCDFW.com
City leaders defend the rules as necessary to keep out unscrupulous contractors and even looters.
"The process really is to make sure we have limited access to the secured areas," Arlington spokeswoman Rebecca Rodriguez said. "As you can see, there are so many houses that are vulnerable, and that means the homeowners are vulnerable too in so many ways."
She said some homeowners had complained about questionable characters going door to door to solicit business.
Nancy McNiel, whose home of 25 years was destroyed in seconds, said she had noticed several people hauling away metal debris which she believed they planned on selling to recyclers.
"How did they get in here?" she asked.
She praised the strict rules limiting access to her neighborhood.
"I think it's a good idea," she said. "We'd have a lot of fly-by-night people coming through."
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While I can understand and appreciate the actions of the Arlington authorities, especially when it comes to contractors going door to door, or rubble pile to rubble pile as the case may be, there needs to be a faster means for volunteers DONATING supplies to those in need.
And to expect contractors to wait while they verify with a homeowner if the contractor was contacted by the homeowner is a bit over the top too. Homeowners may or may not be in a position to answer a phone call. Especially if their primary means of communication is a land line that is probably inoperable, or a cell phone with batteries run dry. Some of the residents might not have contacted the contractor either, but they might have been sent by the homeowners insurance company to provide emergency repairs.
How about they increase the police presence in the area, and arrest those found to be soliciting or stealing. The residents already have enough problems without the authorities, although with good intentions, increasing the issues the homeowners are dealing with.
This is what to expect when people leave it up to the authorities nurse maid them. You can't expect the cops to guarantee that your life will always be a bed of roses.
We are choking on security and suspicion of everyone. It's really saddening that people are treated like sheep in a pack of wolves. The police are the biggest stumbling block during a natural disaster. During the last hurricane I was more worried about being unable to move freely to check on my relatives for fear that I would get caught away from home and be forced to evacuate and leave my family alone at home. That was a wake up call to me that there is something really wrong with the mind set of people today. Property rights are all but erased and we soon will be considered only SUBJECTS to be controlled buy the powers. I'm totally disenfranchised and disenchanted by the creeping authoritarian government. It's MY life to live the way I choose and I reserve the option to refuse any interference from well meaning zealots.
unknown1...
shhh... you'll burst the bubble of the sheeple that think the government knows best and is only acting in their best interests.
If they only knew the reality, they would be afraid.... very afraid.